Beans for Breakfast?

When I was working over in Asia whenever they would serve a 'western' style breakfast like eggs and turkey bacon (never pork), they would always serve cold baked beans with it.

I came to understand the origin of this was as a result of being a British colony.

So my question is this; is it customary to serve cold baked beans with breakfast in the UK? And if so, how did this custom come about?

Also, is there a certain kind of baked beans? In other words, to me there are "Boston" style baked beans which are generally very sweet, and there is pork & beans style beans which is more savory; is one or the other preferred?

I guess there's all kinds of beans really, so I'm just wondering which beans are the preferred 'breakfast beans'.

Not cold, but gently warmed through and never boiled as it ruins the flavour. I actually like cold beans though, they taste much nicer

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I heard about beans for breakfast in the UK watching one of their game shows and researched it a little

... according to this, they are not quite like our pork and beans


First, it's important to note that unlike, say, Boston's baked beans, British beans on toast are supposed to come from a can—preferably a blue Heinz can of "baked beans in tomato sauce" (which remain quite different from America's sweeter, porkier canned baked beans), although other brands are out there.

Sauté for about 5 - 10 minutes on a medium heat and then add the chopped herbs and the garlic. Stir and cook for another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up a bit. Add the Worcester and Tabasco sauces, cloves, sugar and salt. Stir and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes.

a reply to: putnam6

Interesting!

The beans and toast thing kind of makes sense. I've got to believe that the history behind this stems from the lack of quality meat products to eat with breakfast (or any meal really), likely as a result of decades of war in the early to mid 20th century.

Heh, I had some leftover beans from dinner last night and when I spied them this morning it brought back memories. I decided to eat them for breakfast, and it was actually pretty good. With toast would have been better. Maybe I'll try that sometime.

I'd love to know more of the history behind this. It doesn't seem intuitive really, hence the questions. Certainly nothing wrong with it, just an interesting custom.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Cold? Really?
Baked beans is a staple with a good breakfast in my opinion.
But not cold.
I’m in Canada. I’ve been across the country, and I don’t ever think I’ve seen cold baked beans on a menu.

My favourite baked bean flavour is the maple and bacon.
Or jut the plain old with molasses.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I knew of French colonization having some influence on food in SE Asia, but not aware of much from the UK. I know that some countries were influenced by the military rations of troops stationed there.

Could it be that they were issued as rations at some point, thus were usually eaten cold?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Beans for breakfast... sounds like a good way to propel you thru the day, LOLOL

Never heard of them cold.
Bacon,suasage,beans,mushroom,tomatoe and black pudding(I am Scottish) for a good breakfast

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I lived in the Uk for twenty years and have had full English breakfasts all over the country. Never have the baked beans been cold; usually tepid if not boiling hot. The type has always been the same... Heinz (in tomato) style, more sweet than savoury.

My absolute favourite was in a hotel in Scotland. They had a buffet, so you could just pick whatever you liked. Needless to say my plate overfloweth with goodness (twice), especially bacon, black pudding, beans, eggs and fried bread.

If the former British colony had a hot climate, that might explain why the beans were left cold. It would be a local variant.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Very likely the reason.

I wouldn't say they were "cold", but they weren't warm, more like room temp.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

We make the traditional beans with molasses and bacon or pork and have them as a side with eggs.

I think it's a leftover from the frontier days.

I know we didn't get it from the Brits, because we were here first.

Now I'm curious where my family got it from. I'm going to have to ask my Mom.

But yea, breakfast and beans (molasses, not tomato) go hand in hand.

I've never even heard of Asians having beans western style until now, so not much to offer there.

a reply to: Ksihkehe

Malaysia was an official British Colony until 1956 or 7 (can't remember which).

The French influence was further north and east in Vietnam.

ETA - Burma (now Myanmar) was also a British Colony. Many countries had their eyes on Thailand too, but they managed to resist colonization.

a reply to: Macenroe82

Again, I wouldn't say they were "cold" as in like refrigerated cold, they just weren't hot, like what I had been used to. I would say they were room temperature.

I know they ate beans in the morning in the old west days likely because that's all there was to eat and it was leftovers from the night before, but it was never any kind of a custom. In all my years I've never really eaten beans for breakfast though. Ate hot beans lots of time, just not for breakfast.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: putnam6

Interesting!

The beans and toast thing kind of makes sense. I've got to believe that the history behind this stems from the lack of quality meat products to eat with breakfast (or any meal really), likely as a result of decades of war in the early to mid 20th century.

Heh, I had some leftover beans from dinner last night and when I spied them this morning it brought back memories. I decided to eat them for breakfast, and it was actually pretty good. With toast would have been better. Maybe I'll try that sometime.

I'd love to know more of the history behind this. It doesn't seem intuitive really, hence the questions. Certainly nothing wrong with it, just an interesting custom.

Actually, baked beans is only one ingredient in what’s sometimes referred to as the “full proper” English breakfast, which also includes fried bacon AND sausage, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried eggs, fried bread (not toast) and sometimes black pudding plus coffee or tea. With all that frying going on, it’s sometimes also referred to as a “fry-up”.

I’m not sure where the tradition came from, but to me, it seems like the kind of breakfast a farm hand would eat before going out to spend all day plowing a field. Maybe without even using a horse, considering the amount of calories in it.

Given your profession, you should give it a try and then let us know what happens to your waistline.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Cold? Really?
Baked beans is a staple with a good breakfast in my opinion.
But not cold.
I’m in Canada. I’ve been across the country, and I don’t ever think I’ve seen cold baked beans on a menu.

My favourite baked bean flavour is the maple and bacon.
Or jut the plain old with molasses.

Definitely a Canadian thing I guess.

Leftover from the HBC days probably.

K now I'm hungry...and I got no beans dammit.

originally posted by: 1947boomer
Actually, baked beans is only one ingredient in what’s sometimes referred to as the “full proper” English breakfast, which also includes fried bacon AND sausage, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried eggs, fried bread (not toast) and sometimes black pudding plus coffee or tea. With all that frying going on, it’s sometimes also referred to as a “fry-up”.

Fried in what, though? My mother (doing basic eggs and bacon, tomatoes and bread) used to cook in lard. I find it hard to produce the right kind of fried bread when cooking in oil.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Sorry had a flash image of the legendary mystical levitation bean of Tibet were a monk that has trained all his life to be able to sit cross legged and levitate upon the side affects of the bean while the other monks make humming noises to cover up the obvious sound while savouring the warm air in the icy mountainous climate sit and watch in awe at this expertise at blowing the old trumpet.


Well in the UK most times beans are eaten would be for tea or as a snack such as beans on toast.

Bean's on toast is simple over in the UK preferably it is made with beans and sausages (what you in the US call pork and beans), white bread toasted on both sides to a golden colour, lavishly buttered with the best salted butter (I like the butter NOT to melt until the beans go on it), serve the beans steaming hot and put them (and the pork) onto your bread so that the butter is just melting as you pop the toast into your mouth, delicious but for breakfast no never tried that.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

My Mexican daughter-in-law sometimes cooks
mashed,black beans for breakfast.Served on
thick,grilled bread and topped with cheese,salsa
and sour cream.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Macenroe82

I know they ate beans in the morning in the old west days likely because that's all there was to eat and it was leftovers from the night before, but it was never any kind of a custom. In all my years I've never really eaten beans for breakfast though. Ate hot beans lots of time, just not for breakfast.

This reminds me of the breakfast scene in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was supposed to represent Oregon in 1850... how accurate, i don't know.

The breakfast Milly prepares is:
hot muffins, crisp bacon, steak, fryer potatoes, fresh ground coffee... No beans.



How much of this is artistic licence or historically accurate? Whatever, it's a hell of a breakfast!