Breakfast

For other uses, see Breakfast (disambiguation).

Smoked salmon eggs Benedict

A full English breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, black pudding, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, and half a tomato

A breakfast containing a waffle made with a customized waffle iron.

Pancakes

Breakfast (literally meaning "breaking the fast" of the night) is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work. Among English speakers, "breakfast" can be used to refer to this meal, or, less commonly, to refer to a meal composed of traditional breakfast foods (eggs, oatmeal, sausages, etc.) served at any time of day.

Breakfast foods vary widely from place to place, but often include a carbohydrate such as grains or cereals, fruit and/or vegetable, a protein food such as eggs, meat or fish, and a beverage such as tea, coffee or fruit juice. Coffee, tea, juice, breakfast cereals, pancakes, sausages, bacon, sweet breads, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, black pudding, baked beans, muffins, crumpets and toast with butter or margarine and/or jam or marmalade are common examples of breakfast foods, though a large range of preparations and ingredients are associated with breakfast globally.

Nutritional experts have referred to breakfast as the most important meal of the day, citing studies that find that people who skip breakfast are disproportionately likely to have problems with concentration, metabolism, and weight.

History

Breakfast has commonly been practiced worldwide and is a concept easily transferred between cultures, but there have been many regional interpretations over the years. In Medieval Europe, for instance, the basic format of meals differed from what is currently 'standard', in that only two meals were to be had; a heavy dinner at noon and a light supper, largely due to the influence of the Church.

However, exceptions existed, most notably for children and the infirm, whom were "allowed" a small breakfast meal, and many labourers, farmers, and other physical workers also took the meal despite criticism and social pressure on them not to, and by the 15th century even the nobility had begun to ignore the rules and mores of polite society and took breakfast.

The earliest^{[citation needed]} appearance in print of the idea that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" occurs in the novella The Metamorphosis, published in 1915 by Franz Kafka, which includes the line, "for Gregor's father, breakfast was the most important meal of the day". This is due to your body fasting for 6–9 hours the night prior, and one would need to break the fasting. Thus called break-fast.

Africa

Breakfast in Africa varies greatly from region to region.

Nigeria

Nigeria has over 250 different ethnic groups, with a corresponding variety of cuisines. For the Hausa of northern Nigeria, a typical breakfast consists of kosai (cakes made from ground beans which are then fried) or funkaso (wheat flour soaked for a day then fried and served with sugar). Both of these cakes can be served with porridge and sugar known as koko. For the south western Yoruba people (Ilé Yorùbá) one of the most common breakfasts is (ounjẹ árọ) is Ògì— a porridge made from corn, usually served with evaporated milk. Ògì is eaten with Acarajé (akara) or Moi moi. Both are made from ground bean paste; akara is fried in oil, and moi moi is wrapped in leaves or foil and then steamed. Ògì can also be steamed in leaves to harden it and eaten with akara or moi moi for breakfast. English tea or malta is served as a breakfast drink. Another popular option in southwest Nigeria is gari, which is eaten like a cereal. Gari, known in Brazil as farofa, is made from the root of cassava. For breakfast, it is soaked in water and sweetened with sugar.

Senegal

Breakfast typically includes coffee, with dried milk and abundant sugar, accompanied by baguette with various spreads: Chocoleca, a Nutella equivalent made from peanuts; butter; or processed mild cheese. Fresh fruit, including mangoes and bananas, is often also part of a simple breakfast.

Europe

Denmark

A typical breakfast in Denmark consists of breakfast cereals or bread, bread rolls (rundstykker), cheeses, fruit preserves (marmelade, usually made from berries or citrus fruits) and other toppings, accompanied by skimmed milk, tea or coffee. Oat meal, cereals, youghurt and øllebrød, are also popular options. Weekends or festive occasions may call for Danish pastries (wienerbrød) or a bitters, such as Gammel Dansk.

Greece

Home breakfasts in Greece include bread with butter, honey or marmalade with coffee or milk. Breakfast cereals are also eaten. Children also eat nutella type cream on bread. No breakfast at all is common. Various kinds of savoury pastry (Tyropita, spanakopita, and bougatsa) are eaten for breakfast in some areas of Northern Greece, also by those eating out, usually accompanied with Greek coffee or Frappé coffee . Traditional Greek breakfast (hot milk, fresh bread, butter and honey, or yoghurt) was also available in special "milk shops" (in Greek Galaktopoleia - Γαλακτοπωλεία γαλακτοπωλείο). Milk shops were phased out between 1970 and 1990 - there are very few left, one is in Athens and some in small towns.

Latin America

Cuba

Breakfast in urban areas traditionally consisted of café con leche that was sweetened and included a pinch of salt. Toasted buttered Cuban bread, cut into lengths, was dunked in the coffee. In rural Cuba, farmers ate roasted pork, beans and white rice, café con leche and cuajada sweetened with caramel.

Argentina

Breakfast in Argentina is usually composed of croissants ("medialunas"), crackers or toasts with marmalade or butter, and is usually accompanied by a stimulant beverage like coffee or mate.

United States and Canada

Contemporary

Scrambled eggs and pre-made pastries

Today, most Americans and Canadians eat a reduced breakfast most days, but may still enjoy a traditional hearty breakfast on weekends, holidays, and vacations. Having only coffee or skipping breakfast entirely is also common. Eating out for breakfast or brunch is common on weekends and holidays.

Waffles with fruit and sausage patties are a contemporary hearty breakfast, and would likely be enjoyed on a weekend or special occasion.

A typical contemporary combination of food for a hearty breakfast consists of eggs (fried or scrambled), one type of meat, and one or two starchy dishes; commonly hash browns and toast. A more basic breakfast combination would be a starchy food (such as toast, pastry, breakfast cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles) either alone or served with fruit and yogurt. This second option, similar to the continental breakfasts served in Europe, is especially common in institutional situations where serving hot food is difficult, expensive, or impractical.

Restaurants that serve breakfast typically base their menus around egg dishes and pork meats such as sausage, ham and bacon. Pancakes and waffles are also popular. An assemblage commonly known as a country breakfast in restaurants consists of eggs or omelette, sausage or bacon, hash browns, sausage gravy, coffee, biscuits or toast with jam or jelly, and fruit juice. A typical breakfast for those that eat ordinary breakfast as a home meal is instant oatmeal or a cold breakfast cereal with milk. Leftovers from the previous day's meals may also be eaten, such as cold pizza.

Breakfasts influenced by recent dietary advice are gaining in popularity in some parts of the country, such as California, featuring yogurt, whole-grain cereal, fresh fruit or egg-white omelets.

Coffee is the most common breakfast beverage. In the United States, 65% of coffee drunk during the day is with breakfast. Also common are tea, milk, hot chocolate, orange juice, and other fruit juices (grapefruit, tomato, etc.). Occasionally, caffeinated carbonated beverages may be substituted for the more traditional coffee or tea. Espresso drinks such as cappuccino and latte have become increasingly popular since the 1990s.

The modern options typical of the U.S.A. and Canada are representative of Western-style breakfasts that have become common worldwide, especially in industrialized nations.

Breakfast foods are thought to be typically eaten during morning hours, these foods are distinct from other foods even if eaten outside of the morning. In this sense, some serve breakfast for supper. There are several fast food and casual dining chains in North America, such as IHOP and Denny's, that specialize in hearty breakfast-style foods, such as pancakes and country breakfasts, and offer them all day. Like greasy spoons in the UK, American coffeehouses and diners typically serve breakfast foods all day.

See also

• Breakfast television
• Midnight breakfast
• Wedding breakfast
• Brunch

Further reading

Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD (May 2005). "Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents". J Am Diet Assoc 105 (5): 743–60; quiz 761–2. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.007. PMID 15883552. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002822305001513. 

External links

• Wikibooks Cookbook