Desayunar es comúnmente considerado como la comida más crucial del día. Como dice el refrán, la mañana marca el día, la primera comida del día por la mañana puede realmente determinar el resto del día. Tanto los estadounidenses como los ingleses han creado sus comidas tradicionales de desayuno basadas en siglos de cultura, experimentos culinarios, gusto y preferencias.
Even though many of the elements are familiar and the central concept of beginning the day with a healthy, simple-to-make breakfast persists for both the American and the English, there exist notable distinctions in their morning meals.
In this piece, we'll delve deeply into every single component of the American breakfast and the English breakfast, examining both their resemblances and distinctions. Beyond comparing them, it's undeniable that these dishes, when prepared correctly, offer incredible flavors and daily happiness to countless individuals not only in the United States and the United Kingdom but across the globe.
What Is American Breakfast?
The cuisine of an American morning meal has evolved across numerous centuries. From the moment it began as a British Empire colony, migrants have been arriving in this nation, bringing their cultural and culinary skills.
Prior to the industrial period, morning meals included eggs, bread, and remnants from the last evening's meal. Grains such as porridge or oatmeal were also popular due to their simplicity and rapid preparation.
As years passed, with the Industrial Revolution pulling countless individuals from poverty, breakfast began receiving increasing focus and became enriched with numerous nutritious and energizing items. Foods such as bacon, pancakes, sausages, hashbrowns, and so on, secured their spots on the breakfast tables of numerous Americans.
Numerous contemporary cereal companies also emerged as a fundamental part of the diet for many Americans following the post-World War period, as women began joining the workforce in large numbers and children required nutritious, simple-to-make breakfast options.
What Are the American Breakfast Dishes?
No existe un desayuno americano estandarizado como el desayuno inglés y el menú difiere considerablemente dependiendo no solo del lugar sino también de la clase y las preferencias de sabor. Sin embargo, todavía hay algunos elementos que son comunes en todos los hogares americanos. Estos se detallan en los siguientes pasajes.
Eggs
Huevos son posiblemente el alimento de desayuno más habitual en América. Los huevos son fáciles de cocinar y están llenos de proteínas, grasas y otros nutrientes esenciales. Los huevos tienen un alto contenido calórico, lo que los convierte en una comida de desayuno ideal.
Estadounidenses prefieren huevos revueltos, tortillas y huevos fritos por un lado o escalfados para el desayuno. Los huevos revueltos son los más sencillos de preparar de estos platos de huevo pero aún así son sabrosos. Un desayuno típico americano generalmente incluye dos huevos, aunque esto varía según las preferencias personales.
Bacon
Bacon ranks as one of the most beloved breakfast foods in the United States, cherished by individuals across all age groups. Strips of bacon can be simply prepared in a skillet, on a cast-iron pan, or within an oven. Bacons are rich in fat, eliminating the necessity for additional oil during frying. Its salty and savory flavor, coupled with a crispy texture, renders it an ideal complement to the American morning meal.
Despite bacon frequently facing criticism for its high transfat content, it also offers premium protein along with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12, in addition to minerals such as phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.
Toast
Toast is similarly a popular morning meal in America as it is across the globe. Americans typically slather jelly or jam on their toast, yet those more mindful of their health might opt for spreading mashed avocado on their toast.
Margarine is yet another traditional element that pairs nicely with bread. Often, Americans place slices of American cheese amidst the bread pieces and cook it in a skillet to create a cheese toastie, which also serves as a hearty breakfast dish.
Pancake
Pancake is likewise a favored breakfast choice among Americans, particularly American children. The simplicity of preparation is what renders pancakes an ideal choice for breakfast. The ingredients for pancake mix include just a handful of items like eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and butter.
Pancake de suero de leche se elabora con suero espeso y se añade bicarbonato de sodio en lugar de polvo de hornear, ya que la acidez del suero de leche es suficiente para reaccionar con el bicarbonato de sodio. Los pancakes esponjosos se sirven con jarabe de arce, sirope de chocolate o mantequilla para realzar el sabor.
Chicken and Waffle
Fried chicken with waffles ranks as the favorite in the Southern region, presented with crunchy waffles, boneless fried chicken, and maple syrup. The waffle's sweetness is perfectly offset by the spiciness and warmth of the chicken, creating a tasty and inviting breakfast dish.
Sausage
Sausages rank among the top favored breakfast foods in the United States. Typically, American sausage consists of ground pork or beef that's raw, mixed with breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, sage, and additional seasonings. Compared to English sausages, those from America contain a greater proportion of meat.
Americans cook sausages through boiling, frying, and grilling techniques, yet for breakfast, they typically present it once it's fried. Sausages are packed with high protein and abound in calories. Furthermore, sausages are often enveloped in bacon and offered as pigs in blankets, constituting a scrumptious breakfast meal.
Hashbrowns
Hashbrowns consist of grated starchy potatoes, mixed with onions, eggs, flour, peppers, and additional essential spices. Preparing them is fairly straightforward, making them an ideal option for Americans who are rushing to get to work in the morning.
Hashbrowns are cooked on non-stick skillets or cast iron pans with either vegetable oil or butter until they achieve a golden brown and crisp texture, and are served warm and directly from the cooktop. Additional vegetables may be incorporated into the hashbrowns to boost both taste and nutritional content. In summary, hashbrowns offer an excellent breakfast option to kickstart the morning.
What Is English Breakfast?
The Full English Breakfast is a highly cherished tradition in England, boasting a history and culture that spans over a hundred years. Numerous people view the Full English Breakfast as a cornerstone of contemporary British culinary practices.
El desayuno completo inglés que conocemos y apreciamos hoy comenzó a formarse en los siglos 14 y 15 en Inglaterra. Para la época del Rey Eduardo, el desayuno completo inglés no era solo una costumbre de la nobleza sino más bien una comida popular extendida por todas las clases y sectores de la sociedad.
Following the global conflicts, the Full English Breakfast became increasingly popular in foreign nations too, as they sought to mimic the sophistication and the eating habits of the British. Nowadays, Full English Breakfast is offered worldwide from luxurious hotels to coffee shops.
What Are the English Breakfast Dishes?
Contrary to the American Breakfast, the Full English Breakfast features specific staples and constant components. Even though the ingredients might differ a bit depending on the place, a traditional English Breakfast comprises eggs, beans, sausages, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, black pudding, bubble and squeak, toast, and bacon.
Eggs
A Complete English Breakfast invariably comprises eggs in the dish. British individuals relish their eggs as lightly scrambled, gently boiled, poached, sunny-side-up, and in omelets. Lightly scrambled ranks as the favorite among the British.
Beans
Baked beans are incredibly favoured by the British populace, and envisioning a Full English Breakfast without them is nearly unthinkable. Baked beans come pre-made in cans that are ready to serve once warmed up on the stove or in a microwave oven.
Baked beans are rich in fiber along with vitamin B, iron, and zinc. They are notably low in calories and fat, making them a nutritious option for breakfast to start the day.
British Sausage
The British breakfast typically features sausages as part of the dish. These sausages from Britain are crafted from a variety of meats such as pork, deer, beef, or different combinations thereof, along with herbs, spices, and grains. In comparison to American sausages, British sausages are distinct in the proportion of meat contained within. There is a higher cereal content in British sausages relative to their American counterparts.
In the UK, sausages are fried in pans for approximately 15-20 minutes to thoroughly cook the meat and enhance the taste by browning the sausage casings. Sausages constitute an essential element of a British breakfast.
Grilled Tomatoes and Mushrooms
An authentic English Breakfast is not considered complete without the inclusion of grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. To prepare grilled tomatoes, one must slice the tomatoes and cook them on a grill pan with vegetable oil. The tomatoes' sweet and tangy taste provides equilibrium to the dish.
The English breakfast includes sautéed mushrooms as well. Commonly, the British consume button mushrooms and they cook them by chopping the mushrooms and sautéing them in a skillet with salt and pepper. Additional mushrooms like enoki, oyster, and portobello mushrooms also serve as excellent supplements to the morning meal.
Black Pudding
Black pudding is an exceptionally unique dish that has played a role in British culinary traditions for hundreds of years. Black pudding is a variety of blood sausage crafted from pig blood, pig fat, cattle suet, and grains such as oatmeal, oat groats, or barley groats.
Black sausage may appear somewhat unappealing to numerous individuals due to the incorporation of blood, yet it is savored by millions of Britons as they indulge in its meaty, nutty, and chewy consistency paired with a robust earthy taste. According to numerous people, black sausage is an integral component of the British Breakfast.
Bubble and Squeak
Bubble and squeak consists of surplus vegetables, chopped onions, pureed potatoes, salt, pepper, and additional seasonings. Bubble and squeak is an excellent dish to prepare when you have remaining vegetables from the previous night.
Bubble and squeak is packed with nutrients since it is made with a variety of vegetables and it has a crispy exterior with a tender interior due to being fried in oil. Numerous Brits might assert that Bubble and Squeak surpasses American hashbrowns in flavor.
Toast
The English frequently relish toast at breakfast time. Toast pairs nicely with beans or a bit of jam, and you have the option to smear a layer of butter and sprinkle sugar over it. Toast serves as a beneficial provider of carbohydrates to even out the protein from eggs and sausages within the dish.
Bacon
Though not as favored as in the United States, the British too relish adding some crunchy bacon to their morning meal. Bacon is fried in a skillet or baked in the oven until it becomes crispy and is then served warm, directly from the griddle.
What Are the Differences Between American Breakfast and English Breakfast?
Several major distinctions between American breakfast and English breakfast can be highlighted as follows.
Portion Size
A Complete English Breakfast is typically presented in a generous portion size, significantly larger than the majority of American Breakfast dishes. This is partially attributed to tradition and partially because the English Breakfast is often served at a later time in the day, qualifying it as brunch.
American Morning meals can also feature generous servings, yet typically, the serving size of a British Breakfast is more substantial. Furthermore, a British breakfast encompasses a greater number of components compared to an American Breakfast, contributing to its larger dimension.
Pancakes and Waffles
Pancakes and waffles are frequently found items in American Breakfast menus because they are simple to prepare, rich in taste, and satisfying. However, British Breakfast lacks any similar items such as pancakes or waffles. Pancakes are an integral component of American Breakfast but aren't as favored in British culinary preferences.
Black Pudding
Black Sausage is a classic delicacy in British cuisine and a staple for numerous Brits at breakfast time. Black sausage isn't widespread in the American diet, and the majority of Americans might struggle to even depict this dish when mentioned.
Beans
A Complete English Breakfast would be lacking without a serving of baked beans, yet the idea of consuming baked beans for breakfast might repulse the Americans. Baked Beans are solely cherished by the British and do not feature in the American Breakfast menu.
Vegetables
Typically, American Morning meals lack vegetables, which fails to delight health-aware individuals globally. Conversely, a British Morning meal encompasses baked beans, tomatoes, and mushrooms. These vegetables are not just full of nutrients; they also offer a delightful flavor when prepared correctly.
Standardization
The English Breakfast is guided by an informal norm established by the British, whereas the American Breakfast lacks a uniform format. The English Breakfast might show minor variations from one area to another within England but it remains essentially the same meal. Conversely, American Breakfasts can vary drastically depending on the region, with one area possibly favoring chicken and waffles for their morning meal, while another might opt for cereal.
What Are the Similarities Between American Breakfast and English Breakfast?
Several remarkable resemblances exist between American Breakfast and British Breakfast. They are outlined below.
Eggs
Eggs hold a universal place in breakfast dishes, both in American and British cuisine. Globally, eggs have a prestigious position on breakfast tables, with both Americans and Britons savoring eggs in their morning meals. Whether scrambled, poached, boiled, or prepared sunny-side-up, eggs are favored breakfast options in various cultures.
Sausages
Sausages in America and those in Britain show subtle differences in their makeup and flavor, yet sausages continue to hold a steadfast position in the breakfast cuisine of both the British and the Americans.
Toast
Toast is likewise a shared staple in both American and English Breakfasts. It pairs wonderfully with eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, butter, jam, and more, delighting nearly everyone, including both Americans and the English.
Richness in Flavor
The components might differ between American Breakfast and British Breakfast dishes, yet both are rich in taste. Each of these breakfast options has been developed over years through various trials, enhancements, and changes to create some of the most delectable, enticing, and tasteful morning meals available globally.