[Reading level: C1 – Advanced]
The traditional English breakfast is often likened to a “symphony for the stomach,” featuring bacon, eggs, sausages, fish, beans, mushrooms, served with bread, and accompanied by tea or coffee.
For travelers seeking something quintessentially British—perhaps even more so than The Beatles—there’s the Full English breakfast, a classic English morning meal. This breakfast is regarded as a culinary gem of England and is beloved around the world. Any upscale hotel or European-style restaurant is likely to serve this famous breakfast.
The English breakfast is described as a “symphony that melts the diner’s stomach,” with bacon, eggs, sausages, and various other ingredients, all complemented by a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Traditionally, the English breakfast was a simple meal and the least important of the day. In medieval times, the Normans often began the morning with a piece of bread and a sip of light beer. Hearty breakfasts didn’t become part of English life or cookbooks until the 19th century when fried and sautéed dishes emerged during the Victorian era.
At that time, breakfast buffets began to appear in large country estates, where diners would select their favorites from silver trays piled high with food.
Lady Cynthia Asquith, a writer from the aristocracy, described the English breakfast as including crispy, curly bacon, boiled or fried eggs, moist kedgeree (made from salmon, rice, boiled eggs, parsley, and lemon juice), cod swimming in melted butter, and sizzling sausages. Over time, this breakfast became a British symbol and was recognized as the national meal.
Many components, like fish and marmalade, were gradually removed from the traditional breakfast, while new ones, like canned Heinz beans with tomato sauce, were added. The most common variations include eggs, bacon, beans, and sausages, or eggs, tomatoes, sausages, and mushrooms. Another version features eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausages, mushrooms, and fried potatoes. All three recipes are served with two slices of toast and tea or coffee.
In Scotland, the traditional breakfast includes haggis, a dish made from sheep’s offal, and square Lorne sausage (instead of traditional sausages). In Ireland, breakfast includes bread and white pudding, while in Wales, it includes laverbread and fresh cockles.
During World War II, food shortages made it nearly impossible for households to maintain the full English breakfast. It took many years for this traditional breakfast to make a comeback.
In the 1950s, the English breakfast became almost an obsession for people across the country because it was so popular. Even when traveling abroad to resorts in Spain, the English would request eggs and bacon (the staples of the traditional breakfast). In 1953, when thieves broke into a high school in west London, they even took the time to fry a few eggs and make a cup of tea.
The famous playwright Somerset Maugham once described this breakfast by saying, “To eat well in England, you should have breakfast three times a day.”
However, recent studies show that young people in England now have a traditional breakfast only two or three times a year, as they are increasingly health-conscious, avoiding high-fat foods for a lighter start to the day. Many British people today also have their own breakfast recipes with healthier, less processed ingredients.
Guise Bule, a member of the English Breakfast Society, a volunteer group dedicated to honoring the history and tradition of breakfast, believes certain ingredients should be removed entirely. Among them are fried potatoes and onions.
However, the traditional ingredients still hold strong among certain enthusiasts. Every Saturday, the London, Edinburgh, and Liverpool branches of the Hawksmoor restaurant chain lay out 50-80 plates of bacon, Victorian sausages, black pudding, fried potatoes, baked beans with ham hocks, fried eggs, grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, toast, and rich sauces to serve their guests. Their breakfast motto is “not for the faint-hearted.”
Hawksmoor offers not just a lavish version but a reminder of the hearty English meals of the past.
In many places, the English breakfast continues to evolve and thrive, offering the world an experience of what a perfect breakfast can be.
Source: https://vnexpress.net/bua-sang-truyen-thong-kieu-anh-ban-giao-huong-da-day-4804870.html
WORD BANK:
liken sth to sth /ˈlaɪ.kən/ (v): ví cái gì như cái gì
symphony /ˈsɪm.fə.ni/ (n): bản giao hưởng
bacon /ˈbeɪ.kən/ (n): thịt xông khói
accompanied by sth /əˈkʌm.pə.nid/ (pre): đi kèm cái gì
quintessentially /ˌkwɪn.tɪˈsen.ʃəl.i/ (adv – formal): đậm chất
culinary /ˈkʌl.ə.ner.i/ (adj – formal): thuộc về ẩm thực
gem /dʒem/ (n): tinh hoa
upscale /ˈʌp.skeɪl/ (adj): cao cấp
ingredient /ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənt/ (n): nguyên liệu
complemented by sth /ˈkɑːm.plə.ment/ (pre): đi kèm cái gì
medieval times /ˌmed.iˈiː.vəl/ (n): thời trung cổ
hearty /ˈhɑːr.t̬i/ (adj): thịnh soạn
sauté /sɔːˈteɪ/ (v): xào
country estate /ˌkʌn.tri ɪˈsteɪt/ (n): điền trang
pile high (v): chất đầy
aristocracy /ˌer.əˈstɑː.krə.si/ (n): giới quý tộc
crispy /krɪsp/ (adj): giòn
curly (adj): xoăn
moist /mɔɪst/ (adj): ẩm
parsley /ˈpɑːr.sli/ (n): mùi tây
cod /kɑːd/ (n): cá tuyết
sizzling /ˈsɪz.əl.ɪŋ/ (adj): nổ lách tách.
marmalade /ˈmɑːr.mə.leɪd/ (n): mứt cam
canned /kænd/ [B2] (adj): đóng hộp, đóng lon
variation /ˌver.iˈeɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): biến thể
toast /toʊst/ (n): mì nướng
haggis /ˈhæɡ.ɪs/ (n): món haggis (một món ăn truyền thống của Scotland)
offal /ˈɑː.fəl/ (n): nội tạng
laverbread /ˈleɪ.vɚ.bred/ (n): bánh mì rong biển
shortage /ˈʃɔːr.t̬ɪdʒ/ [B2] (n): sự khan hiếm, thiếu thốn
obsession /əbˈseʃ.ən/ [B2] (n): nỗi ám ánh
health-conscious /helθˈkɑːn.ʃəs/ (adj): có ý thức bảo vệ sức khỏe
honor sth/sb /ˈɑː.nɚ/ (v): tôn vinh ai/cái gì
N + enthusiast /ɪnˈθuː.zi.æst/ (n): người yêu thích cái gì đó
lay out sth (v): sắp xếp cái gì
pudding /ˈpʊd.ɪŋ/ (n): bánh pudding
ham /hæm/ (n): thịt xông khói
hocks /hɑːks/ (n): chân giò
rich /rɪtʃ/ (adj): béo ngậy
motto /ˈmɑː.t̬oʊ/ (n): khẩu hiệu
faint-hearted /ˌfeɪntˈhɑːr.t̬ɪd/ (adj): yếu tim
lavish /ˈlæv.ɪʃ/ [C2] (adj): xa hoa
hearty /ˈhɑːr.t̬i/ (adj): thịnh soạn
thrive /θraɪv/ [C1] (v): phát triển mạnh
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