- Historians say it’s time to include a classic fruit in the English breakfast
The English Breakfast Society has caused a stir after proposing a new addition to the country’s traditional breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Historians say it’s time for a fruit that grows far away from Britain’s wet and windy climate to return to its classic staple.
The fruit in question? Pineapples of course.
The association urges diners to replace mushrooms or tomatoes with a grilled round of fresh or canned pineapple, The Telegraaf reports this.
In past centuries, the exotic fruit was seen as an indicator of good status and refined taste.
The English Breakfast Society has caused a stir after proposing a new addition to the country’s traditional breakfast featuring bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes.
In past centuries, pineapples were seen as an indicator of good status and a refined palate
Guise Bule de Missenden, founder of the English Breakfast Society, emphasized that pineapple has long been on English breakfast plates.
He said: ‘Interestingly, the pineapple was considered a high-status breakfast food in Britain in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
‘Pineapples used to be seen as exotic, expensive, difficult to obtain and were a highly prized breakfast ingredient for wealthy English families. That’s why you’ll find many old English pineapple breakfast recipes there.
‘King Charles himself was very fond of it, so if you want to add a touch of the exotic to your plate and eat like a 17th century gentleman, then there’s no reason not to give it a try. A slice of grilled pineapple can add variety to the English breakfast plate. Just replace the mushrooms or tomato with a slice of pineapple in someone’s English breakfast one day to give them a surprising and unexpected delight.”
Despite Mr Bule de Missenden’s confidence in expanding the pineapple, his English Breakfast Society has previously ruffled a few feathers among the country’s purists.
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus is credited with first introducing pineapples to Europe after encountering them in Guadeloupe in 1493, and they quickly became the toast of the Spanish royal court.
The association previously called for an end to hash browns at breakfast time, in favor of traditional bubbling and squeaking.
Mr Bule de Missenden defended the move, pointing to the hash brown’s origins as a fast food, popularized by McDonald’s.
He added: “Someone had to put their foot down. Otherwise we will soon find kebab meat in our English breakfast.’
The association’s call was backed by dietitian Juliette Kellow, who pointed out that canned fruit is just as nutritious as fresh fruit.
She said: ‘Canned pineapple in fruit juice is a good choice; only two rings count as one of our five daily portions.”
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus is credited with first introducing pineapples to Europe after encountering them in Guadeloupe in 1493, and they quickly became the toast of the Spanish royal court.
The fruit also became a popular emblem in architecture as a sign of wealth and refined taste. Sir Christopher Wren integrated them at the top of the towers of St Paul’s Cathedral in London towards the end of the 17th century.