# A new breakfast delight
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 8, 2016, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484 "2016-01-08T11:25:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/21 "2016-01-13T09:13:19Z")
> [@Quartz](#):
>
> They don’t add the Parmesan. And I rather doubt they scramble their eggs with butter.
And as several people have already pointed out, they don’t use crumpets.
A [muffin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:English_muffins) is not a [crumpet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Crumpets). Why is this so hard for some posters here to understand?
---
### Author:  [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/22 "2016-01-13T09:29:06Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> And as several people have already pointed out, they don’t use crumpets.
>
> A [muffin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:English_muffins) is not a [crumpet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Crumpets). Why is this so hard for some posters here to understand?
They look alike and they are both cooked on a griddle. And just to be clear: [muffins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Muffin_NIH.jpg%22) are not [English muffins](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_OaYG005JPDs/TETEV09r-FI/AAAAAAAABiw/Cjz6nRakWtA/s640/English%20Muffins.jpg%22).
---
### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/23 "2016-01-13T09:36:32Z")
A crumpet has a wetter dough and bubbles on the griddle like a pancake. That’s bad news for trypophobes. Please don’t google that word.
---
### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/24 "2016-01-13T11:16:04Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#):
>
> They look alike and they are both cooked on a griddle. And just to be clear: [muffins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Muffin_NIH.jpg%22) are not [English muffins](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_OaYG005JPDs/TETEV09r-FI/AAAAAAAABiw/Cjz6nRakWtA/s640/English%20Muffins.jpg%22).
Of course they are. You mean that muffins aren’t the same thing as American muffins. 😉
Come to think of it, what’s the difference between a (American) muffins and cupcakes, apart from the fact that the latter tend to be frosted?
---
### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/25 "2016-01-13T14:12:49Z")
From what I’m finding a crumpet and an American English muffin are very similar. English muffins are cooked on both sides and split. Crumpets are cooked on one side and not split… unless of course you decide to split it. Eggs cooked with butter… scrambled or fried are pretty similar, especially since most of the fried eggs used for breakfast sandwiches do not have runny yolks, so the difference is stirring or “fluffing”. Many fast food places do use scrambled eggs. Bacon… well it is bacon.
The difference seems to be in the cheese. Parmesan vs. American. Kind of like someone saying they invented a new dish that is similar to a cheese burger but they used a different cheese so it is totally different.
I’m in the camp that the OP discovered the typical American fast food breakfast sandwich.
---
### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/26 "2016-01-13T14:33:51Z")
Every part of the sandwich is different, except possibly the bacon. (I hope the OP has better bacon than McDonald’s, though.)
---
### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/27 "2016-01-13T14:34:33Z")
> [@Spud](#):
>
> From what I’m finding a crumpet and an American English muffin are very similar. English muffins are cooked on both sides and split. Crumpets are cooked on one side and not split… unless of course you decide to split it.
I think only someone who’s never tried both would say that they’re very similar. I know little about how they’re cooked, but the taste and texture of the resulting product are very different. English muffins have a similar consistency as American whole-wheat bread, though a bit denser. They have a dry exterior which is usually dusted with cornmeal or some similar powder. Crumpets, by contrast, have a flexible, almost rubbery feel when handled. They have deep, spongy holes which soak up butter or other toppings, and are very chewy.
---
### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/28 "2016-01-13T14:48:14Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> I think only someone who’s never tried both would say that they’re very similar.
I have tried them both and I think they are very similar.
> **[What’s the Difference? Crumpets Versus English Muffins](https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-crumpets-113577)**
>
> Homemade English muffins are one of those things we whip out whenever we want something extra special in the morning – a birthday brunch, in-laws are in town, you name it! One guest recently asked about the difference between crumpets and English...
Apparently I’m not the only one.
---
### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/29 "2016-01-13T15:16:07Z")
I’ve eaten both and I also believe they are very similar. Let’s be real here, the OP isn’t going on an on about crumpets. Further, I rather doubt after adding buttered eggs, Parmesan cheese and bacon that the casual eater would be able the taste the differences between a muffin and a crumpet.
I think the OP would have gotten a more positive response by posting “I’ve improved the Egg Mcmuffin” rather than “I’ve invented a new breakfast treat”. At least that’s my two cents.
---
### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/30 "2016-01-13T15:21:13Z")
Scrambled egg (just egg & butter) on crumpets, with a grind of pepper and a dusting of parmesan. And bacon. With a thin slice of tomato on top.
Nom.
😉
---
### Author:  [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/31 "2016-01-13T15:26:08Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> I think only someone who’s never tried both would say that they’re very similar. I know little about how they’re cooked, but the taste and texture of the resulting product are very different. English muffins have a similar consistency as American whole-wheat bread, though a bit denser. They have a dry exterior which is usually dusted with cornmeal or some similar powder. Crumpets, by contrast, have a flexible, almost rubbery feel when handled. They have deep, spongy holes which soak up butter or other toppings, and are very chewy.
So it sounds a lot like this [http://www.thomasbreads.com/products/original-english-muffins](http://www.thomasbreads.com/products/original-english-muffins) which is an English muffin and not so much like this [http://d2gk7xgygi98cy.cloudfront.net/1638-3-large.jpg](http://d2gk7xgygi98cy.cloudfront.net/1638-3-large.jpg) which is whole wheat bread.
Comparing the two makes me question if you have had an American English muffin which I would describe as " They have deep, spongy holes which soak up butter or other toppings, and are very chewy".
I just noticed that on my first link someone stole the OP’s invention and added a picture of an English muffin with eggs bacon and cheese on it.
---
### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/32 "2016-01-13T16:57:58Z")
> [@White SIFL](#):
>
> I think the OP would have gotten a more positive response by posting “I’ve improved the Egg Mcmuffin” rather than “I’ve invented a new breakfast treat”.
That makes it sound like McDonald’s _did_ invent the bacon-and-egg sandwich.
---
### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/33 "2016-01-13T19:32:58Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#):
>
> That makes it sound like McDonald’s _did_ invent the bacon-and-egg sandwich.
I’m not sure how you got that reading out of it. Clearly a few posters in this thread were making a comparison to Micky Ds version of it.
---
### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/34 "2016-01-14T00:12:05Z")
Yes. They are bad people and should feel bad.
---
### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/35 "2016-01-14T04:01:10Z")
Not disagreeing with you on that but it doesn’t change the point of my first post.
---
### Author:  [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/36 "2016-01-14T16:04:16Z")
> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> Of course they are. You mean that muffins aren’t the same thing as American muffins. 😉
>
> Come to think of it, what’s the difference between a (American) muffins and cupcakes, apart from the fact that the latter tend to be frosted?
[Cupcakes](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jhmYWNEW-Y8/maxresdefault.jpg) are just miniature cakes made with the same batter you’d make a full-sized cake with, with frosting. Almost always baked in a cupcake paper inside a cupcake/muffin pan.
American muffins are somewhat cakelike but I think of them as being more dense and I’ve never seen a frosted one but there’s probably one out there. More like a quickbread in a muffin shape than cake. I’d say they’re (usually) not as sweet as cake, but they’ve been getting sweeter over the years.
---
### Author:  [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/37 "2016-01-14T19:08:08Z")
Crumpets and English muffins are as different as baguettes and croissants. They have different textures and flavours, but they’re all good with butter and jam.
---
### Author:  [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/38 "2016-01-14T22:50:05Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#):
>
> [Cupcakes](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jhmYWNEW-Y8/maxresdefault.jpg) are just miniature cakes made with the same batter you’d make a full-sized cake with, with frosting. Almost always baked in a cupcake paper inside a cupcake/muffin pan.
>
> American muffins are somewhat cakelike but I think of them as being more dense and I’ve never seen a frosted one but there’s probably one out there. More like a quickbread in a muffin shape than cake. I’d say they’re (usually) not as sweet as cake, but they’ve been getting sweeter over the years.
Cakes (and cupcakes) are typically made with a lighter flour (cake flour) and are beaten with a mixer. First the fats and sugars are added, and then whole eggs are dropped into the batter and blended with it. Then you add the flour and beat it until it is very smooth and velvety. The result is a very light and fluffy cake.
Muffins, by contrast, are typically made with heavier flour (all Purpose) and mixed by hand so as not to generate gluten. They are left in a somewhat lumpy texture and the lumps cook out when you bake them. I was going to say they are similar to scones, but it seems that between the Brits and the Yanks, we can’t agree on what the hell to call stuff. Your scones are more like our biscuits, but what you call a biscuit we call a cookie.
---
### Author:  [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/39 "2016-01-14T23:32:24Z")
Cumpets with butter and honey sounds delectable. Perhaps not entirely healthy, but certainly tasty.
---
### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484/40 "2016-01-15T01:00:07Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#):
>
> That makes it sound like McDonald’s _did_ invent the bacon-and-egg sandwich.
Except the Egg McMuffin is nothing like a bacon and egg sandwich. Not even the Bacon and Egg McMuffin is. It always seemed to me that the Egg McMuffin was basically a riff on eggs Benedict, kind of the way that the Big Mac is a riff on a real hamburger. It has, loosely speaking, ingredients from the same universe: an English muffin, a slice of ham, an egg (fried instead of poached, and not runny, but still, an egg) and instead of being slapped on a plate and topped with hollandaise it’s topped with a slice of plastic cheese and put in a box.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484.md?page=1)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-breakfast-delight/742484.md?page=3)