"Full English Breakfast" versus "Continental Breakfast"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d much rather have the full English. I did a study abroad in Europe (Spain) and started every morning with chocolate milk or tea and a pastry. Gross. That did not make me feel good. It’s not like you have to eat a full English if it’s offered. But of course my idea breakfast would be neither. My favorite is avocado toast with an egg or Greek yogurt with strawberries.

m

OMG starting the day with Spanish hot chocolate sounds like heaven to me. Esp at a time when I could afford the calories. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d much rather have the full English. I did a study abroad in Europe (Spain) and started every morning with chocolate milk or tea and a pastry. Gross. That did not make me feel good. It’s not like you have to eat a full English if it’s offered. But of course my idea breakfast would be neither. My favorite is avocado toast with an egg or Greek yogurt with strawberries.

m

OMG starting the day with Spanish hot chocolate sounds like heaven to me. Esp at a time when I could afford the calories. Sigh.

Ha yeah, it does sound good but it was not pleasant having it every day for months! And it wasn't Spanish hot chocolate, it was regular chocolate milk. Also everybody on the study abroad gained weight. Literally all of us, and the woman we lived with who had hosted for years said "oh yeah, all you American girls all get fat when you're here." It was pretty hilarious actually.

[Anonymous]

If you are paying a lot to stay at a manor in vacation, a full English breakfast seems to go with the splurge.

But everyday before work, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I prefer a full German breakfast but since it’s difficult to find real German rolls or bread, I usually stick with semi-German breakfast of yogurt and fruit, sometimes with muesli, and/or a 3 minute egg, plus tea.

German here. No tea, coffee.

Old school Germans ate cold cuts/cheese with their breakfast. Actually, probably new school ones too. Eggs (soft boiled usually) were for Saturdays.

Müsli is Swiss, and was invented by a Swiss physician for health reasons. It just spread to Germany, and the real stuff is nothing like the weird granola and cereals you get here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the continental, I don’t like all the bacon and sausage much, especially when traveling.

My favorite is Japanese breakfast. I eat eggs, leftover rice and kimchi for breakfast at home a lot.

Kimchi isn't Japanese, I'm sure you know that. I like Tamago Kake Gohan. Maybe that's what you're doing with your egg?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the continental, I don’t like all the bacon and sausage much, especially when traveling.

My favorite is Japanese breakfast. I eat eggs, leftover rice and kimchi for breakfast at home a lot.

Kimchi isn't Japanese, I'm sure you know that. I like Tamago Kake Gohan. Maybe that's what you're doing with your egg?

I do know kimchi is Korean, it’s my favorite. I do a less creative version of this dish as I don’t keep furikake and MSG around, but it’s still good. I just use heated up rice, cold kimchi, and over-easy egg and either soy sauce, Siracha, gochujang, etc. maybe I’ll buy some furikake next time I’m at HMart.

[Anonymous]

I love a full English, but I don’t have the stomach for it most days. Right before Covid hit, I took a trip with my mom to the UK, and while we did the full English one morning, my favorite daily breakfast by far was a slice of toasted granary bread topped with 2 runny poached eggs. Sometimes we ordered a side of broiled tomatoes too, because those are killer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This wasn't an option but I prefer a SE Asian breakfast, give me some noodles and veggies any time of day, I could live on mei goreng!

You inspired me to make edamame noodles with some veggies sauteed in garlic, curry powder, and a splash of soy sauce. Yes, I know it's not any specific cuisine, but that's actually the kind of thing I will often have for breakfast in India (kind of SE Asian-inspired).

So yummy with a dash of sriracha!

[Anonymous]

I would venture to guess there is a historical classist and lifestyle reason.

As others have said that full English breakfast would have fueled a full, physical workday with maybe a minimal packed lunch.

That continental did not necessarily fuel the same type of work day and also would likely be followed by a more substantial lunch. I think of Paris or Rome where people have their quick continental breakfast, perhaps even standing (Rome), but have a leisurely lunch that may have more than one course.

It all balanced out and each had its reasons I expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the continental, I don’t like all the bacon and sausage much, especially when traveling.

My favorite is Japanese breakfast. I eat eggs, leftover rice and kimchi for breakfast at home a lot.

Kimchi isn't Japanese, I'm sure you know that. I like Tamago Kake Gohan. Maybe that's what you're doing with your egg?

NP-We used to visit Japan more frequently as we lived closer to it. We usually enjoyed the hotel breakfasts on account of our small children, and they were always fantastic. But my favorite thing was a bowl of steamed white rice with a perfect Japanese fried egg on top. I don’t know what they do with their eggs, but they’re always the orangest, most flavorful things. Plus those little savory Berkshire pork sausages were awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would venture to guess there is a historical classist and lifestyle reason.

As others have said that full English breakfast would have fueled a full, physical workday with maybe a minimal packed lunch.

That continental did not necessarily fuel the same type of work day and also would likely be followed by a more substantial lunch. I think of Paris or Rome where people have their quick continental breakfast, perhaps even standing (Rome), but have a leisurely lunch that may have more than one course.

It all balanced out and each had its reasons I expect.

Oh that is really interesting (and I love it when people point out the issue of class so thanks for that)

It could also have something to do with the fact that the English, bless their heart, suck at pastry compared to the continent.

(But I’m still team English if forced to choose).

[Anonymous]

What's a French breakfast? Black coffee + a fresh plain croissant? That's my ideal. Maybe with scrambled eggs.

[Anonymous]

I lived in London in my 20s. There was this hole in the wall place that had a Full English for 5 pounds. I was there many a Sunday morning, after a night of drinking. Excellent hangover cure!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's a French breakfast? Black coffee + a fresh plain croissant? That's my ideal. Maybe with scrambled eggs.

When we did a week in Paris, our hotel had a self-serve breakfast that was mostly awful.

EXCEPT they served freshly baked baguettes and the most amazing cheeses. That was my take-away breakfast every morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still have nightmares about the way English breakfast looks on the plate. The "bacon" resembles a saggy scrotum. Depending on where the cook arranged the bangers, breakfast could look like an elderly man's junk.

I swear the proprietor of our countryside inn did this on purpose.

I had poached eggs in a restaurant in Dublin that looked very much like scrotum -- the cook stretched and pinched together some of the white to form a little ballsack. It was clearly done on purpose.