Many hotels offer guests a free breakfast consisting of muffin, coffee, cereal and milk,
toast, juice, bagel, and, at some, even scrambled eggs and make-your-own waffles.
Born in the Gilded Age, today’s continental breakfasts reflect the West’s transition
from a mostly agrarian culture to an industrial (and today, service) society.
Luckily, however, some of us have not forgotten our culinary past.
Breakfast in the Early 1800s In the first part of the 19th century, as
many rural American families had greater wealth and access to a larger variety of foods, a
typical family breakfast would include a meat, eggs, fish, a bread, a cereal, fruit and any
of a variety of condiments, including butter, jam and maple syrup.
Common meats throughout the states included bacon, sausage and ham.
Cereal grains such as grits and oats were also popular, as were many different types
of breads, including pancakes and biscuits.
A hefty intake of calories, these hearty breakfasts were a necessity for the hard-working American
farm family of the first half of the 19th century.
Birth of the Continental Breakfast Over the latter part of the 19th, and early
quarter of the 20th, centuries, the West (and in particular) America increasingly became
urbanized.
From 1870 to 1920, the population of American cities grew from 10 million to 54 million,
and many of these people were a part of the growing middle class.
While these shopkeepers, dentists, accountants and merchants may have put in long hours,
they certainly weren’t exerting the same physical energy as their agrarian forebears.
Needing fewer calories, the traditional American heavy breakfast eventually fell out of fashion.
Also at this time, continental Europeans were traveling the world and bringing their taste
preferences with them.
This brings us to the British and the traditional British fry up.
Alternately known also as the “fry,” “full English,” and even the “Full Monty,”
a traditional English breakfast has both sausage and bacon, eggs, fried bread (literally, a
slice of bread fried in either lard, butter or bacon fat), sliced fresh tomato and baked
beans (yes, like Heinz’ baked beans).
In addition, many purveyors of this Matterhorn of breakfasts also offer optional “pudding”
(not JELLO, but rather a sausage made from oats and pork fat, with or without pig’s
blood), kidneys (beef or lamb), kippers (smoked herring), sautéed mushrooms, and, of course,
fried potatoes.
Appalled by the heavy British breakfast, the Europeans (think the French and their petit
déjeuner) helped the British create a modest first meal, frequently consisting merely of
coffee or tea, pastry and fruit.
By 1855, this was being referred to as the continental breakfast.
Europeans were also touring America and staying in her hotels.
Frequently the primary (if not only) source of meals for a tourist, American hotels soon
began adjusting their fare to meet the tastes and expectations of their European customers.
The American middle class (some of whom also toured Europe and were exposed to the practice
over there, as well) soon also preferred the smaller meal, and, thus, the continental breakfast
became an American staple.
It’s Not Just the Food The term “continental” referred to more
than just the dishes served, it also described its pricing.
Traditional American hotels were more like boarding houses where meals were included
in the price of a room.
On the other hand, European hotels offered rooms and meals à la carte.
As Europeans toured America, (and Americans toured Europe), soon hotel patrons in the
U.S. were opting out of most hotel meals, although breakfast was still desired.
To accommodate these changing tastes, the ‘continental’ model of room pricing, where
breakfast was included with the cost of the room, came about.
Lamenting a Loss Not every member of the Gilded Age was pleased
with the new fad.
As one sad and hungry person noted in Harper’s Weekly in 1896:
In old days a hungry man could get more things to eat . . . . Hungry men have declined in
numbers and influence . . . . No one but the “Autocrat” ever talked much at [the old-style
breakfast] for the viands were too tempting – great beef steaks, hot rolls, buckwheat
cakes, omelettes, potatoes, coffee, and
even . . . pie.