I believe many people always have a quick breakfast on the way to work or skip it altogether on weekdays. On weekends, people sleep in until noon. But there is a girl on Instagram who eats breakfast like this:

Feeling incredibly blissful, right? It's said that the most gentle way to wake up is the alluring aroma of food... A good breakfast can literally awaken the soul.

How you start your first meal of the day also means how you start your entire day. A leisurely, hearty, and healthy breakfast often brings abundant energy and high work efficiency.

What kind of breakfast is healthy enough? On sunny mornings in spring, I choose to start my day with an American breakfast that is full of energy and rich in nutrition.

What is an American breakfast?

"American breakfast" originated from "English breakfast" and is different from "continental breakfast". It is often called "full breakfast".

"Continental breakfast" is a simple breakfast in star-rated hotels or Western restaurants, which usually only includes beverages such as coffee, tea, milk, juice, and staple foods such as bread with jam and butter.

The "English breakfast" is much richer, with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, sausages and baked beans.

The United States is a country of immigrants. American breakfast brings together the essence of breakfasts from various European countries. It is basically based on the English breakfast, but with more cereals such as corn flakes and oatmeal. When eating, the cereal is mixed with milk (hot or cold), or added with fruit, yogurt, etc.

What is an American breakfast?

"American breakfast" is simply a hodgepodge of Western breakfast varieties. Every time I go to eat American brunch, the waiter always brings a large bowl full of colorful food:

Red is meat—plump sausage, crispy bacon, soft ham;

Orange is the staple food – muffins, muffins, waffles, donuts, bagels, toast, burgers;

Yellow is for the side dishes—potatoes, hash browns, and eggs of all kinds;

In addition, there are green vegetables; white milk, cereal porridge; brown coffee, black tea...

These dishes can be enjoyed individually or as part of a set meal, similar to a breakfast buffet. The pure white plate is overflowing with a rich variety of nutritionally balanced dishes, making it ideal for those pursuing a healthy lifestyle. However, due to the large portions and high calorie count, they may not be a favorite for vegetarians. But generally, the vibrant colors of the plate brighten the mood for breakfast.

Special varieties of American breakfast

Sometimes at brunch restaurants, the waiter often asks, "How do you want your eggs?" It's like asking, "How well do you want your steak?" Later, I discovered there's a lot of nuance to American breakfast. For example, is a Benedict the same as an onsen egg? Is omelette the same as omelette rice? What are pancakes and waffles? What's the difference between a muffin and an English muffin? Are donuts and bagels the same thing? What do these seemingly strange terms mean? Let's answer these questions one by one.

An American brunch platter is usually a combination of eggs + meat + bread, and there are different options depending on the cooking method.

1. Various ways to cook eggs

a. Fried eggs:

American fried eggs are different from Chinese fried eggs. They are usually made by applying butter to a frying pan, turning on medium heat, beating eggs, adding a little water, and frying the eggs with the steam and butter. There are several types of fried eggs:

Fried egg

Sunny side up: Fry one side only, with the yolk and white not set. Commonly known as a "sunny egg."

Over easy: Fry both sides, the egg yolk is not solidified, but the egg white is solidified.

Over medium: Fry both sides until the yolk and egg white are coagulated.

Over well: Fry both sides until the yolk and egg white are completely solidified.

Over hard: Fry both sides, poke the egg yolk, and make sure the yolk and egg white are completely solidified (a bit like an omelet).

Sunny side up

However, brunch restaurants in China do not make such detailed distinctions. They usually only ask you questions like "Do you want the egg to be fried on one side or on the other? Half-cooked or fully cooked?"

b. Boiled eggs

Boiled eggs in shells:

Soft boiled: Cook for 3 minutes until the egg white is coagulated and the yolk is runny;

Hard boiled: Cook for 5 minutes until the egg white and yolk are fully solidified.

Soft Boiled Egg (3 Minutes)

When eating, use a spoon to crack the hollow part of the egg and scoop it out. Doesn't it look like a high-end French dish? Although we usually don't encounter the question of how hard-boiled eggs are, if the waiter asks, "How would you like your eggs?" You can answer "3 minutes" or "5 minutes", and you will know what they mean.

Poached eggs:

Also known as "poached eggs," eggs are beaten in boiling water and cooked until perfectly cooked, maintaining a round, firm appearance with a golden, runny yolk encased in a coagulated white. In American breakfasts, they also appear as Eggs Benedict, typically consisting of two eggs. They are served on an English muffin and ham or bacon, topped with a thick, golden Hollandaise sauce. The eggs are then cut open and the yolk drips onto bread or meat.

Eggs Benedict

In fact, there is a slight difference between "poached eggs" and the "hot spring eggs" we usually talk about. Hot spring eggs are slow-cooked at low temperature, and the egg white and yolk are similar in nature, both in a semi-solidified state. However, the egg white of "poached eggs" is solidified, but the yolk is fluid.

c. Scrambled eggs

The difference between American scrambled eggs and Chinese ones is that they're fried in butter over a gentle heat and typically don't include salt or chopped green onions. Once served, you can sprinkle your choice of salt, pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, or shredded cheese, depending on your taste and mood.

d. Omelette

In American brunch restaurants, this omelet is called an omelet, similar to Japanese omelette. It typically consists of three eggs, thickly fried, and then filled with a filling of mushrooms, ham, bacon, green peppers, cheese, tomatoes, onions, asparagus, or even steak. Its complex flavor makes it a truly authentic American fast food. Food writer Elizabeth David once wrote about pairing an omelet with red wine for dinner.

2. Various cake options

a. 薯饼 Hash browns

Does this remind you of McDonald's? Hash browns are made by shredding potatoes and deep-frying them into pancakes. Many American families enjoy them in the mornings. They're said to have a slightly sunny flavor, with a crispy exterior and a charred potato aroma. It's truly satisfying!

b. Pancake

Also known as "hot pancakes," these are made from a flour and egg batter, pan-fried into palm-sized pancakes. They're thick, like dorayaki, and have a slightly sweet, soft texture. They're served with molasses glazes, and are also available with jam, cream, or fruit. While they're a bit dry without a drink, they're quite filling. Some American pancake chains offer a complimentary pancake with every order, making them a great value.

c. Waffle

Originating from Belgium, these lattice-shaped scones are baked in a special baking pan. They're served with cream or syrup. While the ingredients are similar to a waffle, they have a slightly crispier texture.

d. English Muffin

Also known as "English muffins," these are the fluffy, airy bread pancakes found in McDonald's McMuffins. Originating in the UK, they gained popularity in the US. Unlike muffins, which are sweet cupcakes baked in a cup, English muffins are often topped with something, such as crushed blueberries or chocolate. They are yeast-fermented and baked, and contain more water than regular bread (needing to be eaten quickly to prevent spoilage). They are often dusted with golden cornmeal to prevent sticking. They are commonly enjoyed for breakfast in North America and the UK, and are the base for Eggs Benedict.

3. Various breads

Here I mainly want to introduce to you two types of American bread rolls - donuts and bagels.

Donut (Doughnut)

Donut, a portmanteau of "dough" and "nut," is a fried pastry originating in Europe. Also known in China as "Donuts," it's a hollow doughnut-shaped doughnut deep-fried and topped with various flavors of jam, chocolate spread, chopped nuts, icing sugar, or filled with cream. Donuts in the United States are numerous and complex. While these high-calorie treats might seem like a small snack in China, they're a breakfast staple for Americans, who often buy them by the half-dozen or even the dozen.

Bagel

They look very similar to donuts, but the taste and calorie count are quite different. Bagels originated from Jewish hard doughnuts. They were brought to the United States by immigrants and later became a representative healthy breakfast food in New York City. Bagels are made by rolling dough into a ring after fermentation, boiling it in water, and then baking it. The harder and crispier the crust is, the richer the flavor of the bread inside and the more flexible the texture. Americans eat bagels by cutting them into two rings and adding a filling in the middle. In North America, there are Montreal bagels (sweet) and New York bagels (savory), which are similar to hamburgers.

Americans are not as particular about bread as Europeans. For example, Subway only has a few types of bread to choose from. The more common ones are:

White bread: bread made from pure wheat flour.

Whole wheat bread: bread made from wheat bran and malt powder.

Rye bread: Bread made with rye flour.

Brunch shops also use toast and croissants to add fillings to make sandwiches as a staple food for breakfast.

There are several American brunch restaurants near my home. No matter it is sunny or rainy, if I order an American breakfast in such a restaurant, my mood and state of the whole day will be different. It is also very helpful for weight loss. I consume so much energy in the morning that I often skip lunch.

With the increasingly fast pace of modern life, people are increasingly gravitating towards fast-food breakfasts. This reminds me of McDonald's breakfast buffet. Aren't the hash browns, hotcakes, and scrambled eggs mentioned in the article the standard American breakfast at McDonald's? However, let me complain: this "name" is worth the price, but it's not as good as a ham and steak combo meal with a hash brown.

On the other hand, judging by the tableware Uncle M provides, it's clear he wants people to sit down and enjoy their mornings, rather than just rushing around eating. Perhaps the significance of sitting down and enjoying a good breakfast lies not only in its healthier lifestyle, but also in the ritual of a set time, allowing people to calmly and leisurely face the food before them.

I know a woman who makes a different breakfast every day. She insists on making breakfast because it's the time of day when she and her husband can spend time together, uninterrupted and undivided. With lunch at work and dinner often filled with social events, mornings are truly precious.

What about you? Do you rush to finish your meal, or do you enjoy a breakfast every day, either heavy or light?

Text | yiyi

Editor | Dolcetta

 Zhiwei Wine Magazine

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