For other options, see The Full English. The full English breakfast often consists of bacon, fried egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, grilled tomatoes, and accompanied with tea or coffee. Still life with fruits, nuts, and large wheels traditional american breakfast cheese. It is so popular in Great Britain and Ireland that many cafes and pubs offer the meal at any time of day as an “all-day breakfast”.
It is also popular in many Commonwealth nations. On its origin, Country Life magazine states, “The idea of the English breakfast as a national dish goes right back to the 13th century and the country houses of the gentry. In the old Anglo-Saxon tradition of hospitality, households would provide hearty breakfasts for visiting friends, relatives and neighbours”. For the tea, see English breakfast tea.
As nearly everything is fried in this meal, it is commonly known as a “fry-up”. As some of the items are optional, the phrase “Full English breakfast”, “Full English”, or “Full Monty” often specifically denotes a breakfast including everything on offer. For the tea, see Irish breakfast tea. In Ireland, as elsewhere, the exact constituents of a full breakfast vary, depending on geographical area, personal taste and cultural affiliation. The “breakfast roll”, consisting of elements of the full breakfast served in a French roll, has become popular in Ireland due to the fact it can be easily eaten on the way to school or work. An Ulster fry served in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Similarly to the breakfast roll seen in the rest of Ireland, “filled sodas” are found throughout Ulster, which usually consist of a soda farl shallow-fried on one side and filled with fried sausages, bacon or eggs.
Fried onions or mushrooms are usually added upon request. Filled sodas are a popular choice for breakfast from roadside fast-food vendors. In Scotland, the full breakfast, as with others, contains eggs, back bacon, link sausage, buttered toast, baked beans, and tea or coffee. Early editions of Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable referred to a Scotch breakfast as “a substantial breakfast of sundry sorts of good things to eat and drink”. However, with the new-found appreciation of Welsh food and recipes in the early 21st century, there have been attempts to establish a broad definition.
The traditional Welsh breakfast reflects the coastal aspect of Welsh cuisine. Full Welsh Breakfasts are accompanied by traditional breakfast drinks, with Welsh tea a ubiquitous choice. Today, as they are often served throughout the day in public houses or inns, Welsh beer or ale is not uncommon. Modern alternatives to the traditional full breakfast will often develop the traditional seafood theme.