Breakfast is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning.[ Various "typical" or "traditional" breakfast menus exist, with food choices varying by regions and traditions worldwide.
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History
In Old English, a regular morning meal was called morgenmete,[Albala, p. 21][Anderson, p. 5]
Ancient breakfast
Ancient Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, peasants ate a daily meal, most likely in the morning, consisting of soup, beer, bread, and before they left for work in the fields or work commanded by the .
The traditional breakfast believed to have been cooked in ancient Egypt was fūl (made from fava beans, possibly the ancestor of today's ful medames), baladi bread, made from emmer wheat, and falafel, and a mixture of fava beans with onions, garlic, parsley and coriander.
Ancient Greece
In Greek literature, there are numerous mentions of , a meal taken not long after sunrise. The Iliad notes this meal with regard to a labor-weary woodsman eager for a light repast to start his day, preparing it even as he is aching with exhaustion.[Anderson, p. 9] The opening prose of the 16th book of the Odyssey mentions breakfast as the meal being prepared in the morning before attending to one's chores.[Homer (2005) The Odyssey. London: Macmillan. p. 265. ] Eventually was moved to around noon, and a new morning meal was introduced.
In the post-Homeric classical period of Greece, a meal called was typically consumed immediately after rising in the morning.[Flacelière R. La Vie quotidienne en Grèce au temps de Périclès. Paris: Hachette, 1988 (1st edn. 1959). p. 205. , translated in English as Daily Life in Greece at the Time of Pericles. London: Phoenix Press, 2002 ] They also made called (τηγανίτης), (ταγηνίτης),[ ταγηνίτης, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus] or (ταγηνίας),[ ταγηνίας, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus] all words deriving from (τάγηνον), meaning "frying pan".[ τάγηνον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus] The earliest attested references on are in the works of the 5th century BC poets Cratinus[Cratinus, 125, Comicorum Atticorum Fragmenta] and Magnes.[Ricotti, Eugenia Salza Prina (2007) Meals and recipes from ancient Greece. Getty Publications. p. 111. ][Dalby, Andrew (1996) Siren feasts: a history of food and gastronomy in Greece. Routledge. p. 91. ][Spiller, Gene A. (1991) The Mediterranean diets in health and disease. AVI/Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 34. ] Another kind of pancake was (σταιτίτης), from (σταίτινος), "of flour or dough of spelt",[ σταίτινος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus] derived itself from (σταῖς), "flour of spelt".[ σταῖς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus] Athenaeus in his Deipnosophistae mentions topped with honey, sesame and cheese.[Atheneaus, The Deipnosophists, 646b, on Perseus][Dalby, Andrew (2003) Food in the ancient world from A to Z. Routledge. p. 71. ][Athenaeus and Olson, S. Douglas (2011) The Learned Banqueters, Volume VII: Books 13.594b-14, Loeb Classical Library. pp. 277–78. ]
Ancient Rome
Romans called breakfast ientaculum. It was usually composed of everyday staples like bread, cheese, , salad, culinary nut, , and cold meat left over from the night before.[Albala, p. 20] They also drank wine-based drinks such as mulsum, a mixture of wine, honey, and spice.
Roman soldiers woke up to a breakfast of pulmentus, porridge similar to the Italian polenta, made from roasted spelt wheat or barley that was then pounded and cooked in a cauldron of water.[Katz, Solomon H. and Weaver, William Woys (2002) Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol 1. p. 244. Charles Scribner & Sons. ]
Middle Ages (500–1500)
Europe
In the European Middle Ages, breakfast was commonly eaten by working people, as well as children, the elderly, the sick, while the upper classes didn't speak of or partake in eating in the morning. Eating breakfast meant that one was poor, was a low-status farmer or laborer who truly needed the energy to sustain his morning's labor, or was too weak to make it to the large, midday dinner. Monarchs and their entourages would spend a lot of time around a table for meals. Only two formal meals were eaten per day—one at mid-day and one in the evening. The exact times varied by period and region, but this two-meal system remained consistent throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, breakfast when eaten sometimes consisted of a piece of rye bread and a bit of cheese. Morning meals would not include any meat, and would likely include of low alcohol-content beers. Uncertain quantities of bread and ale could have been consumed in between meals.
By the 15th century, breakfast in western Europe often included meat.[Anderson, p. 11] By this time, noble men were seen to indulge in breakfast, making it more of a common practice, and by the early 16th century, recorded expenses for breakfast became customary. Breakfast in eastern Europe remained mostly the same as the modern day: a "continental breakfast". The 16th century introduction of caffeinated beverages into the European diet was also an addition to breakfast; it was believed that coffee and tea aid the body in "evacuation of superfluities".[Anderson, p. 12]
Modern breakfast (1500–present)
Africa
Traditionally, the various cuisines of Africa use a combination of locally available , and , as well as milk and meat products. In some parts of the continent, the traditional diet features milk, curd and whey products. A type of porridge is most commonly eaten. In the book The Bible cyclopædia (et al.) published in 1843, it was documented that during this time in the Arab world, often utilized mixed with butter for breakfast, spreading the mixture on unleavened bread.[Goodhugh, p. 779]
Egypt
In the book The Bible cyclopædia (et al.) published in 1843, it was documented that Egyptians were early risers that sometimes had a first meal consisting of coffee along with the smoking of a pipe, and did not eat breakfast until noon.[Goodhugh, p. 843] At this time, it was documented that Egyptian breakfast foods included bread, Egyptian cheese, , butter, , clotted cream and stewed beans.[Bsisu, May (2005). The Arab Table: Recipes and Culinary Traditions. HarperCollins. p. 105. ]
Asia
Middle East
In the Middle East region of Asia, refers to the Supper when break their (Fasting) during the Islamic calendar of Ramadan. is one of the religious observances of Ramadan, and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. is done right after (sunset) time. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims replace traditional breakfast with , an term referring to the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before during daylight hours. The meal is eaten before (dawn).
Israel
Japan
In Japan, it is common to eat miso soup and rice porridge for breakfast.
Lebanon
In the book The Bible cyclopædia (et al.) it was documented that , poor Lebanese people would consume raw with bread for breakfast.[Goodhugh, p. 755]
Europe
Austria
The croissant appears to have originated in Vienna, Austria, in 1683.[Calvel, Raymond (2001). The Taste of Bread. Springer. p. 141. ][Scott-Hamilton, Carolyn (2012). The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen: 150 Plant-Based Recipes From Around the World. Fair Winds. p. 115. ]
France
French breakfasts are often similar to the continental breakfast.[Kittler, Pamela Goyan; Sucher, Kathryn P. (2007). Food and Culture. Cengage Learning. p. 151. ] French breakfast Pastry include apple turnovers, brioche, croissant[Clarke, Stephen (2012). 1000 Years of Annoying the French. Open Road Media. p. (unlisted). ] and pain au chocolat.[Edelstein, Sari (2010). Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 138. ] Croissants have been described as becoming a standard fare in French cuisine breakfast cuisine by 1875.
Netherlands
Breakfast usually consists of bread with a wide variety of , cheeses and sweet toppings; such as hagelslag, vlokken, muisjes, , chocolate spread, treacle (a thick, dark brown sugar syrup called stroop), apple butter and peanut butter.
The word waffle derives from the Dutch word wafel, which itself derives from the Middle Dutch wafele,[Duda, Carlene (2007). Beyond Oatmeal: 101 Breakfast Recipes. Cedar Fort. p. 83. .]
United Kingdom
In the early 16th century, some physicians warned against eating breakfast, because they said it was not healthy to eat before a prior meal was digested.[Albala, p. 25]
The full breakfast is a staple of British cuisine, and typically consists of bacon, sausages and eggs, often served with a variety of side dishes and a beverage such as coffee or tea. Prior to 1600, breakfast in Great Britain typically included bread, cold meat or fish, and ale.[Mason, Laura (2004). Food Culture In Great Britain. pp. 34–35. Greenwood Publishing Group. ] Tea eventually became more popular than chocolate as a breakfast drink.
North America
The first groups known to have produced maple syrup and maple sugar were indigenous peoples living in the northeastern part of North America. According to aboriginal oral traditions, as well as archaeological evidence, maple tree sap was being processed into syrup long before Europeans arrived in the region.
Canada
While it has been a source of controversy where the lumberjack breakfast came from, the most cited source is that the lumberjack breakfast was first served in a Vancouver hotel, in 1870. The breakfast consisted of eggs, assorted fried pork strips, and pancake. It is said by Anita Stewart that the tradition of hearty cooking developed because of men needing the energy for manual labor.
Mexico
A typical Aztec breakfast often included corn porridge with honey and chillies, or tortillas with beans and salsa.
Chilaquiles are a staple breakfast dish that dates back to the times of the Aztecs; they consist of tortilla chips (locally known as "totopos") slathered in salsa and usually come with a side of refried beans. Depending on the region or person, they may be eaten with fried or scrambled eggs, pulled chicken, sprinkled cheese, crema, diced onion, or chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves.
are also common in Mexico, mainly due to American influence. Health concerns have arisen regarding the nutritional quality of processed breakfast cereal; it is estimated that Mexican preschoolers consume 7% of their total energy intake from processed breakfast cereals and that 6% of Mexican children exclusively have ready-to-eat cereals with milk for breakfast.
United States
In 1620, were first introduced to North America by who had lived in the Netherlands.[Serna-Saldivar, Sergio O. (2012). Cereal Grains: Laboratory Reference and Procedures Manual. CRC Press. p. 270. ] Later pioneers consumed largely cornmeal-based breakfasts, and would also consume meals such as oatmeal for dinner and lunch.[Smith, Andrew F. (1999). Popped Culture: The Social History of Popcorn in America. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 57–59. ] Cold breakfast cereal has been consumed by Americans since the late 1890s, and during the 1920s a considerable number of new cereals were marketed.[Drowne, Kathleen Morgan; Huber, Patrick (2004). Nineteen Twenties. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 122. .] The reason for this movement towards cold breakfast cereals was inspired by the Jacksonian-era Clean Living Movement (1830–1860). This movement focused on a lot of lifestyle changes, but specific to breakfast it claimed that eating bacon, eggs, pancakes and hot coffee was too indulgent.[Sivulka, Juliann (2011). Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising. Cengage Learning. pp. 87–90. ] The product was prepared with baked wheat, oatmeal and cornmeal, and was the first brand-name breakfast cereal in the United States.
Canned Juice became prominent as a breakfast beverage after the discovery of .[Smith, Andrew F. (2007). The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press. p. 69. .] C. 1900, orange juice as a breakfast beverage was a new concept.[Smith, Andrew F. (2013). Drinking History: Fifteen Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages. Columbia University Press. p. (unlisted). ] Additionally, Mass production tomato juice began to be marketed in the mid-1920s, and became a popular breakfast drink a few years thereafter.
The Caribbean
Haitian spaghetti is a common breakfast dish in Haitian cuisine.
Effect on health
While breakfast is commonly referred to as "the most important meal of the day",
Scientific findings
Some epidemiology research indicates that having breakfast high in rapidly available carbohydrates increases the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Memory was found to be adversely affected in subjects of a study who had not eaten their breakfast (q.v. also Studies using mice under this heading). Intelligence was not affected.
A review of 47 studies associating breakfast to (i) nutrition, (ii) body weight and (iii) academic performance found amongst those who had eaten breakfast: (i) better nutrition profiles, many studies found less weight (ii) irrespective of greater calorific consumption per day, although a number did not find this correlation, (iii) studies suggested a possible link to better academic performance in the breakfast eating groups (q.v. Benton and Parker 1998, under this heading).
The influence of breakfast on managing body weight is unclear.
Healthy choice
Present professional opinion is largely in favor of eating breakfast,[ but skipping breakfast might be better than eating unhealthy foods.]
See also
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Breakfast by country
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Breakfast television
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Brunch
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Food history
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Index of breakfast-related articles
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Instant breakfast
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List of breakfast beverages
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List of breakfast foods
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List of food and beverage museums
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Midnight breakfast
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Timeline of food
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Wedding breakfast
Cited sources
Further reading
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History of breakfast
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History of breakfast cereal
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Other sources
