Breakfast is a favorite food for many. What better way to start the day than with delicious food? Morning preferences are numerous, which explains the existence of dozens of breakfast recipes. The USA and Great Britain are also famous for their excellent culinary traditions of breakfast. Although the food items may seem similar, there is actually quite a big difference between an American breakfast and a Full English breakfast – enough to cause controversy. But we are here to figure out how American breakfast differs from English breakfast.
ContentWhat is an American breakfast?What is a Full English Breakfast?How is an American Breakfast different from an English Breakfast: FlexibilityHow is an American Breakfast different from an English Breakfast: Spontaneity
WomanEL learned that a Full English Breakfast is a dish with a long history, while an American Breakfast is more flexible eating influenced by 20th century marketing. Such intricacies reveal an amazing contrast of traditions.
What is an American breakfast?
What Americans eat for breakfast, Source: freepik.com
From iconic American diners to the growing breakfast menus of fast food chains, morning meals are an important part of American cuisine. Most Americans eat at home in the morning, often just a bagel or smoothie. And then there's cereal, a food popularized by 20th-century marketing that remains a popular food choice today. However, if it is still cooked (especially on weekends), it becomes more nutritious.
The first meal will almost certainly include eggs—the most popular American breakfast food—followed by toast, which is a reliable second option. If an American eats meat for breakfast, it will most likely be bacon or sausage. Potatoes are another popular addition.
Americans love sweets for breakfast, whether on the same plate or as a side dish. Usually it's pancakes, maybe waffles or a cinnamon roll. Wash it down with classic orange juice and coffee.
What is a full English breakfast?
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The Full English Breakfast is a national dish believed to have originated in the 15th century. By the 20th century, the full English breakfast had adapted to the average person's morning routine, which many enjoyed at the regular Greasy Spoon eatery.
The exact composition varies by region, but it has several defining elements. First, and perhaps most importantly, is the meat. It is usually a combination of sausage and Canadian bacon, although American bacon is also used. Fried tomatoes, cut in half, add sourness to the dish. Another must-have addition is bread, usually fried or toasted. Eggs are also part of breakfast. And the baked beans tie the whole plate together, tossing everything into varied pieces with the sauce. The dish is served with a mug of tea or coffee.
This dish is loved throughout the UK, but the country has its own regional variations. In particular, a full English breakfast often includes black or white pudding, which is not the same as American pudding, as well as leftover potatoes, cabbage and other roasted vegetables.
How American breakfast differs from English: flexibility
Breakfast in America can take many forms, and, unlike its English counterpart, the name is not tied to a specific range of ingredients. Upon entering the hotel, you will receive a continental breakfast, which is a nod to lighter continental European style food. This will be a variety of pastries, perhaps yogurt, a cup of coffee.
This interpretation of the American breakfast is lighter, more modern and less classic. More traditional are large plates filled with eggs, meat, potatoes and sweets, piled high to provide a satisfying start to the day. In addition to all the various combination possibilities, the dish also has a regional character.
Travel to Texas, especially Austin, and you'll find migas made with scrambled eggs paired with fried tortilla strips. They're often served alongside tortillas for DIY migas breakfast tacos, topped with chorizo and beans.
Meanwhile, in the Midwest, the focus is on simple breakfast casseroles. These dishes, which can be either sweet or savory, contain various flavor components bound together with eggs. Thus, even the presence of several products on one plate is not a prerequisite for an American breakfast.
How American breakfast differs from English: spontaneity
Like the American breakfast, the English version includes many different foods. From pancakes to picklets or crumpets, pork chop or even herring. However, this does not mean that every addition occurs by chance. Instead, there is a respect for tradition and controversial opinions about what should be on the breakfast plate.
Potatoes in any form other than coleslaw and hash browns are often seen as a departure from the classics. The same disdain applies to other vegetables: a photo of peas on a full English breakfast would cause outrage on the Internet. Some view tomatoes, mushrooms and beans as optional ingredients, considering meat and bread the cornerstone of breakfast.
Bread can be anything from Staffordshire-style oatcakes to Irish brown soda bread or lard and butter buns. Meats may include many different sausages, corned beef, or various types of smoked fish in coastal areas. What's missing, however, is the American DIY style – not everything is welcome on the English breakfast plate. And it, of course, cannot be created spontaneously, like its American counterpart.
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