BRITISH BREAKFAST

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 511.

Pre-reading tasks

BRITISH BREAKFAST

FOOD AND CULTURE

& — READING & SPEAKING

Task 1.Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with British breakfast. Share your words with your partner / group and talk about them.

Task 2.Answer the following questions and share your answers with the class.

1. What meal do you regard to be the most important meal of the day? Why?

2. Do you have breakfast every day? Do you have a substantial meal or just grab something quickly on your way to university? What does your typical breakfast consist of? Does your Sunday breakfast differ in any way?

3. Do you ever have breakfast out? Why do you think some people have breakfast in cafes?

4. Why do you think a full British breakfast has become such a famous tradition? Do you think many people in Britain have such a breakfast nowadays?

5. Have a look at the quotation preceding the text. Do you agree to the point? Why / Why not?

Task 3. Now read and translate the text.

“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.”

John Gunther

What do you have for breakfast? Toast? Cereal? Just a cup of coffee? These days eating breakfast has become a bit of international thing, with cereals from popular brands available all over the world; and restaurants like McDonald's and Starbucks serving coffee and cakes to everyone, anywhere. Of course, every country has its own specialities: the French have their "cafe au lait" and croissant; the Germans have their black bread and sliced ham; and the Spanish have their cupcakes and 'cafe con leche". But what about the British? What typical things do they have for breakfast? Let's see.

The English Breakfast.Perhaps the most internationally famous British contribution tobreakfast has been the English breakfast.Of course, there are Irish and Scottish varieties too, but these breakfasts are basically the same, and consist of the following: a pot of tea, baked beans, eggs, toast, bacon, sausages (bangers), fried bread, mushrooms, black pudding and tomatoes. Apparently, this breakfast was invented by English aristocrats who would often eat enormous amounts of food in the morning, ending with a whole sheep. The idea was that they could spend the rest of the day hunting, fighting and dueling until the evening when they could eat again. Eggs.One of the key components of the English breakfast is the egg. This can come in many shapes and forms, and you'll need to know all the options so you can make the best choice. Here are the main ways you can have your eggs:Fried egg: this is an egg cooked in hot oil. Scrambled eggs: these are

eggs that have been broken open and mixed together. The mixture is cooked in oil with salt, pepper and milk (optional). Poached egg: this is an egg that has been broken open and cooked in boiling water. Boiled egg: this is an unbroken egg that is cooked in boiling water. If you cook it for just a couple of minutes, the inside of the egg will be runny and you will have a soft-boiled egg; and if you cook it for longer, the inside will be harder and you will have a hard-boiled egg.

Variations.Of course, not everyone in England has an English breakfast in the morning. In fact, English breakfasts are mostly eaten at the weekend or during holidays. However, there are many lighter variations of the English breakfast. These dishes, as well as the full English breakfast, may be eaten at any time during the day. There are lots of different combinations, but the main ones are: baked beans on toast, fried egg on toast, a bacon butty (a sandwich with hot bacon inside), scrambled egg on toast.

Miscellaneous.But it isn't all a question of fried food. There are lots of other typical things that the British eat for breakfast. Here are some of the main ones:

Porridge: this is a type of cereal that is cooked with milk or water and may be served with milk, sugar or milk and salt. This originated in Scotland.

Marmelade: this is a fruit conserve that is made with oranges, or other citrus fruits. If it's made from any other type of fruit, such as strawberries or apricots, then it is called “jam”.

Marmite: this is black paste made with yeast and salt. It's an acquired taste. Delicious on toast with butter.

Kippers: these are smoked fish that are typically eaten at breakfast time. They are often served witha knob of butter and toast.

Now you're ready for your slap-up British breakfast, complete with marmalade and kippers. Try one and you won't need to eat again for quite a few hours afterwards… unless you go for a long walk, and then you can have another one.