Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Breakfast

As I've mentioned before, I dislike most of the American breakfast options. With all the potatoes and fresh veggies in the garden I've started doing a version of frittatas--with about twice the vegetables and just enough egg to provide protein but not enough to be visible. I still haven't found any information about why American breakfasts either involve eggs or sweet foods, but in The Secret Life of Food, Martin Elkort lists breakfasts "typical" of other countries. I thought it was really interesting--especially when he states that breakfasts might be the most typical of a country's foods as breakfast is the meal with the least pretension. Having just enjoyed a breakfast of leftover spaghetti and coffee, I can certainly agree with that.

So, a world-tour of breakfasts:
  • France: a just-baked croissant or baguette with butter, and a large cup of steaming cafe au lait in which to dip it

  • England: salty bacon and sausage with an egg, toast, and dark, tangy orange marmalade. Danish pastry. Coffee.

  • Scotland: oatmeal, kippers, bread, and oatcakes. Marmalade

  • Northern Ireland: Bacon and eggs, fried cabbage, and potato mush.

  • Unites States: Orange juice, bacon and eggs, hash-brown potatoes, waffle with syrup; or corn flakes with milk, half a grapefruit. Several cups of coffee

  • China: Dim Sum—a selection of snacks: buns stuffed wit spiced meat, steamed dumplings, duck, spiced rice, sausages, lots of tea

  • South China: Rice porridge (jook) with slivers of fish, frog or preserved egg. Hot soybean milk with onions.

  • Egypt: Felafel: mashed garbanzo beans, garlic and green onions fried in a patty and served in a pita (pocket bread).

  • Israel: A selection of cheeses, smoked and pickled fish, scrambled eggs, rolls and bread, yogurt, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and pastry.

  • Mexico: Chilaquiles: tortillas with hot and spicy meat and cheese

  • Philippines: Garlic-fried rice, dried fish.

  • Vietnam: Rice noodle soup and bean sprouts

  • Japan: Steaming rice porridge with vegetables and spicy pickles.

  • Spain: A cup of coffee

  • Portugal: Fresh bread slathered with butter. Coffee


So far, I'm with the French or the Portugese. I could probably do falafel for breakfast as well, but I just don't know if I could face frog at any meal.....

4 comments:

Georgi said...

I like falafel for breakfast or a tuna sandwhich, but leftover pizza is my favorite :-)

Unknown said...

ummm. not sure where you got your info but an American Breakfast consists of:

Pop Tarts
Fruit loops with skim milk
1/2 of a 4oz container of sugary fake yogurt or gogurt or some other 'healthy' form of breakfast 'desert'.

after consuming this buffet of high fructose corn syrup, the small child bolts straight through the front door without even opening it.

for the first hour at school with a tsunami of glucose surging through his veins, the child cannot sit still and is labeled as an ADD case and scheduled for special drugs from big pharma.

After the first hour the effect of 'breakfast' wears off and the child becomes so lethargic that he fails to absorb anything and may even go for a mental siesta. In extreme cases of humans who have failed to adapt to the new diet of HFCS these cycles turn into adolescent diabetes and big pharma wins again.

Adults will add a tall skinny non-fat sugar-free [soy] latte'.
"Would you like a can of fat-free air with that?"

but I digress.

I like my eggs free range and the yolks runny.

Mandy said...

Well, my breakfast this morning was a mix of dried fruit with a bran based cereal with semi-skimmed milk. This was followed up with a really large, juicy nectarine and tea (Jasmine tea) - very refreshing.
Must admit, I really can't take a full English breakfast. Coming from someone who is English, that probably doesn't sound right.
Breakfast is a really individual sort of meal. It would be interestng to find out just how many people actually ate the type of breakfast listed as being their traditional meal.

Lori said...

I confess that I like my breakfast something close to the English version. Along with some bread, I need some protein - if it's just bread, then 2 hours later I'm starving.

While on vacation in Bali we usually had the traditional breakfast - fried rice with a egg, fresh shrimp chips, fresh mango & papaya, lemonade (it was actually lime juice), and hot tea.

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