** Click here for Episode 138 **
As a good example of a multinational listener, Brett, 18, from Caithness but born in America, is well-placed to comment upon last week’s consideration of the term ‘continental breakfast’:
I was always taught that it was named as such because it was what George Washington’s army ate during the American Revolution. This army was called the continental army, and its popularity spread from there – at first as a patriotic thing, then as just a standard name for a meal.
Not sure how true this is, but its makes a lot of sense when you think that a continental breakfast consists of mostly cold food – heating food would require a fire, meaning tinder etc (which wasn’t always available in the season of the war), and would also result in being spotted by the enemy.
The cold food sounds about right, but we’re having trouble imagining George Washington’s army eating defrosted croissants, stewed prunes and toffee-flavoured yoghurt in the field. Anyone else with a suggestion? Oh, hello there, Vasco:
In your last episode you were talking about breakfasts, and funny enough you compared a Portuguese with a Danish one. Funny because I’m Portuguese and my girlfriend is Danish.
I can tell you first hand that the breakfasts of both countries do overlap quite a lot, just like the majority of continental Europe.
Both are based on fresh bread or pastry (croissant) with butter, cold meats, cheese, accompanied by fresh juices, some milk or yoghurt with cereal, and lots of coffee. The only distinct difference is that Danes also like to have liver pâté on their bread.
Aaah. Two nations, so different in geography, culture and climate, united by breakfast. No wonder it’s the most important meal of the day.
Subscribe with iTunes • Listen to episodes • Question Archive • FAQ
Facebook • Twitter • Merch Superstore • YouTube Channel
Answer Me This! Podcast 
Answer us back: