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My husband and I just returned from England yesterday. My husband is the type of guy who can't start the day without a full, hot breakfast. That was more of a challenge in France & Italy, but the English breakfast was just fine. You just have to specify what you want, because they offer lots of "extras" we typically don't eat at breatfast i.e. baked beans. We always had eggs (scrambled, poached or fried), bacon (which is more like canadian bacon or ham) and toast. English breakfast is a full, hot breakfast, as opposed to Continential breakfast (which is just bread & coffee).
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I've very much enjoyed reading these contributions. Is it too late to join in? What surprises me is the aparently commonly held American view that eating tomatoes at breakfast is a little odd. A Sydneysider such as me would find it odd not to be served a grilled tomato as a garnish with a traditional style bacon or sausage and egg style breakfast. It is also common for to tomatoes to be a feature in their own right - how about slow oven roasted tomato and sliced avocado on toasted turkish bread or the same with a pile of corn fritters. And how about a piece of warm baguette with too much butter and sliced fresh roma tomatoes tomatoes?
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Depending on where I've stayed, I've had three kinds of English breakfasts: <BR>When we stayed at a B&B in private home, the hostess laid out a spread that included fresh cherry tomatoes, ham, hard boiled eggs, toasted toast, croissants, a variety of cereals, and yoghurt. She also made a hot dish, like a quiche. We chowed down enough to last through lunch. <BR>When I stayed at a hotel B&B, I got fried eggs (runny, but that's the way I like them), toasted toast, and that cross between ham and American bacon. <BR>In Northern Ireland, every B&B served two fried eggs, two fried sausages, two pieces of that bacon cross, a broiled full-sized tomato, sauteed mushrooms, beans, and bread fried in bacon grease. When one of the girls had her annual checkup after she returned, the doctor thought the cholesterol reading was wrong, because it was so high compared to her previous readings. She told him "let me come back in two weeks and take it again" - and it was back down to where it should have been. <BR> <BR>We didn't get any lager, though - damn.
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I am English and I have absolutely no idea where most of these respondents have been eating. There is nothing disgusting about the 'English' breakfast - in fact there is nothing particularly English about the 'English' breakfast and from experience I would say it is remarkably similar to the 'American' breakfast. Perhaps the only real difference is that we serve baked beans and sometimes black pudding and we don't have a stack of pancakes & syrup on the side. <BR> <BR>And having had an 'American' buffet breakfast, I would say that perhaps people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. It should go without saying that the quality of your food depends largely on where you eat. There is good and bad on both sides of the Atlantic. Live with it.
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Two years ago my wife and i took a 23 day tour of UK and Ireland. Some of the people we were with, from the US, are still talking about "those breakfasts". <BR> <BR>We are just back from 10 days in Scotland at the upper end of the market and the breakfasts and the dinners were out of this world. Sure you have to be prepared to try something new. <BR> <BR>One of our meals was enlivened by yet another US type who asked what a dish consisted of. On being told it was lamb, he said “Hell I never eat sheep” and promptly ordered haggis. The waitress kept a lovely straight face! <BR> <BR>
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Wow, I guess my husband and myself are in the minority, we actually like English Breakfasts. At some b & b's they are better then others. Since I don't eat meat, I always just request an English breakfast with scrambled eggs and tomato and nearly always they triple the amount of eggs to compensate for the lack of meat. My hubby is a die hard carnivore and he loves the bacon, the only thing he is not too keen on are the sausage thingy's which he claims are too mushy.
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English, Scottish and Irish Breakfast. <BR> <BR>We found the same breakfast with different names.. eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, juice, coffee or tea, toast, cereals and fruit. <BR> <BR>The fried bread there was what my family calls Texas Toast. had somewhere a potato cake as well... I loved fried toast and the tomatoes! <BR> <BR>We had to leave early from a B&B to catch a bus, and told them we would only want the toast (plain) in the am. The hosts were shocked. No one had ever just requested toast! <BR> <BR>
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A long time ago, we had breakfast in a B&B in Portsmouth. The owner, wanting to do something special for us, served heaping plates of...(get this!!!)... <BR>Spaghetti-O's. She left us for a moment while her big Boxer dog watched over us from the other side of the table. Guess who ate the Spaghetti'Os!
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Went to London last summer, my husband and I both agree...stick to muffins or croissants for breakfast. Brit bacon is thick and greasy, not thin, smoky like we are used to. Our eggs were fried in (I think) olive oil. Usually they throw in a tomato, and sometimes beans on the side. We both dislike the clotted cream (used like butter, but doesn't taste like it at all). If it weren't for the small Greek deli across the street from our hotel,I think we would have starved.
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Your basic B&B English breakfast is a heart attack served on a plate. <BR> <BR>Just got back from the mother land (I'm Australian) and this is what I was served at most places. Eggs done any way you like, pan fried bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, shallow fried toast and tomato. If you're lucky you'll get Back Pudding. Make sure you ask for tomato sauce. Yumm! <BR> <BR>A big helping of that will set you up for the day! <BR> <BR>Matthew
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What ever it is called, you should not eat it, every day that is. After a week, you can probably hear your left vertricle snapping shut from the cholestral. Anyway, doesn't sound much different than a "farm" breakfast,a but they ate that back in the days when they got up at 5 to milk the cows, then slaved like a horse the rest of the day--take my advise and go for the toast and yogurt.
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It's the best thing in the world to cure a hangover!
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Normal Scottish breakfast - black coffee, asprin.
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If all you Americans eat so healthily, then why has America statistically got the highest obesity rate in the world?
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breakfast, anybody?
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Al: Spaghettios! LOL, I love it! Complete nutrition in a can! :-) Judy
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UUGH! where's the pancakes with syrup, waffles, cinammon toast, grits, and hashbrowns. If my bacon (obviously the streaky kind) isn't so crisp that it crumbles into a million pieces when you bite into it, forget it I'm not eating it. whoever heard of baked beans, kidneys, tomatoes, and broccolli for breakfast? Guess I'll be at the McDonald's!
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I must say I do not know why people travel if they are not willing to experience the culture. Do they eat at McDonalds when they are at home,would they recommend it to travelers as a good place to eat?
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We found the pubs & supermarkets good places to eat but be advised that "lemonade" is something like our Sprite, "jacket potatoes" are baked & ice is scarce. Our main problem in the UK is finding places to eat if the time isn't a "meal" time. I tend to stick with ham sandwiches & get fruit at the market. I'm not impressed with English meals but Americans are kind of spoiled with everything being so accessible any time we want it. The lovely & funny English people make up for the meals.
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I agree with you Pam, why travel at all if you want everything to be just like home? And talking about everything being fried in England, it's better than the greasy food in the states: fries, cheeseburgers, pizza etc. Get a life or don't go out of your house!
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To the top.
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I ended up having to overnight at some anonymous hotel near Heathrow once when my BA flight over the water arrived <I>13</I> hours late, and in the morning, over a pretty universal hotel breakfast buffet (it was Sunday) had time for a long read of the Times before my connecting flight. In the Sunday magazine was a hilarious review of breakfast at Simpson's in the Strand, famous for its roast beef and glowing house ties (pink beyond pink) for hapless tie-less diners. The featured breakfast offering, which the reviewer ate and said was excellent, was Pig's Nose in Parsely and Onion Sauce. He said it was somewhat shocking to behold, though, as it was served nostrils up. <BR> <BR>Pass the cornflakes.
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Although having nothing to do with breakfast, someone did mention vegetables, and I thought I would respond. Having been to London a dozen times, I seem to recall that the only vegetables that seem to be prevalent are green peas; I think they were served with practically every hot lunch and dinner I have ordered in London. I've also seen a lot of potatoes, mushrooms, beets, carrots and onions. I recall someone telling me that the lack of other vegetables has something to do with the British weather and climate, and that most other vegetables are imported, and therefore very expensive.
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I am apalled at the comments from those across the pond on English breakfast. What about Sizzlers etc you have in America. The amount one is supposed to eat, and the bacon, well, burnt to a crisp and fatty. At least we give you a decent piece of ham. Also, whats this corned beef hash stuff for breakfast over there?
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'Corned Beef Hash' 'Steak and Eggs' or 'The Buckeye-served with sausage gravy' all items from the menu at the 'Holiday Inn' I stayed in (in the states) and you think the English have a wierd breakfast?!! STEAK?! SAUSAGE GRAVY?!!!
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I find it amusing that Americans find having tomato for breakfast weird. Culturally different, but not weird. Afterall tomato is technically a FRUIT, not a vegetable. How is having broiled tomato different from ketchup or salsa on your eggs? I love salsa on my eggs. <BR> <BR>I have not been to England - plan to go next summer - but I have been to Austrailia and loved having tomatoes as well as zucchinni for breakfast - they were seasoned with herbs and were very tasty. <BR> <BR>I guess the fodorits represent the healthiest cross section of people. The Americans I know eat an extreamly fatty diet. Maybe it is because I live in the south, but a typical breakfast down here is grits loaded with butter, biscuits (also loaded with butter), pork sausage links or patties,eggs fried in bacon grease....
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English bacon is a delight, compared to US bacon. But if it's served buffet style, it can be greasy, simply due to the fact that it's sat there in some residual fat for a while. ANY food served buffet style tends to suffer; I never eat at buffet style places with any expectations of quality. <BR> <BR>I have grown to love hash browns, corned beef hash, fried eggs, from my local US 'greasy spoon' for breakfast, with ketchup on the hash browns, and tabasco. But a UK b/fast of fried tomatoe, crispy lean bacon, and toast - yum! <BR> <BR>When I see obese Americans tucking into a pile (a mountain!) of pancakes, and a slice of cake, for breakfast (after their steak and eggs), I realize that no country in the world can come close to the states for food abuse! <BR> <BR>Having traveled all over Europe, I can't recall anywhere serving much in the way of vegetables. Only in California do you seem to get decent vegetables served with a meal. In our recent trip to France, the only veg. that graced our plates in 10 days were potatoes, baked with cheese. In fact, we were totally disappointed with the French dining experience; good pate's, good wines, but overall a very limited cuisine ('pour a creamy sauce over it') compared to the vibrant, refreshing, delightful Italian cuisine. The best meals we had were pasta dishes, obviously 'borrowed' from the neighboring Italy.
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"Does this relate to what my English roomie once told me: it truly turned her stomach to see syrup or jam on the same plate as a cooked breakfast meat, she said no one in England would think of eating them together" <BR> <BR>This made me chuckle. I can remember having breakfast with my husband when we first went to the US. I ordered hotcakes and he ordered french toast and bacon. Two little jugs of syrup arrived on the table and my husband wondered why two. I told him that one was to go on his french toast and bacon and he WOULDN'T believe me. <BR>I remember visiting an American couple and took them a jar of Oxford marmalade. The husband promptly put a large dollop on the side of his plate and ate it with his meat and veg. We pretended not to see anything wrong, it was like that scene from "To kill a mocking bird." <BR>As for full English or rather Scottish breakfasts. We were in a nice little Highland hotel with a superb breakfast menu. An American couple at the next table "yukked" their way through every item. The waitress was the daughter-in-law of the owners and I can imagine what she thought. They would only eat toast and coffee. <BR>The next morning we tucked into a splendid breakfast with local eggs, bacon and sausages. The bacon was wonderful, more like gammon than back and was almost all meat, little fat and done to a turn. <BR>We noticed that quite a pleasant American couple were eating streaky bacon and when they'd left my Scottish husband asked if we were getting preferential treatment. The waitress grinned and said that the chef was an irascible type and refused to "waste" decent bacon on Americans because they always wanted it cooked to a frazzle. He always gave them streaky bacon from the supermarket in the same town. I think he might have given the poor souls a choice, but that's chefs for you!
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As so often on this forum a question has become the excuse for silly remarks about British food. <BR>Yes, if you go to a chain or a cheap eatery especially in a tourist area you will get poor food, but every town, city and sometimes village will have excellent places to eat. <BR>That said, have a look at Helen's British cookery site at http://www.hwatson.force9.co.uk/ <BR>for traditional recipes and visit the splendidly named "2 eggs, sausage, beans, tomatoes, <BR>2 toast, large tea, cheerslove!" <BR>website at http://cheerslove.org/ <BR> <BR>It is a celebration of the great English breakfast with hints of where and where not to go to get a good breakfast.
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English breakfast is the best meal going. Fried eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, fried slice of bread, black pudding. It's gorgeous. Why you americans are so repulsed by it i'll never know. If the McDonalds breakfast is anything to go by, then you seem to like your food bland and smelling of fat. I do however have very fond memories of Pancakes in the US from a past trip. Even to the point of getting Bisquik sent home by an American friend (although you can buy it the UK now). If you don't like your first english breakfast, please try again. Like all food in all countries, if you get a bad one, it can be pretty sick.
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It is almost time for lunch and this site has really made me hungry. The English Breakfast sounds good right now! Even the beans. I saw these the last time we were in England but did not give them a try,next time I will. By the way, grits are always served here in the South for breakfast and many folks not from the South turn their nose up at that selection! To each their own!
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funny topic.
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TTT: oldies and goodies for foodies.
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For Americans feeling superior about all this...
A decade or so ago, I was involved (together with an Abe Lincoln lookalike!)in the Grand Opening of a convenience store in deep Kentucky. The local radio station ran an associated phone-in contest for listeners to choose between healthy and unhealthy breakfasts. The unhealthy breakfast was a candy bar and a mug of coffee. The healthy one was the store's special (=extra big)burger...and a mug of coffee. Sadly, we had to move on to improve the lives of the next town before ever finding out which won. Or which Abe voted for. But I understand the local cardiologist was one of the wealthiest men in town. |
I think I can remember (creak of rocking chair) when baked beans made their first appearance in the "full English". We were offered them in a small hotel and when I questioned the waitress she said that it was because of the F Plan diet (remember that). You had to eat as much fibre as possible and baked beans are very rich in fibre.
I must admit that I don't order them, but a grilled tomato can be very nice if it's a fresh one. BTW, we stay in a super hotel in the Highlands sometimes where the food is magnificent and they offer sliced haggis as part of the "full Scottish". Very nice it is too. As others have said, be adventurous. You may be pleasantly surprised. I never autonatically say "yuk" to any food. After all I enjoy eating slabs of elderly solidified milk. |
Jurgen:
I don't think any of us in American would consider our "traditional" breakfast healthy. They are, for the most part, decidedly UNHEALTHY. The worldwide obesity epidemic (admittedly rampant in the U.S.) is multifactorial and is certainly in part due to the fat content of the American diet but also our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. We eat like we are in the 19th century (agricultural economy, farm work, physical labor) but live in the 21st century (desk jobs, computers, remote controls). I don't think any of us would assert that what the world considers a traditional "American breakfast" - whether it's pancakes, sausage, eggs, or waffles - is "healthy." Cheers, Ron |
I've read some very strange comments on this thread and have to wonder where on earth in England these folks have been to. ""English not very big on eating green veg" - funny, that's what I thought about Americans after travelling extensively in the US! And as for ladies in the north-east starting the day with a half-pint of lager!!!!!! That's a new one to me and I've lived here all my life. I think it all boils down to the fact that there are good and bad places to eat everywhere, the problem is finding the good ones when you're travelling.
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Hi
There's a saying in the UK that to dine well in England you need to eat breakfast 3 times a day. Think some of the posters disagree with this!!A well cooked English breakfast can be wonderful but plenty of potential to go badly wrong though! I've just spent a month's holiday in America and sampled many "American breakfasts". Grits? Maple sauce? Different - but I love to try everything! It's part of the experience of travelling. My American friend made me raspberry pancakes served with crispy bacon for breakfast - fabulous! |
I suspect - no, dammit, I know - that a fair number of hotels fail at 'the full English', and not just the downmarket ones. The main problem is cutting corners (horrible tinned plum tomatoes instead of grilled fresh ones, and trying to keep the food on a buffet - even scrambled eggs, for heavens' sake). To do it well, it has to be done for each person and served immediately (and neither baked beans nor chips really belong). But it is still a week's worth of fat and carbohydrate for sedentary moderns.
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The best places to get a proper english breakfast:
The first class dining car of a train (really) Simpsons in the strand - order the "seven deadly sins" and wash it down with a glass of champagne, black velvet or guiness. Don't make plans for the rest of the day. and lastly and bestly.... Go to the Fox and Anchor in smithfield and have breakfast with the porters from the meat market (the pub opens at 6am). This is the best breakfast in London. And all you philistines who are dissing the great british breakfast....try these and be converted. Also the cooked breakfast is making a bit of a comeback on the back of the Atkins diet |
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