UK
The traditional English breakfast, also known as a full breakfast, has been widely enjoyed since the Industrial Revolution. A single plate brings together baked beans in tomato sauce, scrambled eggs, a soft sausage containing flour, fried bread, a potato hash brown, and tomatoes and mushrooms traditionally cooked for hygiene reasons. It is such a satisfying meal that Somerset Maugham famously suggested eating breakfast three times a day to eat well in Britain.
Originally enjoyed by the aristocracy, the full breakfast became popular with workers during the Industrial Revolution who wanted at least one substantial meal to start the day. Today it is often enjoyed on leisurely weekends, while cafés and pubs serve it beyond weekend mornings too.
The United Kingdom is an island nation made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Warm ocean currents and prevailing westerly winds give it relatively mild winters for its latitude and cool summers. Green throughout the year, around 30% of its land is farmland and 50% pasture.
Much British cooking uses simple methods, reflecting busy households in which both partners work as well as a long-standing religious emphasis on simplicity and thrift.
With thanks to
British Embassy
USA
Our American breakfast brings together buttermilk pancakes topped with whipped butter, crisp bacon, sautéed home-fried potatoes and a fried egg. It is a popular breakfast in American homes, cafés and diners. Enjoy it American-style, with plenty of maple syrup over the bacon as well as the pancakes!
On weekday mornings, families rarely sit down to breakfast together. Children often have cereal they can prepare themselves, while adults eat toast or bagels with cream cheese, accompanied by coffee or orange juice, whenever they have time. Weekends are different: families and friends often go out to cafés or diners for brunch, choosing toast, pancakes, omelets, hash browns, or a plate of fried chicken and waffles.
With thanks to
Julia Rawnsley
Taiwan
Eating breakfast out is common in Taiwan, where specialist breakfast shops offer something for every taste. Our plate brings together three favorites. First is xiandoujiang, a savory soy-milk soup lightly curdled with vinegar and filled with youtiao fried dough, dried shrimp and preserved mustard stem. Next is danbing, a pleasantly chewy Taiwanese egg crêpe, with fillings such as cheese and ham reflecting Chinese and Western influences. Finally, there is fantuan, a sticky-rice roll packed with fillings.
Taiwan is a popular destination among Japanese travelers, often associated with a warm welcome and delicious food. Although exchanges between people in Taiwan and Japan flourish, Japan severed diplomatic relations in 1972. Against this complex historical background, indigenous traditions have blended with Chinese, Japanese and Western influences to create a diverse culture. Food holds a special place in Taiwanese life: eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner is common, and Taiwan has developed a rich culinary culture all its own.
With thanks to
Lai Wei Tzu
Tomosheng Trading Co., Ltd.
葉 芝綺