# Full Irish breakfast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 4, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609 "2023-09-04T20:15:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/61 "2023-09-06T17:04:06Z")
After seeing kippers enter the conversation, I came here expecting this. Was not disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/62 "2023-09-06T17:33:46Z")
The versions of an PLACE Breakfast (not usually a Welsh though) are baseline: sausage, egg, bacon (danish, similar to canadian, though it is sometimes streaky if you have one in say Belgium, or Spain at an Irish pub because that is all they have). Mostly with toast, either on the plate or on the side. Localisation can be had for the bread for the toast (though never had Soda bread in the 15 odd I had when I lived in Cork for six months, so it’s more tourist Irish than normal). Sausages can be of different qualities, and often are what you call a sausage in the UK (not larger than about 3 inches). Yorkshire will do Cumberland sausages, which are herby. But given my experiences of sausages I’ve had in the US, they have a lot more variation than UK sausages which tend to be pork and breading (I’ve had genuine sharp intake of breath spicy sausages in the US on visits). Blame the Germans and Italians influence for that, but the UK ones don’t tend to go that way. You get 1-3 additionals. Then additionals can be: mushrooms, baked beans (different from US baked beans I believe which are sweeter), half sliced tomato(s) (fried), cooked tinned tomatoes, fried bread, black pudding, white pudding (this can be two different things in Ireland and Scotland), Black pudding tends to be a rarity most of the times in an English breakfast. Sure, you can have it, but it’s certainly not typical and they’d not really have it (ie: you’d not be able to add it as an option, because its not that popular nowadays). It might be a tourist thing in the Highlands to have haggis added, but it’s certainly not typical in a Full Scottish, I’d never had haggis with breakfast despite growing up in Scotland, until it was available on the buffet in the Glasgow Hilton, which is why I tend to favour the place when visiting Glasgow now. It’s a good. But not typical. Potato (“tattie”) scones are far more typical of a Full Scottish, fried potato pancakes. What is magical in those ingredients is that there is a weird little lovely combination in there that is excellent, and I hadn’t really noticed it until a cook I know waxed lyrical about it: Fried bread and tinned tomatoes. Fried bread is what it sounds like. Bread fried in a pan, in fat (not sure if butter or any particular fat). Then with tinned chopped tomatoes on it . Possibly with brown sauce too. I’m not sure if it’s the crisp of the bread, the fat of it, and the liquid of the tomatoes (it isn’t half as good on slice fried tomato). but it does feature as in my best breakfast. It might be that it’s fried in bacon fat/dripping. But it really is excellent. Not healthy though. But then again, if you’re eating these daily, that isn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/63 "2023-09-06T22:11:00Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > (though never had Soda bread in the 15 odd I had when I lived in Cork for six months, so it’s more tourist Irish than normal). Note that there are multiple kinds of soda bread, and even multiple kinds of Irish soda bread. Until I went to Ireland, I associated “Irish soda bread” with something similar to scones except thicker, with a firm texture. Every single B&B we stayed at, though, had the brown soda bread, with a much softer consistency (though still firmer than a batter-bread). I’m sure they all had their own recipes, but it was recognizably the same product, and we were also able to find it in the local grocery stores. > [@Smid](#): > > Fried bread is what it sounds like. Bread fried in a pan, in fat (not sure if butter or any particular fat). Typically, the grease from whatever meat or meat-like product you’re frying. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/64 "2023-09-06T22:50:25Z")
Fried bread is also a staple Amerindian dish (at least in my former neck of the woods, i.e., Minnesota). This may go back to Fur Trader days. (I’ve fried bread over a campfire multiple times.) I once knew a British gentleman who would use only beef fat to fry the components of his Full Breakfast, mushrooms in particular. There’s an episode of _ **The Persuaders** _ in which Brett (Roger Moore) introduces Danny (Tony Curtis) to “the breakfast of an English aristocrat,” with kidneys and everything. I’m going through all 24 episodes on YouTube to see if I can find that clip. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/65 "2023-09-06T23:22:05Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > Sausages can be of different qualities, and often are what you call a sausage in the UK (not larger than about 3 inches). Yorkshire will do Cumberland sausages, which are herby. But given my experiences of sausages I’ve had in the US, they have a lot more variation than UK sausages which tend to be pork and breading (I’ve had genuine sharp intake of breath spicy sausages in the US on visits). Blame the Germans and Italians influence for that, but the UK ones don’t tend to go that way. I’m curious as to where you had sausages for breakfast in the US, because German and Italian varieties are not common at all (at least in my experience). American breakfast sausages (and apparently Canadian ones as well) are typically not spicy. Sage is usually the predominant herb, and they can also be flavored with maple sugar (and/or maple syrup). Sometimes they’re smoked with maple wood as well. An exception to the above is my favorite brand, Jimmy Dean’s Pure Pork Sausage, one variety of which is seasoned with hot red pepper flakes. It’s not spicy enough to burn your mouth, but the peppery flavor combined with the maple sweetness is wonderful. Maybe Italian sausage is served in New York, and German sausage is served in Milwaukee or rural Pennsylvania, but I can’t imagine it on offer for breakfast anywhere else. (They come with different seasonings and degrees of spiciness too.) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/66 "2023-09-06T23:29:14Z")
Anywhere in the Southwest, a non-chain restaurant (and some chains) are likely to offer chorizo sausage as a breakfast option, which can range from nearly unnoticeable heat to outright zesty. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/67 "2023-09-06T23:46:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m curious as to where you had sausages for breakfast in the US, because German and Italian varieties are not common at all (at least in my experience). American breakfast sausages (and apparently Canadian ones as well) are typically not spicy. I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Various types of bratwurst are everywhere, and in many parts of the States, at least the Midwest, you can find knockwurst, bockwurst, Braunschweiger, etc. And Italian sausage–or at least a (mostly) Italian-American version made with lots of fennel–is ubiquitous in my experience; in mild, sweet, and hot varieties. And breakfast sausage is commonly sold in hot varieties. Go to bigger cities with large Italian popularions and you’ll find even more variety of Italian sausages. I don’t know what the most popular brand is, but I’d guess Jimmy Dean, and that comes in at least original, sage, and hot versions. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/68 "2023-09-07T00:02:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Various types of bratwurst are everywhere, and in many parts of the States, at least the Midwest, you can find knockwurst, bockwurst, Braunschweiger, etc. And Italian sausage–or at least a (mostly) Italian-American version made with lots of fennel–is ubiquitous in my experience; in mild, sweet, and hot varieties. I’m aware of all that. I just haven’t heard of them being commonly eaten as breakfast sausages outside ethnic communities. Ditto for Southwestern chorizo. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/69 "2023-09-07T00:10:14Z")
I interpreted **Smid** ’s comment to be more general, and not just about breakfast sausage. Yeah, for breakfast you’re not really going to see Italian or German sausages in non-ethnic communities. You’re not going to find that on a typical diner menu. Chorizo – at least here in Chicago – it’s borderline. I’d say it’s common enough for non-Mexicans to eat chorizo in a breakfast – you would find it on many if not most breakfast diner menus-- but, on average nationwide, probably not. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/70 "2023-09-07T00:16:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I interpreted **Smid** ’s comment to be more general, and not just about breakfast sausage. Since his post began by taking about “place breakfast”, i interpreted it as about sausages served for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/71 "2023-09-07T00:19:14Z")
When I lived in Moscow and wanted to make a British Full, I used these. They were the closest thing to Bangers I could find that were acceptably bland: > **[Weisswurst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weisswurst)** > > Weißwurst \[ˈvaɪsvʊɐ̯st\] i, literally white-sausage; Bavarian: Weißwuascht) is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. It is usually flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom, although there are some variations. Then the mixture is stuffed into pork casings and separated into individual sausages measuring about ten to twelve centimeters in length and three to four centimeters in thickness. > As they are not smoked or otherwise preserved they... ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/72 "2023-09-07T00:22:31Z")
Probably. What the hell is PLACE? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/73 "2023-09-07T00:23:52Z")
Common to a specific area or community? That’s how I understood it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/74 "2023-09-07T00:25:26Z")
Like “Irish breakfast” or “English breakfast”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/75 "2023-09-07T00:26:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > When I lived in Moscow and wanted to make a British Full, I used these. They were the closest thing to Bangers I could find that were acceptably bland: I feel like I’ve occasionally seen Irish-style bangers at Aldi. That said, bangers can be found here in Chicago, as we have a decent Irish population and stores that stock them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/76 "2023-09-07T00:27:13Z")
Oh, I thought it was an acronym of some sort, as it was spelled out PLACE in the post. I’m evidently having great difficulty comprehending things tonight. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/77 "2023-09-07T00:35:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m aware of all that. I just haven’t heard of them being commonly eaten as breakfast sausages outside ethnic communities. Ditto for Southwestern chorizo. I would say @pulykamell has it correct, in most of the Southwest (for various areas of the southwest of course) and SoCal, I’d expect to see Chorizo as a breakfast option in most non-chain and many chain locations. Even here in Colorado Springs, the white-breadiest portion of Colorado (okay, certain areas that might as well be Kansas East or West may differ) it’s pretty common as an ingredient in omelets and the like, as well as often (not certainly) as a side. In Las Cruces and Albuquerque, NM, it would be extremely common, and not just at ‘ethnic’ (whatever that means) restaurants. I will agree though, that when I _first_ moved to Colorado 30ish years ago, or when I visited friends and family in the North East, that these were not common options. So yeah, what @Smid may have experienced could vary dramatically depending on the nature of the restaurant, the location, and the communities it supports. Which is not a big surprise after all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/78 "2023-09-07T00:38:07Z")
I’ve never seen British (or Irish) bangers on sale in Russia, not even in foreign-owned supermarket chains. (Not many of those still around, I expect.) You can buy them in Canada, of course, but for the real thing you usually have to go to an import shop. The “British bangers” sold in supermarkets like Metro are anything but. They have more meat (as opposed to filler) but are not correspondingly flavorful. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/79 "2023-09-07T10:34:28Z")
I meant less like specifically foreign sausages, like chorizo, pepperoni, or bratwurst, more a generic sausage with chili flakes or paprika to spice it up. The type of places I’ve encountered such things would be a non-name non-ethnic roadside diner in somewhere like Utah or Colorada, or somewhere more open, like Portland, OR. The point being is these sausages are likely to have more taste and variation across the large country in the US with a lot of ethnic influence baked in, with some places rolling their own, than in the UK and Republic of Ireland, which will take them from a packet of varying quality. It’s that old problem of price versus quality, and a lot of such greasy spoons are competing very much on price, which will mean lesser bacon and sausages. [These](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/305975715) would tend to be the good end, with 70% pork. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609/80 "2023-09-09T01:59:20Z")
Thinking back to my best “Full Irishes”, it’s always the setting, not the specifics of the food. Best I’ve had was during the Soccer World Cup, a local Irish pub would open in the wee hours of the morning. Bleary, punchy super-fans (some who’d stayed up all night)… and The Big Irish Breakfast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-irish-breakfast/989609.md?page=3)