Nice to see the great British culinary experience is continuing to captivate your simple yet inquisitive American mind, Zackster. You’ve given it far more thought than I ever would anything from your shores so fair play. To use a stolen analogy - Americans trying to understand fine dining is like a dog listening to classical music.
I know what I’d rather be eating, shite septic early onset heart failure with a side serving of type two diabetes, washed down with a gallon of bad AIDS, or modern British.