Eating My Way Around the Globe

by Pam Ripling

ACK! Sorry I'm so late! I was busy re-reading my copy of "The Runaway Pancake" - just one of my favorite childhood "novels." Ahem.

The picture is of the author, awaiting her breakfast in York, England. Me, that is, not the author of the pancake book. Breakfast in Britain varies. They eat a bit differently than we do, but try to accommodate American tastes for tourists. A typical English "full" breakfast might include black pudding, baked beans and fried bread. What is blood pudding? You may be sorry you asked, for while we Yanks think of "pudding" as a smooth, sweet dessert, across the pond, this particular form of "pudding" is made up of curdled and boiled pig blood, mixed with chunks of pork fat (for texture and juiciness) and spices, then stuffed into a sausage casing. It is often sliced into patties. Ane yes, I did try it. Yum. :(

Of course you can ask for bacon and eggs. We thought it safe, at our hotel, to opt for a "continental" breakfast. Our plate was laden with bologna, sliced into triangles, dry toast and jelly, and small wedges of cheese. Full breakfast did include the baked beans, not too dissimilar to our canned pork n' beans.

In Singapore, breakfast always includes lots of fruit, rices dishes and sometimes pastries. In Spain, coffee is always brewing, and toast, jam and orange juice are put out first. Churros (we get them in theme parks) are popular with hot chocolate as well as coffee. But the Spaniards, mind you, are saving room for the big meal of the day, what we would call lunch.

Me, I still love a good bowl of cereal, especially in the summertime, and hot oatmeal in the winter. And bacon and eggs are an anytime meal in our family!


Pam Ripling is the author of middle-grade mystery, LOCKER SHOCK! Buy it at Quake, Fictionwise or Amazon today! E-book version now available for your Kindle! Visit Pam at www.BeaconStreetBooks.com.