Breakfasts in Europe

Generally speaking my German and European friends tend to eat a small breakfast. They get up and get ready for work, and if they have time and are hungry, they may have a small portion of museli with yogurt and fruit, or just a piece of ham or salami with naturbrot or fitbrot (processed flatbreads). Later they have coffee either on the way to work, or at work, and about midmorning some sort of snack, a pastry from their favorite bakery, or a piece of laugenstange or crossiant, or if they are watching their weight they may have a piece of fruit; perhaps a banana or a clementine. Several of my work friends would skip breakfast at home and pick up a sandwich at the bakery on delicious fresh-baked preservative-free rolls and made with smoked ham and brie, or fresh mozzarella and tomato with a basil leaf tucked in. These sandwiches were very small--about the size of the palm of your hand (not including the fingers), but full of protein and flavor.

When I was traveling in Germany, breakfasts at our hotels was always included, and we would wander down to the breakfast room to find trays of coldcuts, smoked fish and cheese, sliced peppers and cucumbers, a bowl of fresh fruit and several kinds of yogurt, museli, a basket of fresh rolls of various kinds (often studded with nuts and seeds), a selection of packaged flatbreads, eggs, and sometimes bacon and sausage as well. Always excellent coffee or tea, and cream. The bread was fresh from the bakery, the coldcuts, fish and cheese were usually fresh examples of the local cuisine.

The memory that I take away from my time in Europe is of primarily un-processed food. Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Bio-yogurt and bread that was baked fresh every day. German bakery bread is meant to be eaten every day--it has no preservatives, and no added fat usually, so that it pretty much goes stale by the next day. It is very good--just a simple roll tastes so good on its own with no condiments or anything that I completely "get" the whole European bread thing. I do not eat bread here in the US. It is so not the same. It is very hard to find a bakery that makes good bread. There are artisan bakeries popping up all over, but finding one that is local that bakes fresh bread every day and that I can go to to get some is very difficult. It is just as well however, since I am trying to lose the 35 pounds I have gained in the past few years anyway...and while I LOVE bread it does tend to go straight to my hips. :(

So, for this morning I had four slices of organic bacon, and two eggs fried in bacon fat. I also had a cup of organic coffee with a tablespoon of organic cream. It was yummy and filling, and will last me to lunch!