Sophia Mitchell
Eggs have been consumed by humans for about 6 million years, but they were not always a breakfast staple. In fact, breakfast itself is a relatively new custom in human history. The term breakfast originated in 15th-century Europe, but eating in the morning did not become a daily ritual until the 17th century, coinciding with the emergence of the workday. The Ancient Romans are sometimes credited with inventing breakfast and including eggs, but this practice was rare and not recommended. In the Middle Ages, people often waited until 9 am to eat their first meal, with a third meal upon waking considered something only for children, the elderly, or manual laborers. Over time, changing attitudes towards health and labor brought back the three-meal approach, including breakfast. Eggs became a breakfast staple due to their freshness, as chickens and most birds lay their eggs in the morning, making them ideal for farmers to consume early in the day. The pairing of eggs with bacon and other breakfast items can be attributed to various factors, including marketing, societal norms, and food preservation techniques.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for eggs becoming a breakfast food | Birds lay eggs in the morning, so it made sense for farmers to eat them at their freshest |
| Eggs are easy to prepare and nutritious | |
| Breakfast menus became more diverse in the latter half of the 19th century and began to include eggs | |
| In the 1920s, bacon and eggs became a staple breakfast food in America due to a marketing scheme | |
| In the Middle Ages, people would eat their first meal at 9 am, which was considered dinner | |
| During the Industrial Revolution, the workday changed, and people woke up early and needed a morning meal | |
| In the 17th century, a medical writer in England recommended eating poached eggs with salt, pepper, and vinegar | |
| Ancient Romans are credited with inventing breakfast and serving eggs, but this was rare | |
| China was the first country to domesticate hens for laying eggs, as far back as 5400 BCE |
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What You'll Learn
Eggs are usually laid in the morning, so they're freshest then
Breakfast is a relatively new custom in human history. For much of Western civilization, breakfast simply didn't exist. The Romans are credited with inventing breakfast, and some believe they served eggs as part of this meal, but this would have been rare. Most Romans consumed only one meal per day. Even in the Middle Ages, breakfast wasn't commonly eaten. People would wait until 9 a.m. to eat their first meal of the day, which was considered dinner. A morning meal was seen as something only for children, the elderly, or manual labourers.
However, in the 17th century, breakfast became more common, and eggs were on the breakfast table from the very beginning. This is likely because chickens and most other birds lay their eggs in the morning, and farmers would eat the eggs at their freshest. In addition, eggs are easy to prepare and provide fortification for the first meal of the day.
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution solidified the three-meal approach, with people waking up early and needing breakfast before work. During this time, breakfast also evolved into a symbol of luxury, with wealthier citizens eating foods designated specifically for breakfast instead of leftovers.
While eggs have been eaten across various cultures for centuries, they didn't become a breakfast staple in America until the latter half of the 19th century, when breakfast menus became more diversified. The classic American breakfast has its roots in Europe, where colonizers brought the custom of starting the day with a continental breakfast.
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Breakfast became common during the Industrial Revolution
Breakfast is a relatively new custom in human history. For much of human history, it did not exist or was informal. During the Middle Ages, for example, people from the nobility and wealthy classes believed that eating too early after waking up was unhealthy or even gluttonous. Eating was restricted to two formal meals at midday and in the evening.
However, this was not the case for labourers, who needed the extra energy of a fast meal before starting work. During the Industrial Revolution, as factory work and office jobs became more common, breakfast was transformed from an indulgence to an expectation. The wealthy began finding more time for the pleasures of life, and health science started realizing that eating before starting work was beneficial. As a result, breakfast became more common during the Industrial Revolution.
The concept of modern breakfast was also shaped by the Industrial Revolution, which changed food preservation, the workday structure, and cultural ideas of health. Breakfast foods became standardized, sometimes being provided in factories. In the 19th century, the middle and upper classes in the US and Britain consumed heavy, greasy, meaty breakfast foods, which caused indigestion and led to the development of cold breakfast cereal.
Breakfast menus became diversified during the latter half of the 19th century and began to more commonly include ingredients like eggs. Eggs became a breakfast food because they were typically laid in the mornings and were best eaten at their freshest.
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Eggs are easy to prepare and nutritious
Eggs have been consumed by humans for about 6 million years, but for much of this time, it was a function of survival, not as part of any organized breakfast. China is the first country known to have domesticated hens for laying eggs, doing so as far back as 5400 BCE. The practice was adopted in Europe by the 7th century BCE, and in the Americas long before Columbus arrived.
Eggs became a breakfast staple because chickens and most other birds lay their eggs in the morning, and it made sense for farmers to eat the eggs at their freshest. They are also easy to prepare and nutritious. Poached or scrambled were the preferred egg preparation methods for early 17th-century English breakfasts. A medical writer in England touted eggs' benefits in 1620, recommending they be poached with salt, pepper, and vinegar.
In the modern era, technological advancements have made breakfast foods more eclectic than ever. While cereal and other prepackaged breakfast foods used to be the go-to for a quick and easy breakfast, modern cooking methods like microwaves and toasters have made it equally convenient to have other foods in the morning, like eggs or a breakfast sandwich. In addition, many people have begun to recognize the lack of nutritional value and high sugar content found in prepackaged breakfast items.
Eggs are a great source of protein and other essential nutrients. They are also versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as fried, poached, scrambled, sunny side up, hard-boiled, or soft-boiled. They can also be used as an ingredient in dishes such as omelets, frittatas, quiche, and brunch hybrids.
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Ancient Romans ate eggs, but not for breakfast
Breakfast is a relatively new custom in human history, and for much of Western civilization's history, it simply didn't exist. The Ancient Romans are sometimes credited with inventing breakfast and including eggs in the morning meal. However, this practice would have been rare, and most Romans consumed only one meal a day.
The ancient Romans did eat eggs, and they feature in the widest source of ancient Roman recipes, the cookbook attributed to Marcus Gavius Apicius, called De Re Coquinaria (about cooking). In ancient Rome, eggs were usually served as appetisers or starters, alongside dishes like salads with garum and vinegar (oxygarum), cheese dressed with reduced must, and olives. A popular recipe for poached eggs included a pine nut-based sauce, with ingredients like black pepper, lovage, honey, vinegar, and garum.
The upper classes in ancient Rome consumed eggs, along with cheese, honey, milk, and fruit. They also ate bread, which was typically white for the elite, darker for the middle class, and the darkest for peasants. While the ancient Romans did eat eggs, it was not commonly as part of a breakfast meal.
Eggs became a breakfast staple in the modern era for several reasons. Firstly, chickens and most other birds lay their eggs in the morning, and it made practical sense for farmers to eat the eggs at their freshest. Secondly, breakfast foods that don't spoil overnight, like cured meats, are more convenient, and eggs fall into this category. Finally, the Industrial Revolution played a role in shaping our modern breakfast concept by changing food preservation, the workday structure, and cultural ideas of health.
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Breakfast was once considered lower class
Breakfast is a relatively new custom in human history, and in the European Middle Ages, it was considered a meal for the poor. The upper classes did not speak of or partake in eating in the morning. Eating breakfast meant that one was poor, a low-status farmer, or a laborer who needed the energy to sustain the morning's labor. Monarchs and their entourages would spend a lot of time at a table for meals, but only two formal meals were eaten per day—one at midday and one in the evening.
In the 13th century, breakfast sometimes consisted of a piece of rye bread and a bit of cheese. Morning meals would not include any meat and would likely include beer. In ancient Egypt, peasants ate a daily meal, most likely in the morning, consisting of soup, beer, bread, and onions before they left for work. In ancient Greece, a meal called akratisma was consumed immediately after rising and consisted of barley bread dipped in wine, sometimes complemented by figs or olives. They also made pancakes.
The Ancient Romans are credited by some for inventing breakfast and serving eggs, but this would have been rare. Most consumed only one meal a day. In the Middle Ages, when farmers were rising early to tend their crops, breakfast still wasn't commonly eaten. It was only during the 17th century that breakfast became common, and eggs were on the breakfast table from the very beginning. They were a breakfast staple because chickens and most other birds lay their eggs in the morning, and it made sense for farmers to eat them at their freshest.
In colonial America, breakfast was a matter of convenience, consisting of leftovers from the night before and easy-to-prepare dishes like eggs, bread, and preserved meats. As colonial America developed a more robust culture with distinct class markers, breakfast evolved with it. Wealthier citizens ate foods designated specifically for breakfast instead of leftovers. During the latter half of the 19th century, breakfast menus became diversified and began to more commonly include ingredients like eggs.
Today, breakfast foods are more eclectic than ever due to technological advancements. While cereal and other prepackaged breakfast foods used to be the go-to for a quick and easy breakfast, modern cooking methods like microwaves and toasters have made it equally convenient to have other foods in the morning, like eggs. In addition, many people have begun to recognize the lack of nutritional value and high sugar content of prepackaged breakfast items. As a result, having a healthier breakfast has become more of a sign of wealth than a bowl of cereal.
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Frequently asked questions
Eggs are a breakfast staple because chickens and most other birds lay their eggs in the morning, and it made sense for farmers to eat the eggs at their freshest.
In the 17th century, breakfast became a commonly eaten meal, and eggs were on breakfast tables from the very beginning.
During the Colonial era, the morning meal was dominated by cornmeal staples like corn pone and Johnnycakes.
Breakfast has had its ups and downs. In medieval Europe, people would eat their first meal at 9 a.m., which was considered dinner, followed by supper later in the day. A third meal upon waking was considered for children, the elderly, or manual laborers.
Modern cooking methods like microwaves and toasters have made it convenient to have a variety of breakfast options, like eggs or breakfast sandwiches, instead of just cereal and other prepackaged foods.
