What is a traditional English breakfast? Notes about England. Homemade food. So, what do the British serve for breakfast?

English breakfast at the hotel

The popularity of the typical English breakfast increased significantly after the First and Second World Wars. It began to be served not only in cafes/restaurants, but also in hotels across the country. The concept of "Bed and Breakfast" in England refers to a morning meal that includes scrambled eggs, toast and other traditional food.

Sometimes the morning meal menu may include pancakes with strawberry jam. Drinks include classic milk tea, coffee, and juice. Bed and Breakfast is served at the hotel at 8-9 am.

Breakfast in England is more than just food. This is a tribute to tradition, the desire for stability in one’s own habits. It is incredibly tasty because it includes the favorite ingredients of the British, so it is popular not only among locals, but also among tourists.

Probably every person sometimes wonders how life is organized in other countries. This is ordinary curiosity, which, however, sometimes helps to diversify your life by introducing new notes into it. The cuisines of other countries are of particular interest. After all, now classic dishes of European and Asian cuisines are widely popular among certain circles of the population in our country. Let's talk about what Americans, British and French eat for breakfast. Maybe we should add something to our menu?

What do Americans eat for breakfast?

The culinary culture of the United States brings together many of the most different types regional as well as ethnic cuisine. However, we can highlight a number of dishes that are found both on family tables and in different restaurants in different regions countries. The classic American breakfast is usually served in full only on weekends. It may consist of special pancakes with the addition of maple syrup; the table may also include sausages, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, buns, bacon, toast, jam, and even smoothies. On normal weekdays, Americans prefer a breakfast of cereal with milk.

Pancakes are considered one of the most common breakfasts in the United States. This is the name for rather fluffy and at the same time small pancakes; they are usually served with honey or maple syrup. Chopped berries and fruits are often added to the dough for making pancakes, and they can also be served with bacon.

A smoothie is a cold dessert that consists of berries, fruits or vegetables chopped in a blender. Add ice, juice or milk to the resulting mass. Usually, only one ingredient is used to prepare a smoothie, less often two in equal proportions.

Also, quite often, Americans eat scrambled eggs for breakfast - nothing more than fried eggs in a special way. Immediately after the eggs set in the pan, they are actively stirred with a wooden spatula. So the scrambled eggs do not look like a single mass, but fall apart into pieces.

What do the British eat for breakfast?

Residents of England are especially committed to traditions, including in relation to food. Classical English cuisine remains unchanged for many centuries. The traditional breakfast of a resident of England is high in calories and is quite heavy; it can effectively satisfy hunger for a good half of the day.

The morning meal in English hotels usually includes seven courses, represented by fried bacon with a pleasantly crispy crust, several fried sausages, and a couple of fresh or tinned tomatoes, which were sprinkled with oil from the fried bacon.

Also on the plate, tourists usually find a portion of white beans with the addition of tomato, and a certain amount of fried champignons. An English breakfast also usually includes a piece or two of fresh toast along with butter and a fried egg.

This hearty meal is washed down with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee or tea with milk. In addition, such a menu may sometimes include a glass of milk along with corn flakes, as well as pancakes topped with strawberry jam.

The peculiarity of serving such a hearty meal is that all the described products are placed on one large plate. A pair of yellow scrambled eggs are framed by white clouds of fried whites, the beans are pink, the mushrooms look brown, the sausages are almost black, the tomatoes give off a bright red splash, and the golden toast sits nicely on the edge.

The indigenous inhabitants of the island usually eat this way only on weekends, and on weekdays they prefer to eat oatmeal with milk, scrambled eggs and bacon (sometimes mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage, etc. are added to it), as well as toast with jam or marmalade. They usually drink tea or coffee.

What do the French eat for breakfast?

The classic French breakfast is not as filling as in the USA and England, which we talked about just above. A typical breakfast for a resident of France consists of yogurt, coffee with milk, hot chocolate or juice, in addition to them there are traditional croissants, buns or toast with jam.

Traditional croissants are pan-au-chocolate, they are buns made from rich puff pastry and have a chocolate filling. In France they like to drink coffee with milk and a small amount of milk foam. This drink is not called cappuccino, but cafe-o-le.

At home, French people in large cities often eat not croissants, but so-called brioche. It is a rich bread and may include candied fruits and chocolate. The recipe for making such pastries came from Normandy, and now each province has its own version of its creation.

In small populated areas In France, where breakfast is the main meal until lunch, and sometimes until the evening, such a meal is much more satisfying. On the table there are various sandwiches with ham, as well as processed cheese, pies, classic crepe pancakes, etc.

Some tasty and interesting dishes that are popular in other countries can find a place here too. Such food will help diversify your diet and add an interesting note to it.

British cuisine has not been able to reach the same heights as, for example, French cuisine, so little is known about it in other countries. However, the UK still boasts some very appetizing dishes that are great for lifting your spirits. Maybe it's the potatoes of different shapes and sizes, or maybe it's the desserts with custard However, on a cold and rainy day, eating some traditional English dish is very pleasant: you are guaranteed to feel better. So let's find out what to try first.

Pork pie

A piece of pork in a crispy pastry may not seem too appetizing, especially when you consider that there is also a piece of jellied meat in the filling, but it is nevertheless one of the key dishes of British cuisine. Usually pies are made small sizes and served cold. However, you can eat them with hot sauce, or you can heat them up and serve with peas or gravy.

Tea

Yes, this is not a dish, but it is impossible to imagine the British without tea. This is a drink that seems appropriate at any time. Connoisseurs of ideal tea are sure that only loose leaf tea is suitable for brewing, however, some Britons are quite willing to use tea bags. And remember, milk should be added to the mug last!

Scotch egg

Once upon a time it was a simple picnic snack, consisting of a hard-boiled egg, minced and breaded, but now this dish can also be found on restaurant menus, complemented by a green salad. If you want to experience the traditional taste, just buy such an egg at the store. The most delicious are those with a slightly runny center.

Roast

It's impossible to imagine a good British roast without gravy. A traditional lunch requires beef, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables. Most often these are Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsley root. Just add Yorkshire pudding to the dish and it will turn out perfect.

Baked Sandwiches

Almost every British home has a sandwich maker, which says a lot about the national love for baked sandwiches. The British love toasted bread with melted cheese baked into triangles.

Curry

This is a British Indian dish that can be found throughout the UK. Usually the basis is rice and naan bread, sometimes the dish is also served with onion bhajis and vegetable samosa pies. Curry sauce is most often prepared with a medium heat, but sometimes a richer tomato or spicy vindaloo sauce is made.

Welsh pasties

These are baked goods that are small buns, somewhat reminiscent of scones. The dough practically melts in your mouth, which is what makes Welsh pasties so delicious - you may not even notice how you eat a large portion! You can choose the option without additives or with juicy currants, eat pies and with butter or jam.

English breakfast

For this breakfast, you should be more hungry. This is a hefty portion of food that includes sausage, bacon, mushrooms, scrambled or scrambled eggs, and roasted tomatoes and beans. If this list seems small to you, you can always supplement it with a piece of black pudding, toast with butter and fried bread.

Bacon sandwich

This is a simple but surprisingly delicious sandwich. Between two pieces of bread is an impressive portion of bacon, topped with sauce to taste. Sometimes this is supplemented with sausage or a fried egg, then it turns out to be an excellent option for a hearty breakfast.

Potato and leek soup

If you're looking for a relatively healthy yet creamy soup, check out this recipe! Some people like the potatoes left in large chunks, while others prefer to chop them to give the soup a velvety texture. The soup is usually topped with bacon and sour cream, and sometimes even croutons.

Stumppot

This is a roast of potatoes, cabbage and onions served under a layer of baked cheese. The recipe is Scottish. It is usually used as a side dish for the main dish. In Ireland, mashed potatoes and kale are used for a similar dish, and in England, cutlets are made from vegetables left over from a roast.

Hines beans

Traditional white beans V tomato sauce is the British favorite dish. There are different dishes based on these beans, but the most popular variety is reheated beans with buttered toast and a handful of grated cheese. You can also serve it with pasta or sausage.

Welsh Rarebit

It's very simple and delicious dish from bread and cheese. For an extra special twist, add mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce before baking the cheese on toasted bread.

Cookies with jam

Like many British sweets, these are a biscuit that will instantly captivate you, and you won't be able to eat just one. The base is made of biscuit pieces, on which there is a layer of orange jam and chocolate icing. Be careful: you can easily eat the whole pack.

Fish and chips

This dish is perhaps the most famous outside of the UK. He is loved all over the coast. It is there that you will find the most the best variety fish fried in batter, served with French fries, most often in a bag from yesterday's newspaper. If you don't like crispy potatoes, you can use British curry sauce or green peas. Some people prefer to order only the potatoes, pouring vinegar over them and generously sprinkling them with salt.

Bread and butter pudding

If you have stale bread, you can easily arrange it in a baking dish in layers, topping it with berries and filling it with custard. It's cheap and delicious dessert, which is very loved by many British people. With this dish you can use leftover bread and still get a great addition to tea. Modern versions suggest using jam or preserves instead of butter, and also replacing regular bread with a croissant or bun; in short, there is an option for every taste.

Shepherd's Pie

It is a pie filled with lamb and vegetables, usually carrots, peas and onions, topped with a layer of creamy mash and baked until deliciously crunchy. This pie should not be confused with the country pie, which uses ground beef, or with fish pie filled with seafood.

Sausages in dough

This is an unusual variety of Yorkshire pudding that can hardly be called gourmet. Nevertheless, it is quite tasty. The recipe is based on sausages or frankfurters baked in dough in a rectangular or square dish.

Fruit crumble

The British love this type of pies. Stewed seasonal fruits are usually used - rhubarb, apples, currants. This is a dish that is served in both winter and summer months. It is customary to eat the crumble with a scoop of ice cream or a thick, creamy custard sauce.

Cornish pie

This is a pastry made from meat and vegetables, baked in a crispy dough. This dish is only considered authentic when it comes from Cornwall. It is believed that the hard crust on the pie was invented to make it easier for miners to hold the pie in their hands as they ate lunch during a hard day's work.

In the minds of many, English breakfast is associated with the famous phrase from the film: “Oatmeal, sir!”, which was uttered by the butler Barrymore, putting a modest portion of porridge on Sherlock Holmes’s plate. Ever since this phrase was first heard on television, the English breakfast in the eyes of the Russian viewer has become small and monotonous, to match those who like to go on long and tasteless diets. It's time to debunk this myth.

Residents of Foggy Albion are very careful about their traditions, including maintaining their adherence to the traditional English breakfast for many centuries. The British are really not the kind of people who like change, especially in their usual diet, so it is very difficult for new restaurant trends to take root in their conservative country.

Although not only in Russia there is an idea that the British do not finish eating, eating a mini-portion of their usual oatmeal before work. Our European neighbors, the French, often joke that the English work as cooks in hell and in order not to die of hunger, they must return to earth three times a day.

In fact, the inhabitants of Foggy Albion eat according to the saying: “Have breakfast like a king, and have dinner like a beggar!” Therefore, French jokes about the morning meal are clearly not true.

Thousand calories

Try to ask several Englishmen out of curiosity one day what they love most about their country, and you will definitely be surprised to hear the joyful and confident answer: “English breakfast!”

Morning meals in the UK are always very nutritious. Traditionally, it takes place at 7-8 o'clock in the morning, but it usually begins in bed with a cup of tea.

IN kitchen cabinet Many English people always have various packs of corn flakes or muesli on their refrigerator, which they can snack on in a hurry, pouring a large portion of milk, but most often they go to start their day in a cafe.

Often on the signs of various establishments you will find an intriguing phrase: “Full English Breakfast”. This means that there you will be served a very high-calorie and filling dish consisting of fried bacon, scrambled eggs or fried eggs, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, sausage or sausage, fried beans in tomato sauce, as well as golden toast with jam and tea or coffee. Sometimes instead of jam they will bring marmalade, which in England can be either crumbly, hard, or the usual jelly-like form.

A traditional English breakfast is around 1,000 calories and will fill you with energy and strength for the whole day.

Victorian breakfasts

The wonderful English tradition of having a tasty, satisfying and varied breakfast comes from the 19th century, when aristocratic and wealthy families of the Victorian era preferred to eat the most delicious foods in the morning. Often on their tables one could find honey-fried bacon, deli ham, sausages from different counties of the country, as well as marmalade, jellies and fruits as dessert. Traditionally, every morning the whole family gathered at one large table, discussing upcoming affairs for the day under the rustling of fresh newspapers.

The poorer sections of the English population also loved hearty and large portions for breakfast, because this way they could be satiated for the whole day and not have to work in a factory to the sound of a growling stomach. Farmers could confidently go out into the fields, doing hard physical work on the land all day long without feeling hungry. The English breakfast of the middle and lower classes of those times was very similar to modern version, so loved throughout England - with scrambled eggs, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and bread.

Nowadays, residents of Foggy Albion do not always have time to prepare such a varied and satisfying classic English breakfast, so not everyone follows the tradition every day. Business-minded Englishmen, who are always careful with their time, can rarely devote a whole morning to cooking and prefer to have a cup of tea or coffee with a sandwich. But on weekends, many people already find time to prepare the usual English breakfast and sit down at the table with the whole family. What could be better than such a simple tradition that unites the whole family in a cozy narrow circle at one table every weekend?

Types of English breakfast

You will definitely be surprised when you notice that different parts In the UK, the traditional classic English breakfast is served completely differently or supplemented with some new delicacies.

In Scotland, along with your usual breakfast, you will be served hash browns, black pudding and oatcakes.

In Ireland, to the classic version of the English breakfast they add only one additional dish called “white pudding”, which is not a dessert, but fresh pork sausage and cereals. It tastes very much like black pudding, but due to the lack of blood it has white, which gave the dish such an unusual name.

In Wales they serve unusual dish made from real seaweed, which is first boiled for a long time until it becomes pureed. Eggs, bacon and shellfish are added to the resulting seaweed mixture and then wrapped in an oatcake.

In Cornwall, in the south of Great Britain, there is a so-called “Cornish breakfast”, which includes approximately the same ingredients as standard traditional English: bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, bread, pork sausage and hash browns or fried potatoes.

Drinks for breakfast are usually coffee or tea, but if an Englishman chooses tea, he will most likely drink it only with milk. Especially for tourists, a milk bottle filled to the brim is served with an ordinary cup of tea, leaving the choice up to the visitor of the establishment.

Morning at the hotel

In English hotels and hotels, breakfast time usually occurs at 8-9 am. If you book a room, then almost everywhere breakfast will be included in the price of your stay - the “Bed and Breakfast” label literally translates as “bed and breakfast”.

If you're staying at a hotel, it's hard to miss the English breakfast, so you'll definitely find the strength to wake up and early in the morning put on your plates the seven different dishes included in the standard menu. So, a traditional hotel breakfast looks like this: a couple of fried sausages, crispy fried bacon, two or three fresh or pickled tomatoes, sprinkled with oil from the fried bacon, fried champignons, a portion of white beans with tomato, fried eggs made from two eggs and two -three fresh crispy toasts with butter.

In some hotels, in addition to classic English, there is a continental breakfast, which includes ham, cheese, bread, porridge, cereal and muesli. Service usually takes place in the form of a buffet, where everyone can come, taking the necessary cutlery and a snow-white plate, so that in a moment they can start serving themselves hearty dishes. The choice of drinks is usually coffee, tea or orange juice. If you're lucky, the breakfast menu might include pancakes with strawberry jam or a glass of milk and cornflakes to complement your traditional English breakfast.

A well-known feature of the inhabitants of England - adherence to traditions - also applies to food. The traditional cuisine of England has remained unchanged for several centuries, but it attracts a lot of criticism, both from tourists and representatives of the local population. although nothing to change in your traditional cuisine the British don't want.

From the outside it seems that the indigenous people of England have formed a kind of food cult. But, for example, the geographic neighbors of the English, the French, joke that in hell only English cooks prepare food, and in order not to starve in England, you have to travel to the continent three times a day.

What constitutes an English breakfast, lunch and dinner, why there is confusion in these concepts, and how many meals and snacks the British allow themselves will be discussed below.

Meals: from the first cup of tea to dinner

Traditionally, a typical Englishman's day begins with a cup of tea in the morning, which they drink while still in bed. The first English breakfast occurs at 7-8 am and includes several fairly nutritious dishes.

Second breakfast or lunch occurs at 1-2 pm and usually takes place in small restaurants or pubs. In fact, in our country the second English breakfast is lunch, but in England it is customary to call the evening meal – dinner – “dinner”.

On weekends in England, breakfast smoothly flows into lunch– this extended meal, which lasts almost half a day and is, rather, entertainment and time spent together for the whole family, is called brunch (the beginning and end of the words breakfast and lunch are combined).

At 5 o'clock all the English invariably drink tea - this national tradition is called the “five o’clock tea party.” » .

Dinner for the British takes place at 7-8 pm and is perhaps the most nutritious of all meals. When people want to refer to dinner more formally, they talk about lunch, which usually takes place in restaurants and includes three or more courses.

A traditional English breakfast begins with oatmeal (everyone remembers the famous expression “Oatmeal, sir!”), the birthplace of which is considered to be Scotland.

In Scotland itself, oatmeal is eaten without any additives. English oatmeal is served with milk or cream, and sugar can be added to taste.

Breakfast continues with scrambled eggs and bacon, to which you can also add mushrooms, fried tomatoes, herring or sausage, toast with jam and tea or coffee. Jam is completely separate component morning food - A traditional English breakfast is unthinkable without it. The only thing is that it is sometimes replaced with marmalade, which can be presented in different states - hard, crumbly or jelly-like.

Also, the English breakfast is replete with plenty of vegetables and fruits and fruit juices. Popular all over the world are also acceptable in the morning cornflakes or muesli with milk.

Many English people spend second breakfast, lunch or dinner in restaurants, since it is not customary to go home for a lunch break. It may include meat or fish, salads, potatoes, and fruit pudding for dessert.

As first courses, which are generally not very common in England, puree soups and broths are considered, however, more often they are still transferred to the evening meal.

Also popular during lunch are closed sandwiches or sandwiches with pate, boiled pork, ham, fish and other ingredients.

Drinks during lunch can be traditional tea or juices. Even on a weekday during lunch, some Englishmen drink draft beer - porter or black ale.

After a five-hour tea party, which takes place with all the formalities, it is time for a rather late dinner. For some English families This meal is considered the main meal of the day.

On the eve of dinner, it is customary to serve an aperitif - usually wine. Then soup can be served as a first course, or several different hot dishes can simply be prepared.

For dinner they usually eat roast beef or steaks; as an addition to the second course there is a vegetable appetizer (beans, corn, pickled vegetables, cauliflower etc.). Sauces are offered for each dish. At the end of the meal, something sweet is usually served with the favorite drink of the British - tea..

Useful for tourists

The national food in England is considered to include several dishes that are recommended to be tried by all visitors to this amazing country. Having found out what the British eat and what are their signature dishes, you can try one or another culinary masterpiece yourself.

So, you should definitely try the famous English pies. This could be a meat pie, which traditionally appears on the table during an evening meal, or an apple pie, which is eaten as a dessert at any time of the day.

It's worth trying the healthy Scottish oatmeal, which for the most part makes up the English breakfast.

As a first course, Irish fish soup with tomatoes and finely chopped potatoes, seasoned with sour cream and nutmeg, is considered very tasty.

The most favorite side dish of the British is rice with tomato seasoning or potatoes.. Bread is not very popular among the people of Great Britain, but there is already a huge amount of food on the table!

The famous fish-and-chips dish is popular in England.. Also common here are blood sausage, Yorkshire pie or pudding named after a particular area, shortbread and other popular and original dishes.

The famous fish-and-chips dish

The British do not use sauces very often, because they consider the taste of dishes to be perfect without them. If you try roast beef, rare steak or rump steak in England, you can be sure that their taste will be different from those offered in other countries.

It's hard to imagine national cuisine English people by reading or watching films about her. You can try to cook a typical English pudding or roast beef according to an English recipe, or you can buy a ticket and go study the culinary talents of English chefs. Bon appetit!