When attempting to gain weight in Britain with the most widely accessible tools, there is a certain kind of frustration. Milk-based protein shakes with a chalk-like flavor. The ingredient lists of mass gainer powders read like a chemistry test. Rice, broccoli, and chicken breast arranged in endless rotations on a plate with all the delight of a hospital tray. Technically, it functions. However, the true enjoyment of eating, which is what makes food worthwhile, is subtly sacrificed at some point. It’s interesting to note that British home cooks have begun looking elsewhere, albeit slowly and quietly. Not to fitness influencers or supplement companies, but to kitchens in Tbilisi, São Paulo, Dakar, and Jaipur, where eating meals high in calories has long been a cultural custom.
The most striking example of this change is probably Georgian khachapuri. For a few years now, the Adjaruli version—a bread boat filled with melted cheese, topped with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter stirred in at the table—has been making the rounds on British food social media, but it has transcended novelty. In fact, home cooks are making it, replacing the more difficult-to-find Sulguni with mozzarella and feta, and finding that a single serving provides a dense combination of protein, calcium, and fat that surpasses most post-workout meals. The dish doesn’t pretend to be nutritious. It is robust, blatantly wealthy, and designed to keep people alive during the harsh winters in the Caucasus. Its appeal is partly due to its honesty.
In British kitchens, Brazilian feijoada has gained a more subdued but no less devoted following, especially among batch cooks searching for something that freezes well and gets better over time. Slow-cooked black bean stew with bacon, smoked sausage, and pork ribs is basically a one-pot calorie powerhouse. While the different cuts of meat supply the protein and fat required for recuperation and muscle growth, the beans offer sustained-release carbohydrates. It is difficult to ignore the fact that four or five meals can be prepared from a single large pot of feijoada on a Sunday afternoon for a fraction of the price of commercial weight gain products with the same calorie density.
The most sophisticated option on this list is probably West African peanut stew, or maafe in Mali, Senegal, and the Gambia. Typically served with rice, sweet potatoes, and chicken, the base consists of natural peanut butter mixed with a tomato and spice broth. For those who find it difficult to consume large portions, nut butters’ exceptional calorie density without adding volume is crucial. In addition to tasting like something you would order at a restaurant, a large bowl of maafe can easily deliver five hundred or more calories without being something you are forcing down because a macro tracker told you to. It appears to be spreading from British cooks who have West African neighbors or coworkers through word-of-mouth.
Shahi paneer from North India does a similar thing for vegetarians. Shahi paneer makes its gravy from blended cashew nuts, heavy cream, yoghurt, and butter, which is then wrapped around thick cubes of paneer cheese. In contrast, the majority of British takeaway curries rely on tomato-based sauces that are flavorful but not very high in calories. The end product is a dish that can increase the number of calories on a dinner plate by 500 without necessitating an excessively large portion. The richness of the cashew gravy makes the whole experience feel decadent rather than clinical, and it goes well with rice or naan. Weight gain is an unanticipated catalyst for the British public’s growing interest in Indian cuisine, which seems to be expanding beyond tikka masala.
A list that resembles a tour of the world’s most satisfying comfort food rather than a diet plan concludes with Spanish pastel de patata, a layered meat and potato pie with a mashed potato crust whipped with butter, egg yolks, and Manchego cheese. All of these recipes have one thing in common: none of them were intended to help people gain weight. They were created as food by societies that knew how to construct meals with whole ingredients, calorie density, and flavor that entices people to return to the table. The fact that British home cooks are only now learning about them speaks more about how limited the discussion of weight gain has been for a very long time than it does about the recipes themselves.
