The English created one of the world’s greatest culinary experiences

The dish: Full English breakfast

Fry up, fill up.Credit: iStock

Plate up There’s a famous quote from British author Somerset Maugham regarding his homeland’s cuisine: “To eat well in England, you should have breakfast three times a day.” And while this might seem harsh on roast dinners and fish and chips, he does have a point.

An English breakfast is a glory to behold, genuinely one of the world’s great culinary experiences, and one that is eminently accessible for almost all.

A full English, typically, will consist of bacon, eggs, pork sausages, baked beans, tomatoes, black pudding, mushrooms, fried bread or toast, and a cup of tea. This meal is greater than the sum of its considerable parts, a fry-up of epic proportions, and one whose flavours and fattiness come together in a way that will cause angels to chorus and belts to explode and lunch to feel like something you might consider tomorrow.

First serve The idea of a large, luxurious breakfast began in England in the 14th century, when the landed gentry provided feasts for guests before they went out hunting. The meal we now recognise as a full English, meanwhile, appeared in the Victorian era, the 19th century, when those of the country-dwelling upper class began serving bacon, eggs, sausages and other trimmings at the beginning of the day.

By the Edwardian era in the early 1900s, those in the middle classes were serving a pared-down version of these sumptuous breakfasts, and the tradition was firmly established.

Order there Practically every hotel and B&B across the UK will serve a full English, and it will be good. For something special though, visit the Wolseley in London and order “The English” for £24.50 ($48). See thewolseley.com.

Order here Oddly, given our obsessive brunch culture, a standard, no-frills full English can be tricky to find in Australia. In Sydney, try Una’s in Darlinghurst (unasrestaurant.com.au). In Melbourne, call it sacrilegious, but you can get a full Scottish at The Cross in St Kilda (thecross-stkilda.com.au).

One more thing Let’s talk about the difference between a full English, Scottish and Irish. The Scottish version will usually include a Lorne sausage, a potato scone, and sometimes haggis. A full Irish breakfast usually includes white pudding as well as black.