Food Court with John Oliver

[@amandas2639]

"Who told you about elevenses?" Colbert being tranqued in the background to keep from screaming LOTR trivia

[@valeriepark9444]

I mean, until this moment, I thought it was just a Hobbit thing, so....

[@castonyoung7514]

What's funny is that I had no idea this was a Late Show bit until the end (or had any idea what elevenses was outside of the Hobbit).

Same here!

[@bettername2come]

@@valeriepark9444 I was much more shocked to find out second breakfast was a thing.

[@wherefancytakesme]

​@@bettername2comeI also found out from Hilda that some people have a second dinner too. Hobbits really are English caricatures!

[@mirzas668]

“Mornings are a challenge. An afternoon is to be enjoyed.” -John Oliver

[@JonPonikvar]

The way John speaks of Elevensies like he's remembering a lost lover from his younger days makes me really wonder if I should start drinking tea.

[@miniegg]

You should. Lovel from London (also at 16.00)

[@ppunion]

Yorkshire Gold! If you don't know why, then ask the spiffing brit! :P

[@fabulousmyriad267]

John suspiciously asking how SC knew elevenses 🤣....I blame the hobbits for immortalising that knowledge. And the host is a diehard Tolkien fan.

[@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars]

Australia says tea.

[@Surge1077]

@@fabulousmyriad267 My first thought as well.

[@martinstent5339]

The thing about elevenses has to be seen in context: The British working day starts at around 9. Everyone is busy cooking coffee and tea with little electric kettles hidden in their workplace cupboards, and stand around for around 30 minutes chatting about what they did the evening before. Sometime between 09:30 and 10 they start to organise the work with the intention of really starting it later on. Starting 10:30 everyone is gradually getting ready for elevenses. 10:45 elevenses start. It’s a time everyone gets together in the tea-room and starts to munch on doughnuts or (since we joined the EU) croissants and relaxing with a cuppa. Elevenses finish around 11:30, so everyone gets back to their workplace and starts getting ready for lunch. Winding down the pace of work ready for lunchbreak starts at 12:15, Lunchbreak proper starts at 12:30. Around 2 is when pretty much everyone is back from lunch except those who have gone to the pub for lunch, they’ll be back at around 2:30. Everyone will have slowed down a lot by now, and start looking forward to the afternoon tea break which starts at around 3, but people will be gathering at 2:45 so as to get a good seat. Afternoon tea from 3 to 3:30 is the nicest part of the whole day. Most people get back by about 3:45. Now the working day is nearly over and nobody will be starting anything new because 5 is knocking-off time, and the time from 4 to 5 is really for chatting about the plans for the evening. At 5 everyone goes home, exhausted by a long day slogging away at the office.

[@datgrrl_official]

Elevenses is a cuppa and biscuits not a croissant for fecks sake...

[@rowan_jalso]

This sounds like the ideal work day 😂 Though I’m not a tea fan but a coffee drinker, I still appreciate the vibe.

[@freya8133]

So obviously y'all don't work very much. I like it!! 👍

[@chevon1920]

I’m moving to the UK, that sounds like a dream day, 😂

[@trashAndNoStar]

😂 wouldn't folks be too full for lunch if they had a doughnut for elevensies though?

[@largepurplemonkey]

A lot of people have the water first/versus milk first tea argument, but John is the first person to really go into detail about the bag-jabbing, and I appreciate that. You've got to really agitate the bag, ask it uncomfortable questions about what it plans to do with it's degree after stacking up all that student debt only to work in a supermarket for years, or how attractive it's Mum was in it's youth, and how many of it's teabag mates do you think fancied her when they used to come around for birthday parties and such. Really bother the thing, that's the ticket 👌

[@maskedmallard537]

I read that in John Oliver's voice 🤣

[@nikimoen5217]

I appreciate the detail you’ve added to this discussion, and am taking notes for future tea-making endeavors. 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@richwilliams1863]

No, don't touch the bag, just leave in for three or four minutes (adding milk at the midway point) to achieve a nice skin.

[@12x2richter]

@@richwilliams1863 Yes, because every time I drink tea I think: "If only there was skin on it"

[@andrewroberts8959]

He is actually messing it up (and anyone putting milk in first when using a tea bag for a single mug is confused and needs help). Basically, to make good tea: tea bag in first, boil the water fresh (it basically needs to be boiling), pour onto tea bag directly, leave for not very long (modern blends are made to diffuse quickly), get the milk out of the fridge, if the tea is now black pull/lift the tea bag out (do not squeeze it or jab it, that makes the tea bitter), add milk to taste, then add sugar to taste, stir. And don't over fill it, you're about to carry every tea you just made to all the people that were in your living room when you got up to make yourself one. Because just making yourself tea and not offering to make one for everyone else is a bit like telling them all to go F themselves.

[@TheWtfanime]

Yes more of this please. John Oliver just explaining/rambling about random topics will always be needed. British food aka getting Indian food got it, so what’s next?

[@globalwarmhugs7741]

When I was little I thought curry was English food. The people who made it were of South Asian decent, or immigrants, and I never thought anything of it because they were English as I knew. 😁 Now I want chips and curry sauce!!!

[@matthewchaney4508]

I agree we need more of this

[@badbirb5698]

I think his Davinci Code was a better ramble, but it's interesting to know British people can be proud of their cuisine.

[@scallowify]

He was spot on with how to make a brew.

[@SuperAwesomeMovies]

@@diyplou1306 You're crying about Jen Psaki in a video about British food. If Jen calling out Republicans for being hypocrites, white supremacists, bigots, and defending domestic terrorists and brutal dictators, hurts your poor little feelings then stop supporting those "values." Shouldn't you QAnon/MAGA trolls have thicker skin?

[@TheMaelstrom]

I love how John somehow sounded more English when he started talking about elevenses. It was like his practiced formal accent just evaporated for a moment.

[@historic66_io]

i was thinking that too!

[@leinaamatsuji-berry561]

“Just an absolutely horrendous way to treat an egg” sent me into orbit, what a funny sentence

[@bobinpune]

Not a particularly remarkable statement! 😄 You obviously don't watch much British Television.

[@chaoshastme]

Right into "spotted dick" . I seriously couldn't breathe

[@keithbromley6070]

He’s thinking about the ones you get in multi packs in the refrigerated section and I agree with him on those, but a proper, fresh, runny yolk scotch egg is delicious. Here’s an American chef cooking them very nicely: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqSUlJaHe9OBkKs

[@lexslate2476]

A Scotch Egg is just an alternative configuration of a sausage and egg mcmuffin.

[@marcuswalters8093]

Scotch eggs are weird. You'd not have one for years, randomly see one in Marks & Spencers and leap on it like a panther, devour it in about 4 minutes.

[@tiff_brtz5]

As a Mexican, let me tell you something: Beans at any time of the day! why would it be madness?? They are delicious! You can make enfrijoladas in the morning, or have some fried beans on the side of your huevos rancheros. Lunch, dinner, for elevenses, it doesn't matter. Don't stop yourselves from achieving greatness, my friends. Just...keep your house well ventilated.

[@JinghisKhan]

Yeah that would be the only problem. Going into the office for work? Maybe no beans in the morning. Or going to the gym after for squats and cardio? Same.

[@phosphenevision]

The trick is always leave beans in water overnight before cooking, it won't make you immune to gas but it will definitely significantly decrease

[@SystemZ3RO]

Yeah I thought that was an odd take. Beans for breakfast was pretty common for me growing up. My favorite as a kid was tortas with ham, scrambled eggs, and beans. If I had the patience and wherewithal to cook my own beans, I'd be eating like a Mexican king for breakfast.

[@LegallyDistinctVALISclone]

Yeah I'm from Texas and when John questioned beans for breakfast I was very confused. Bean and cheese for breakfast is a great way to start the day.

[@tobybartels8426]

Beans, beans, the musical fruit! The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So let's have beans for every meal!

[@ernest3286]

John Oliver without a script is the funniest shit. I'd love to see more of this

[@cloudbrooks]

fr same

[@ICantThinkOfANameB]

I love Oliver's self cringe as he realized WHY his country would have such high quality Indian food...

[@samsoncooper1]

As a British person I am pleased we have a big Sikh community both for their cooking and their general hardiness. Never had any problem with any of them. But yeah we didn't exactly get our relationship with them fairly

[@scottmwilhelms2437]

Makes one question whether imperialism was a culinary necessity for the British. Otherwise it's merely spotted dick pudding with a tea chaser. 😳

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

As an American who takes his Pho and Ramen game seriously, I feel like it kinda justifies the international adventurism thing.

[@richardpaquette8429]

You'll be cringing too when your serving beef stroganov at McDonalds and chicken Kiev at KFC.

[@alisonhill3941]

@@scottmwilhelms2437 You don't think we got the tea from imperialism?!

[@harryballsak1123]

"and you would eat custard out of a tub like an animal" - Yes John, yes I would.

[@DoctorFurioso]

Not to mention custard-filled donuts are America's answer to the scotch egg. Just stick a few in your pockets and go about your day.

[@BrBill]

I refuse to carry any food on my person that would change the nature of my clothing if I got hugged

[@kat-rau.]

Wow, this guy is funny and charismatic. They should give him a show on HBO.

[@merleclarke916]

I agree.....he definitely needs a show on HBO...Sunday night would be perrrrrffffeeeeccctttt.....wink wink

[@Surge1077]

To quote him directly: "Cool".

[@NobbsAndVagene]

I wish Last Week Tonight had more humour like this. I do watch the full episodes, but it's a bit cringe. Sometimes more than others, but it really hasn't been consistently funny since season 2 or so. It's just too woke. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a republican. A little woke probably suits the show, but there's a difference between a little and a cringe-inducing amount.

[@Surge1077]

@@NobbsAndVagene You need to watch the most recent episode, if only for the AND NOW segment ~14 mins into the episode on other examples of terrible segways from important news events to an Applebee's commercial. It was so ridiculously funny.

[@gruthakhul100]

@@NobbsAndVagene pointing out problematic general issues and showing evidence is not wokeness, its reality

[@mamaahu]

We had elevenses at my girl’s school in the 50’s in California. But we called it “Soup”. It was a little smakerel served at 11am and in addition to tea or coffee, there was a big pot of soup and leftover muffins, toast and bread from breakfast. We LOVED IT! And it kept us nice and chubby too.

[@eddyreefer7108]

To anyone who judges the British for eating beans in the morning, I counter that argument by saying have you not met a Mexican at all. Huevos Rellenos con frijoles is one of my favorites brekfest meals.

[@kiskaloo6843]

One place I stayed at in the States actually served an egg and bacon breakfast sandwich with Strawberry Pop Tarts instead if bread.

[@lanceenchainte4890]

As a former Boy Scout who lived for those outdoor adventures, I can attest if you ever a did a long hike over multiple days, beans for breakfast was a given. Madness? Yes. But so is hiking 200 miles while camping out in the wilderness across multiple states from New York to Virginia.

[@leavingitblank9363]

@@kiskaloo6843 That actually sounds pretty good.

[@todradmaker4297]

Yes beans for breakfast is fine but I could do without all that lard they put in it.

[@hevytimes]

The other thing is British baked beans are far more savory and tomatoey than what most Americans think of. Full of brown sugar, maple, and molasses.

[@paulpvhl1930]

"And you would just eat custard out of a tub like an animal!" Thank you Jon. I haven't laughed so hard in ages, but this Canadian did grow up mostly in England, so perhaps that's why. I actually remember being a newly-arrived six year-old (60 years ago) and wondering why they called dessert pudding.

[@gregolder1713]

here's something that will grab you... sticky toffee pudding is originally from Newfoundland. the recipe was carried there by Newfoundlander airmen during the war.

[@paulpvhl1930]

@@gregolder1713 Really good to know! They make a nice big friendly dog too. ;0)

[@baylinkdashyt]

No, this is John. Jon was his boss. :-)

[@SE-gs6gd]

I laughed at that too. That’s actually all it is just like an animal

[@donalobrien9422]

Then there is black pudding.

[@barbarianvee]

"Who told you about elevensies?" Fellow named Pippin, kinda short but got taller

[@LindaC616]

You beat me to it!

[@firehawk2324]

Pippin is a great teacher of all things culinary.

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

I may be mistaken, but he may not be talking about food. 🙄

[@dianealberga5474]

Winne-the-Pooh. In the original books his clock was stopped at 5 minutes of eleven so it was always "time for a little something."

[@GR46404]

In this conext, who is Pippin?

[@0shadowgrace0]

Love that John is still so British while also being such an American.

[@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491]

and A Great American too . inmigrant.

[@psammiad]

He's now such an American he can't even say croissant properly!

[@BMrider75]

He's the reciprocal of Bill Bryson : still so American, while also getting the British so well. Celebrating the differences and the similarities.

[@HOTD108_]

@@psammiad Saying croissant without emphasising the R is certified coward move.

[@teresathayn5170]

America!! We're still the coolest melting pot on Earth!

[@Lambda_Ovine]

"Beans? In the morning?" Me, a Mexican: Yeah... specially.

[@CommanderWar64]

This is such a great segment, I love John so much, stuff like this really shows how funny he can be when he's not just letting us know about depressing topics lol

[@melissajackson3094]

I enjoyed John repeating “sticky toffee pudding” over and over. 💜

[@Outside85]

Not on his own show... I dread the image that might come from it...

[@6thwilbury2331]

The "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" line now makes sense to me.

[@markfrommaryland3825]

Unless the meat is a Scotch Egg. Then, just go straight for the pudding.

[@Sisteryoda1440]

I was thinking the same thing!!!! 😂

[@bethbarnes1010]

"We got through The Blitz, we can get through eating Spotted Dick" is officially the new, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

[@hbeachley]

I actually like spotted dick, once I could stop laughing at the name.

[@deus_ex_machina_]

I like spotted dick, but my girlfriend prefers it ribbed. For her pleasure.

[@KarlRoyale]

"Who told you about elevensies?" - Some other Brit named J.R.R. Tolkien and it was more than 60 years ago. Way to keep up, John.

[@Pete_Finch]

"just eat custard out of a tub like an animal" 😂

[@parkergarvin]

"It made me what I am today. Which is 60% sad." Thank you for this whole video, John Oliver.

[@tonykuriger573]

John Oliver's description of what I call 'the impatient brew' is some of his most relatable content.

[@Drummer1000George]

Exactly. Jab it like you want to send a message should be on the instructions of the box

[@whaddup5417]

Was very Gordon Ramsey eque in it’s delivery

[@johnjones_1501]

My favorite tea story is when they were making the movie Aliens, and they were in the middle of a "we have to get this in one shot because too expensive special effect to try again" moment and in during the middle of the scene, walks this elderly British woman with a tea cart, opening the big hanger like doors wide, and ignoring the red "we are filming light" because it was time for Afternoon Tea, and everything and was totally shocked and scandalized why the American directors and producers were so verbally abusive at her intrusion.

[@jamesgulapa7219]

... they have to keep the big sprawling studio closed airtight to contain the smoke generated from the fog machine which took probably hours to fill the huge set, then all whooshed out when the tea lady opened the door, hence Jim's outburst.

[@AdrianColley]

The proper English way of doing things would have been to post a Man with a Hat at the entrance, exactly to redirect such wayward visitors.

[@ninjaslashippie]

this has made me laugh more than I have laughed combined since November. it was a very rough winter. thank you.

[@weakanklesfornamjoon]

😔🙏

[@ozpin8329]

Hearing and watching him tell that story about his parents and the croissant was genuinely heartwarming.

[@SingingSpock]

“Who told you about elevenses”? It’s Colbert, I’m pretty sure he has both the LotR books and movies memorized

[@GTRichardson7]

"Afternoon tea, i'll have a coffee in the mornings because yaknow mornings are a challenge, and afternoons are to be enjoyed" Yes and hell yes Mr. Oliver!

[@Kiwiakatarawa]

As a New Zealander, I feel for John. When I was growing up, elevenses was adults drinking at the weekend early! Not a lot of tea involved... but we drink our tea the same way. 😊

[@kezkezooie8595]

In Australia, we called it morning tea or "smoko" if you were a builder or outside worker but if someone said elevenses, we knew what they meant. When I first started work, we still had tea ladies who'd come around, wheeling their cart filled with cups, saucers, teaspoons, sugar, milk and, of course, a big tea urn. Sometimes you'd also get free biscuits, depending on how generous the company or your boss was. We also got afternoon tea.

[@alixptn]

I love John Oliver. He is simply a good human being. The funny part is just the cherry on top of the cake.

[@sparkymularkey6970]

The protectiveness around Elevensies was wonderful.

[@LargeMcBottoms]

John immediately backtracking when he realizes Indian cuisine being his first thought of best food in UK is not a good thing. 🤣🤣🤣

[@BigSnipp]

American pizza is better than Italian pizza.

[@flowerpower3082]

I think John was back peddling because he was about to say Britain has the best Indian food in the world. Of course, 🇮🇳 has the best Indian food in the world. Britain comes a close second though. Arguably India has the best food in the world, but then I'm Indian, so I would say that. 😉 He also felt a stab of colonial guilt at the thought of why Britain's favourite dish is a chicken tikka masala. Interesting that he didn't feel that colonial gulity about his afternoon cuppa.

[@gct436]

@@flowerpower3082 it’s a matter of personal opinion. I was in India for 1 month and for me, it doesn’t make the top 3 of best Indian food I have had. My top 3: Poland, US, UK.

[@fabulousmyriad267]

@@gct436 did you visit *All* 28 states of India? And even if it was just 3-5 states, its incredulous that not one Indian dish passed muster over Poland(!)😅

[@gct436]

@@fabulousmyriad267 I was only in 2 cities and made day trips to other places. Maybe it’s a matter of expectation and the differential. I’m not saying Indian food is bad in India, just saying that I had the best Indian meal I have ever had in my life in a little restaurant in Krakow close to the town square.

[@HeadCannonPrime]

We need more of these! this was great. Need all the old world countries on this.

[@vascoapolonio2309]

I am. From Portugal, with friendship!!!

[@yudithcaron8053]

How about Ukrainian food? Now sounds like a good time to talk about Ukraine.

[@injunsun]

@@yudithcaron8053 Ma'am, while topical, that would be painful. Perhaps a useful pain? I hear you. I've heard... on those videos from there. Those of us who care don't need to hear more. Those of us who don't, won't, and we can't make them care.

[@keithtaylor2177]

This is brilliant. Thank you, John, you represent us better than anyone else could. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing I’ll leave up to you to decide. For my money you’re a national treasure :)

[@island_rogue1687]

I'm a fan of bangers and mash, great meal anytime. Surprised he didn't mention it! have a good day!

[@betweensirachahardplace8812]

1:01 "I think we need to learn to deal with this" LMAO!!!

[@live4applause]

5:34 “Who the f*ck told you about elevenses?” Tolkien. Tolkien told us. It’s all his fault.

[@sisterursuline]

As an Australian (culture closer to Britain than the US) this had me crying, so good

[@albertawildcat3164]

As a Canadian (culture confused as both British and the American) this had me in fits...eh?

[@island_rogue1687]

Can't go past a Pie Floatie! Only South Australians know it's a great meal!😀😀😇

[@mouse9727]

@@albertawildcat3164 Same!

[@lukeskywlkr3638]

Bloke, yes exactly right.

[@lukeskywlkr3638]

@@island_rogue1687 Plenty of pies floating down the rivers in Australia today

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

I am of the same generation, with parents who remember rations. When she was a little girl post WWII, my mom and her friends would trade ration coupons for fruit they had picked off trees (not implying they were stealing, just rural life in Normandie). I remember clearly the counting and distribution of the strawberries that my dad liked to do. I never thought about it as a result of a rationing of treats in childhood.

[@reolabranch]

Not just rationing of treats, but the rationing of the most basic of necessities. :( My husband's Grandmother is always aghast at how much food goes to waste, and how the cabinets are filled with food and dishes and cookware.

[@michaelcarter666]

Family lore has it my father won my mothers heart by giving her his sweet rations.

[@cynthiaxwangcomedy]

the image of your father counting and distributing strawberries is very sweet and melancholy. thank you for sharing.

[@palsp666]

I want more of john &Stephen.

[@jiukumite]

OlivKlepert! John Oliver, Klepper, and Colbert, with a sprinkling of Jon Stuart!

[@jiukumite]

Then again, I might just be aching for old school "Daily Show". If you haven't seen their old stuff, check it out. They were making Comedy Central ALOOOOOOTA money.

[@Jemppu]

Oh, look. I didn't even realize this was The Late Show channel, until I saw your comment. Just John doing his thing in the familiar void.

[@marciamar-sha_remember2838]

My late husband was "former Scouser" loved his tea, but never iced tea. His dish was bubble 'n' squeak, I thought was just sausage and cabbage..NO, anything you throw together(left overs) in one pot. Remembering John. :) Thank-you Mr. Oliver

[@kemuelivatucawaqa7391]

John Oliver speaking about elevensies has really brought out the British from within

[@ryanchristophergavan80]

Elevenses is not a thing unless you’re an Elizabethan courtier

[@tommyt1971]

“And don’t get too judgmental about that, I’ve seen your soup in a bread bowl.” PERFECT.

[@BrianHarig]

John Oliver is one of the funniest on the planet.

[@Ava-wu4qp]

One of the funniest...? I'm going to go with Toucan. John Oliver is one of the funniest toucans on the planet.

[@arutka2000]

@@Ava-wu4qp I love your comment. I was going to simply say bird, but toucan just resonates...

[@blisschic7072]

Love this!! As a Canadian living in Scotland for the past 10 years I totally agree on Yorkshire pudding, and sticky toffee pudding. Also black pudding can be really nice if you give it a try from the butchers made the right way. I'm a convert for sure! The pudding debate - angel delight, opinion? Love you John Oliver you are such a delight!

[@DizzyBusy]

Black pudding is always delicious. I don't get what's so offensive about it

[@gordonwatson328]

Angel delight is a pudding, but you should never eat it. Ever.

[@kluuvien8204]

Man I loved angel delight as a kid, lol Dare not try it now, I doubt it will be how I remember it

[@robertpollock2037]

Hope you have eaten haggis as well

[@amyhull754]

Sticky toffee pudding is just the BEST!

[@spruhakurlekar261]

As an Indian, I laughed out loud

[@chenstormstout9456]

Really love seeing John without his camera persona. Seems pretty chill.

[@JKSNsensei]

I watched this all the way til the end and went “why are they suddenly showing Stephen’s face?” Love seeing these two interact.

[@nobodyimportantt341]

same! colbert's theme music came for me like a surprise twist ending, it took me a little too long to figure out this was stephen's channel lmaoo

[@ngedye]

John, your beautiful words brought me close to tears. Having lived in the Netherlands for 16 years I can now say, FOR SURE, that England has diversified it's menus to the point of guruness. Most, if not all, Chinese and Indian food, here is Holland is cooked by Indonesians and thus tastes like it was all made from the same cookbook. Yes, England does Indian like a beast and without our Indian and Pakistani friends opting for our cold tiny island and bringing their A game - England would also have mono flavored food. Immigration fookin' ROCKS BALLS!!!!

[@scottpierce3483]

Speaking of balls I wish places stocked bitterballen here in Scotland. Also would like a Febo nearby.

[@PeterPhinney]

i think oliver saying the best english food is indian, just about sums up how tasty english cooking is.

[@chrisbeauvais2982]

I do believe that elevenses is one of Pippin’s favorite meal times. He questioned Strider/Aragorn in the Fellowship as he was it was shocking to him that this man never heard of elevenses, nor any of the other meal times for hobbits.

[@alexissey4023]

I think it’s rather second breakfast that’s his favorite.

[@FoxyAlphaRogerTango]

It's hilarious to me that this may have been a secret LOTR joke from Stephen

[@minnybri2010]

@@FoxyAlphaRogerTango that's my thought too! XD

[@yoeriw7099]

@@FoxyAlphaRogerTango They did put the bar to high apparently he missed royalty aswell.

[@MrSupdup]

@@FoxyAlphaRogerTango It's not a LOTR joke. The UK, Australia and New Zealand all still have 'elevenses' - both as a break at school and as a formal break time at work. In Australia/NZ it's usually called "smoko" or "morning tea", but older people still say "elevenses". Second breakfast was a joke from the Hobbit that Peter Jackson brought over to the LOTR films. All the other meal times Pippin listed off are normal British meal times - the joke being when he says "does he know about other meals like dinner, luncheon, elevenses!?" that of course Aragorn knows about dinner, lunch and morning tea.

[@aridw]

“Would you just eat custard out of a tub like some sort of animal” I feel like you just established that the answer to that is YES, and it is AMAZING

[@tonykaze]

This is every single thing I need right now. Thank you.

[@arturocastillo4283]

Beans in the morning? I'm pretty sure every person in Central America agrees on the fact that if you have breakfast without beans you're either on a diet or you've lost your love of living

[@monkiram]

In Egypt, breakfast means beans. I don't think breakfast without beans is a thing.

[@StuartClary]

Nothing wrong with beans for breakfast, unless they're American baked beans, which are sweet

[@landotucker]

Baked beans go with a full English breakfast. They're in a tomato sauce.

[@FalbertForester]

A "full American breakfast" in New England, often does include Boston baked beans on the plate.

[@zeroelus]

I knew this comment would be here. Agree 100%. Now give me some refried beans with my egg.

[@violacesario4389]

Sticky toffee pudding with *real* custard (different to the "custard" that you find in a Boston cream donut) is wonderful! And YES, baked beans for brekky!!

[@PCDelorian]

Black pudding is great, John's just been stateside too long and that can mess with anyone's head.

[@kaldogorath]

I'm fine with the eggy custard but I can't eat beans before noon and I'd struggle to eat them for lunch

[@faithharrison3755]

Just made Nigella’s sticky toffee pudding for the first time and it was Amazing! I had to make my own black treacle(dark corn syrup & molasses). Except for the fact that it’s a cake and not what we call pudding, it should be more popular here because its f*cking delicious.

[@natfoote4967]

Papa was from New Hampshire and would cook definitely British dishes. His steak and kidney pie was a lovely thing. Yorkshire pudding, the way he made it, in a pan, was mildly savory, and both moist inside and leathery on top, rather like a good Southern cornbread. And the man truly knew how to make a wonderful roast beef.

[@Daniel-Strain]

Who the fuck told you about elevensies - LOL Crying laughing at this. XD

[@masondissick698]

Love this so much! Him reacting in real time 😂 please do Australian food with Kate McKinnon next!!!!!!

[@sunbunnow]

I can never get enough John Oliver!

[@navideology]

"I was going to say- we have the best Indian food in the world- but I stopped myself because that kind of imperial assertion with British accent is riot inducing" 😂😂😂

[@Vanguardkl]

Yes we watched the video too, miss original

[@Captain.Pugwash]

He's right tho, by all accounts.

[@kwahoo]

One of my most disappointing experiences I've ever had was when, while I was traveling around England with my family as a small child, I ordered pudding from a dessert menu and instead got cake.

[@nicholassmith7048]

Cake is a pudding.

[@kaldogorath]

@@nicholassmith7048 Blasphemy other Nicholas with a generic Anglo surname

[@cl8733]

Better than ordering pie and getting steak&kidney for dessert.

[@matthewelliott1834]

Roflmao! This is hilarious!

[@leavingitblank9363]

Think of the poor wait staff. It would be like going into a restaurant in the evening and when they came to take your order saying, "I'll have dinner."

[@Hutchings02]

for some reason, John Oliver is always so much funnier, when he hasnt had time to prepare.

[@seanward7676]

Please make this a recurring segment. One of the most enjoyable KZbin videos I have seen all year

[@TatianaRenee1]

My day is survivable now. John Oliver truly is my spirit animal.

[@AlbertusDeLosCorpus]

"Mornings are a challenge, and afternoon is to be enjoyed." I'll have that as my epitaph, please and thank you.

[@eternyti]

My faith for America has been at an all-time low the last few years, but we got John Oliver as a US citizen now, so we must be doing something right.

[@basohbas]

John Oliver is best thing to happen to American TV. Thank you to all those responsible for this gift that keeps on giving. Wishing you a happy and healthy life.

[@ellobo4290]

I like when he talks about the UK, and is in touch with his British self

[@Panda_Roll]

*John Oliver* "Who told you about elevenses!" *Me* Hides Agatha Christie collection "nobody.."

[@notAshildr]

And I just now noticed that reading Agatha Christie's life's work in German might have put me at a disadvantage. When I was around 14, my parents got a book subscription, where, each week, a new Christie novel would arrive in the mail - 84 of them in total. And then we'd all read them. But it seems there might have been some things that got lost in translation. But damn it, I spent almost two years reading through all of them in German, I have no intention of repeating that for the original versions.

[@Panda_Roll]

@@notAshildr It might be worth it. When I was in middle school they sold her books at the school's annual fair in Arabic so I ended up addicted after the first book. I didn't bother with the originals until my 30s and good god is the difference massive. They removed so many references because they don't translate well and her prose are beautiful in english.

[@archerlady]

I'm Canadian, with English and Scottish grandmothers. I love baked beans for breakfast! Especially with toasted sourdough for dipping. Don't usually do them ON toast but that's good too!

[@garryferrington811]

The only place you can good sourdough is San Francisco.

[@archerlady]

@@garryferrington811 It's a bit too far to go for bread :D

[@deanaderrick3474]

That was fabulous. Loved it! Please keep food court coming..

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

This was phenomenal. I laughed so hard at your reaction to non-Brits knowing about elevenses. 😉😂

[@suzannem651]

I didn't know how much I needed to watch this. He's delightful 😊

[@magnacz]

In the beginning of the seventies I spent a summer in mostly Oxford taking a summer course in English. Lived on fish and chips and sandwiches. Made the mistake to go to a cheap diner frequented by taxi drivers and lory drivers thinking they would know better. Ordered a meat pie of some kind. It was the worst I have ever eaten. Learned later that roast beef was great. Indian food I didn't know about. Somebody compares Danish food to British. Regular home cooking in Denmark is great. Forget about Swedish food.

[@keithprice475]

Not a fan of rollmops?

[@cronykil74]

When you read a lot of old cook books from the colonial period it's clear that even back in the old days pudding was usually not custard. Custard was what accompanied the pudding.

[@keithpanton7486]

American pudding is what you pour over a pudding. hot.

[@ardenitalia]

Thank you for six fantastic minutes of "John Oliver painfully trying not to do an imperialism"!

[@sethescope]

I give him 10/10 for his self awareness 😂

[@yugoprowers]

I love Yorkshire pudding, you left out the best part where it is cooked in the drippings of the roast, and has a lot of egg in it.

[@swaffelkonijn5166]

I'm not even English (in fact I'm quite incredibly Dutch) but I'm going to break a lance for the Black Pudding, I actually like it a lot when cooked well (i.e. not too dry) the taste is pretty non-offensive and I find the ingredients of the avarage McNugget a lot scarier than a bit of blood in some saussage casing.

[@sherrysink3177]

I sang with a choir during college and every winter we'd have "Medieval Dinners," dress in costume and -- in between courses of a meal -- sing Christmas songs and usually one big choral piece at the end. And yes, in keeping with the theme, they made figgy pudding for everyone to "enjoy." And it was DISGUSTING. That said, I've always wanted to try Yorkshire pudding, and toffee pudding sounds delicious. I'll try it, John! :D

[@LindaC616]

Sticky toffee pudding is okay...one of those chain restaurants like Applebee's had a skillet whisky cake with ice cream once that approached it. And sometimes you can find it in a local pub

[@psammiad]

I doubt they made a proper figgy pudding - which is just Christmas pudding, it doesn't have figs in. Just like plum pudding has no plums. And spotted dick contains no, er...

[@GoLightly01100]

Canadian here, and I heart yorkshire puddings. I can't make 'em, they take a certain alchemy that no-one truly understands. I just googled figgy pudding, and lost any appetite I might have had ;)

[@sherrysink3177]

@@psammiad It's been a long time, but all I can remember is that it had dried fruit in it (not unlike fruitcake), and I have no love for fruitcake, lol. psammiad: "Just like plum pudding has no plums. And spotted dick contains no, er..." Barb Macdonald .Macgraphics: "I just googled figgy pudding, and lost any appetite I might have had" me: 😂

[@mouse9727]

Yorkshire pudding is amazing and sticky toffee pudding properly made is perfection (and I don’t like most desserts).

[@danielwang2956]

I like how colonialism is single handedly holding up the reputation of British cuisine

[@philcorrigan5641]

I think the growth of the British Empire can be explained as a desperate need to find food - somewhere, anywhere - that actually tasted of something

[@jaklawrence4301]

To be fair, we don't actually have much that grows natively here (or even can be grown easily here, especially in the past) that has much flavour. It's all root vegetables and meat on these fair isles. You can only imagine what it must've been like in the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of turnips and lard and salted pork rind, to find yourself eating something from the subcontinent that tastes of something that isn't salt or fat.

[@johnleake5657]

@@jaklawrence4301: Fruit, specially apples. We are an apple paradise! And plums, pears, gooseberries, rhubarb. Cheeses. Great meat if you know where to look. Venison, pheasant, partridge, hare. And for cooking, above all we have great pies. But rationing and then supermarkets destroyed the variety in fruit, in breeds of meat animals, of cheeses. And of bread - above all, bread was ruined in the twentieth century.

[@Simon-hb9rf]

you spend 1000 years with salt as the only naturally available spice and you would go conquering half the world too.

[@vickygarnett7623]

It’s the same in The Netherlands with Indonesian food.

[@catherineroberts845]

I heard about elevensies from Sarah Millican when she listed all the meals of the day: breakfast, brunch, elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, proper tea, dinner, supper, elevensies, a midnight snack that can last anywhere up to eight hours, and a milky way whenever the fuck you like. The woman knows how to live her life.

[@LindaC616]

I love Sarah

[@montmartee1108]

As an American living in Britain, YES to beans for breakfast.

[@dontbemean]

I haven't smiled this hard in ages. John is so incredibly charismatic in my opinion. A goofy, honest, lovable bloke! Wish I could meet the guy!

[@blairbrown4812]

If things ever crap out on HBO, John Oliver could always find a home at Paramount +, thanks to his friends....

[@nonyabuiz3605]

I would listen to John Oliver read the ingredients on a cereal box. I miss the daily show 😭

[@mothy6k]

last week tonight is better anyways :)

[@pattibrowning2]

Having spent two wondrous years of my life in Scotland, the entirety of this riff was simultaneously endearing and absolutely spot on. I was wheezing with laughter. Bless!

[@Lucianato2]

This was great! So many things explained about the British culture! Thank you!

[@TrinaAlesi]

Truly enjoyed that!! The best food we had in London was not of that country’s origin! Indian, Portuguese, Italian even!

[@DMills-un1tl]

I've been watching a lot of Brit television lately and this is more hilarious now that I understand their food and tea proclivities (yes, I said proclivities) :)

[@P9_STUDIO]

Some fresh air in this awful week. Thanks John.

[@beverlyweber4122]

LOVE this! Honesty is so rare nowadays!

[@jordanferreri5377]

An absolute treat! He just makes everything so much more funny!

[@asadbaig4422]

Thank you so much, I really needed to hear something light-hearted today

[@chd261ndla]

Britain: Lets invade half of the world for spices. Also Britain: Don't put spices in my food.

[@WS12658]

Or more accurately... "We can't afford spices now we're nearly bankrupt after fighting two world wars"

[@KesSharann]

Buy low, sell high, and never sample the goods. You're just eating your profits and that's not how to make money.

[@stevedoolan1540]

We absolutely did not invade half the world for spices. What we did do was invade a third of the world for opium, which we then forcibly sold to to another third in return for spices, which we then didn't put in our food.

[@Jay_Johnson]

@@stevedoolan1540 *the rich people put in their food.

[@andrewroberts8959]

Rationing in the UK didn't end until 1954 and a large segment of the population was poor. My mum told me about an old couple asking her what was being shown in an advert at a bus stop in the early 80s, it was dry spaghetti. They thought spaghetti was spaghetti hoops. Spices are a different league compared to spaghetti.

[@timothyoesch1108]

I love how we got to see a bit of the actual British part of John when he talked about elevenses.

[@Radiotomb]

This was absolutely delightful 🙂

[@FloatingSunfish]

It doesn't get any more British than this. 😂 And that bit about elevenses was especially funny.

[@lesleyghostdragon3149]

I love it when John Oliver and Stephen Colbert team up to delight us❣😍❣