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Porridge is Healthy: 8 Good Reasons to Eat Porridge For Breakfast

Porridge is healthy, tasty and nutritious. Here you can find out what makes oatmeal so good for your health and why you should eat it more often for breakfast.

Porridge is healthy: Oatmeal as a new food trend

In recent years, porridge has shed its dusty image and developed into a real food trend. Oatmeal is nothing new, though. Porridge was already widespread in the past as a cheap and filling breakfast, especially among the poor. Today, porridge is more popular than ever – rightly so, because porridge is extremely healthy and nutritious. Oatmeal provides us with important nutrients and provides a lot of energy for the day. Here you will find eight good reasons why porridge should be on your breakfast table more often.

1. Porridge fills you up for a long time
2. Porridge promotes digestion
3. Porridge lowers the cholesterol level and protects against civilization diseases
4. Porridge provides us with healthy proteins
5. Porridge contains important vitamins and minerals
6. Porridge provides healthy fatty acids
7. Porridge is naturally gluten-free
8. Porridge is variable, tasty and cheap

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Lifestyle

What Does a Good Marriage Have to do With Coffee?

Coffee and a happy marriage should be related? Maybe not directly – but some comparisons and parallels can be seen.

The comparison of coffee, partner and marriage

The author of the guide “The marriage table: 77 thoughts and quotes for life as a couple” says that women want a certain type of man. It is compared to a black, strong and hot coffee. Here one or the other lady should already start to smile and nod in agreement with one or the other attribute. Then, unexpectedly, it is said that we pour milk into our “coffee” until it is no longer so black. Then we sweeten our coffee so that it is no longer so strong. And last but not least, we blow so that we don’t burn ourselves. Then we are surprised to find that what used to be black, strong and hot coffee is now just a beige, sweet and lukewarm specialty.

If we now focus on the actual specialty coffee, that may also be the case for many. She even hit the mark with one or the other. But if we project this coffee onto our partner, the whole thing looks a bit more sobering. In short: We keep changing our great guy, man or woman, until we don’t really like him anymore. Fortunately, this comparison still leaves some room for your own interpretations.

Of course you can leave the church in the village, because fortunately it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. The author Regula Lehmann would like to make it clear that our ideal often deviates from reality. Sure, coffee is great, but everyone drinks it in their own personal way. We shouldn’t form our counterparts according to our ideas, but look for a partner with whom we complement each other wonderfully. This takes away the burden of having to be complete on our own. After all, it is impossible for us to run or even win a marathon with two left shoes. Of course, the principle applies to both men and women.

The comparison of coffee and the partner is certainly extremely amusing at one point or another – but still successful. Without many words you can understand what the author wants to tell you. Surely everyone knows good tips and recipes for a functioning marriage or relationship. Substituting coffee for the holy water at marriage, writing the marriage contract in case of divorce on the label of a wine bottle to make it easier to bear, or putting a pastoral number on speed dial are certainly not all-encompassing solutions. But: When time comes, advice will come. In any case, we are sure that a good cup of coffee can do no harm in a partnership.

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Food

Oatmeal Nutrition Facts: Gluten Free, Healthy and Good Calories

Oatmeal is healthy, provides valuable calories and is – at least naturally – gluten-free. You can find out the nutritional values ​​of oatmeal here.

Oatmeal is so healthy: the nutritional values

Oatmeal is not only versatile, it is also one of the healthiest foods. Whether in muesli, as porridge or as a basis for vegetarian patties – with oatmeal you are doing something good for your health.

100 grams of rolled oats contain:

Calories: A little more than 350 calories – a value that makes the figure-conscious in particular sit up and take notice. In fact, these are long-chain carbohydrates that make you long.
Carbohydrates: just under 60 grams
Protein: 13.5 grams – which is why oatmeal is very suitable for a vegan diet and for muscle building.
Fat: seven grams of fat. Compared to other cereals, oats are therefore quite high in fat. However, these are almost exclusively unsaturated fatty acids, which are very healthy for the human body.
Dietary Fiber: Ten grams of dietary fiber and are so very high in dietary fiber. Oatmeal stimulates your digestion and keeps you full for longer.
In addition, the oatmeal provides vitamins and numerous valuable minerals:

Oats are rich in B vitamins, which are important for healthy skin, hair and nails. We also need vitamin B1 and B6 for our nerves.
In addition, with oats you supply your body with essential minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium and manganese.
Thanks to the high content of beta-glucan, oatmeal can also help lower cholesterol levels.

Gluten in oatmeal: you need to know that

In itself, the oats are gluten-free and therefore suitable for people with gluten intolerance (celiac disease). However, oatmeal and other oat products can be contaminated with wheat. This is mainly due to the fact that the same machines are used for harvesting.

Important: If you have a gluten intolerance, you should therefore pay attention to the imprint “gluten-free” when buying.

Oats in a gluten-free diet have been discussed for years. According to the Deutsche Zöliakie-Gesellschaft e.V., most people with celiac disease tolerate the (uncontaminated) oats without any symptoms. However, a small proportion has been shown to react negatively to the grain.

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Cooking Tips

Help, My Coffee Doesn’t Taste Good!

Is your coffee too bitter or sour, too bland or does it taste strangely burnt? A lot can go wrong when preparing a coffee. We present some of the most common sources of error.

Incorrect brewing temperature

The optimal brewing temperature is 88 to 92 degrees Celsius. Only then can the coffee aromas develop optimally. If your coffee tastes too bitter, then the set brewing temperature is too high. If your coffee is sour, increase the temperature because the water is too cold.

Poor water quality

Whether your coffee tastes good or bad depends not least on the quality of the water used. Good mineral water is best because the lime content is usually lower than in tap water. Alternatively, you can decalcify the tap water with a water filter before use. It is also possible that the coffee tastes bland and cannot develop any aroma if the water used is too soft. This can be remedied by carefully adding a very small pinch of salt to the water.

Ready ground coffee

Of course it is much more convenient to buy coffee already ground, because that saves time. However, ground coffee loses its aroma after a quarter of an hour in the air. If it has to be ground coffee, then you should only buy it in small quantities and use it up in a short time. Most importantly, always keep your coffee in an airtight container. Contrary to popular belief, coffee does not have to be stored in the refrigerator. On the contrary, coffee in the refrigerator can even take on the unwanted aromas of the food next to it.

old coffee

After three to six months, coffee beans have lost most of their aroma. So only buy as much fresh coffee as you need in a short time and not in stock.

Coffee from the discounter

Very cheap coffee is mostly made using the quick roasting process. Because the coffee beans are roasted here in huge drums within a few minutes at very high temperatures, the beans are brown on the outside, but still almost raw on the inside. However, in order for the coffee to develop its full aroma, the beans must be roasted slowly and completely at low temperatures. Of course, this process is much more complex and partly explains the higher price. But you will be rewarded with a coffee that doesn’t taste burnt or make your stomach acidic.

Wrong coffee blend

If you want a stable crema on your coffee, then a pure Arabica coffee is not ideal.

Too much or too little ground coffee

If coffee tastes bitter, then too much coffee powder was usually used. Eight to nine grams of ground coffee is the right amount for a cup of coffee. If you want to prepare several cups at the same time, use a little less per cup. It is best to use a coffee measurer, which is usually calibrated for seven grams, and overfill it slightly – this will give you the optimum amount of coffee powder. The notorious “Bodensee coffee” without any noteworthy aroma is obtained if too little coffee powder is used.

Wrong degree of grinding

An incorrect degree of grinding means that the coffee powder comes into contact with the water for either too long or too little. If the contact time is too long, your coffee will taste bitter. If the contact time is too short, the coffee will tend to be too acidic. With bitter coffee, you should therefore set the degree of grinding a little coarser so that the water can run through the coffee powder more quickly. Finer coffee powder, on the other hand, increases the contact time with the water.

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Cooking Tips

The Espresso Afterwards – Why it is so Good After a Meal

In many countries, an espresso after a meal is part of a sumptuous meal. Is this a tradition or does the espresso have really positive effects?

The espresso after the meal

Everyone has probably experienced the situation before. After an extensive meal at your favorite Italian restaurant, an espresso is offered at the end. And indeed, after enjoying the little coffee, the food is no longer so heavy in the stomach and you just feel better again. The feeling of sluggishness that tends to set in after a meal seems to have vanished. But what about this tradition, which is extensively celebrated in many countries? Or is it just an imagined effect? Scientists debate the effects of espresso on digestion and well-being.

Espresso? What is that, actually?

Small, black and strong – these are the attributes that are immediately attributed to the small coffee. Many coffee drinkers swear by the short cup of coffee, for others the specialty is too strong. Opinions are already divided here, but as we all know, there is no arguing about taste. Everyone agrees on the origin of the espresso.
The espresso comes from Italy, more precisely from Milan and was drunk here for the first time around 1900.
In the meantime it has conquered the world and is an integral part of every coffee menu. The preparation of this Italian coffee specialty is an art in itself, especially when it is made with a portafilter machine.
For a perfect espresso, hot water is pressed through freshly ground coffee powder under high pressure. The hallmark of a successful drink is the fine crema. Depending on the coffee bean used, the espresso is more digestible or stronger. The typical Italian variant is made from dark roasted beans with a Robusta share of 50%. The version with lightly roasted Arabica beans, on the other hand, is more digestible. By the way, it’s a myth that an espresso contains more caffeine than other coffees. Only the concentration is higher due to the lower liquid content.

This is how an espresso works after a meal

An espresso after a meal is a special treat that is celebrated not only in Italy but in many other European countries. This is not only due to the typical taste, the pleasantly warm feeling is also good. But these are not the only reasons for a little coffee after dinner. The special effect of the espresso is related to the caffeine it contains. Caffeine is said to have a stimulating effect. In the human body, the metabolism and the central nervous system are stimulated – pulse and blood pressure rise. Normally, after eating, the body deals with digestion, all other functions are shut down, so that a certain tiredness sets in. The espresso works to avoid this tiredness thanks to the caffeine content. However, the positive effects do not end there.
The caffeine in espresso also affects digestion. It can stimulate intestinal activity and thus trigger the emptying of the intestine. However, digestion in the stomach is not affected, as is often falsely claimed. In addition, espresso has a positive effect on gastric acid production. The bitter substances contained play an important role here. These regulate the production of gastric acid and prevent over-acidification of the stomach. In addition, a cup of coffee after a meal helps to bring the oral flora back into balance. The polyphenols contained in coffee fight bacteria and plaque. Thus, enjoying coffee after a meal has numerous positive effects.

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Food

6 Good Reasons to Give Up Fish

Healthy, tasty, an unprocessed natural product – fish is a regular part of our menu. Or? There are also good reasons not to eat fish.

Fishing is destructive

Whether or not fish feel pain is a matter of debate. However, the mere possibility that they might suffer makes most of today’s capture, breeding and killing methods seem cruel. As a rule, the fish slowly drown, suffocate or bleed to death.

Perhaps more importantly, many fishing methods involve large amounts of bycatch. It is often larger fish such as rays or sharks, but mammals such as whales and dolphins, turtles and seabirds also regularly perish in the nets and lines. Depending on the fishing method and the species being fished, up to 90 percent of a catch can be by-catch. It is estimated that bycatch could account for up to 40 percent of the world catch.

The marine ecosystem is also suffering: many of the fishing methods used in industrial fishing cause serious damage to the oceans. Various types of bottom trawls, which are towed along the seabed, are particularly widespread. They leave deep furrows in the seabed, destroy rock formations and coral reefs and thus the habitat of numerous species.

In addition, according to experts, these bottom trawls release huge amounts of CO2 directly from the seabed. Every year, twice the amount of carbon dioxide escapes that Germany produced in 2020. The CO2 escapes into the water and contributes to the acidification of the oceans.

The seas are empty

Most of the fish that end up on our plates come from overfished stocks. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), almost 35 percent of the world’s fish stocks are currently overfished. Around 60 percent of the fish stocks are used to the limit – that is, the stocks can just about be preserved, an increase in catches would lead to overfishing. “Overfished” means that more fish are caught than can “come naturally” and stocks are declining.

In recent decades, commercial fishing has pushed a large number of marine life to the brink of extinction – not least due to the high levels of bycatch. This development not only disrupts the natural ecosystem of the oceans, but also widens the gap between developing and industrialized countries. Because European super trawlers have long been fishing the coastal waters off Africa and South America empty and African fish are flown halfway around the world.

According to the FAO, the stocks of popular edible fish species such as cod, mackerel, anchovies, Pacific pollack (“Alaska pollock”) and tuna are largely at the limit or even overfished. More than 30 percent of the stocks of the seven most important tuna species alone are considered overfished. In the Mediterranean, more than 90 percent of the fish stocks are overfished.

Excessive fishing affects the ecological balance of the oceans. Large fish are particularly popular for consumption. When industrial fisheries catch large amounts of it, the natural composition of the so-called food web changes. For example, if predatory fish such as tuna are missing, populations of smaller fish will spread. According to the WWF, the worst that can happen is a destabilization of the food chain.

Tip: In the regularly updated WWF fish guide or the fish guide from the consumer advice centers, the organization lists which types of fish are (still) recommended and which are not.

Aquaculture is factory farming

According to the FAO, around half of the fish consumed worldwide now comes from aquaculture. Although these are often mentioned as an ecological alternative, they are often just as unsustainable as wild capture.

Aquaculture can help to conserve endangered stocks, but it has some typical characteristics and problems of factory farming. Bred for rapid growth, the animals are kept in confined spaces, either in artificial ponds or in cages in open water.

Because this makes them susceptible to disease, they are often treated with antibiotics and other drugs, residues of which can also be found in the fillet. The excretions of the fish pollute the waters and lead to over-fertilization. Particularly “open” aquaculture systems in the sea or in rivers harbor the risk of polluting the surrounding waters with leftover feed, faeces, medicines and chemicals.

In addition, predatory fish such as salmon or trout in farms are often fed with wild-caught fish or feed derived from them, which further drives overfishing of the seas. In some cases, several kilos of fish protein are required as feed per kilo of edible fish – according to Greenpeace, for example, for one kilo of farmed tuna around 20 kilos of feed.

Some popular edible fish such as pangasius and tilapia are now almost exclusively farmed in aquaculture – often in Asia. In 2011, an ARD documentary revealed how pangasius farming in Vietnam used antibiotics and chemicals uncontrolled and polluted the waters.

Another problem: Large areas of mangrove forest are being cleared in Asia and Central America for fish farms. “Around a third of the world’s mangrove populations have been destroyed since the 1980s.

The seals are weak

Just like for other foods (read also: When organic is really organic), a number of seals have now been established for fish products, which are intended to offer consumers orientation.

The most common seal is that of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). According to the MSC, the certified companies must fish for fish stocks sustainably and using environmentally friendly methods. The organization has thus made a contribution to ensuring that sustainability plays a role as a criterion for the fishing industry, trade and consumers.

Nevertheless, the MSC is repeatedly criticized, among other things because it is supposed to allow industrial fishing of overfished stocks and destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawls.

The EU regulation for organic aquaculture from 2009 sets some sensible minimum criteria, but experts consider those for stocking density and chemicals to be too weak.

The two certification systems ASC and GLOBAL G.A.P. there are gaps in the sustainability standards for fish from aquaculture, for example with regard to the origin of the feed.

The relatively widespread SAFE seal certifies only “dolphin-safe” caught tuna, but does not take into account overfishing of the stocks or the fishing method.

Unfortunately, the strictest certifications are hardly widespread: the guidelines of the organic associations Naturland (aquaculture and wild fish) and Bioland (aquaculture).

Fishing leaves garbage in the sea

Huge amounts of nets are used for the huge catches worldwide. The nets used are mostly made of plastic fibers – and far too often they end up as garbage in the sea. There they float in the water as so-called “ghost nets” or get caught on reefs and rocks.

The abandoned nets usually get into the sea by mistake, storms or boat accidents. But it also happens, according to the WWF, that fisheries dispose of old nets in the sea. The nets remain on the seabed for hundreds of years and contribute to plastic pollution in the oceans – also by releasing microplastics.

Aside from pollution, ghost nets pose a massive threat to marine life. They eat small bits of plastic that come off the nets, or they get caught in the nets, injuring themselves or dying.

According to a Greenpeace report from 2019, around 640,000 tons of nets are lost or disposed of in the oceans every year. Around six percent of all nets used are lost every year and end up as marine litter. Fishing gear is said to account for around ten percent of all plastic entering the oceans today.

Fish is not as healthy as you think

Fish once or twice a week? Most nutrition experts agree: fish is healthy for humans. It is undisputed that fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and that these are important for human nutrition.

But not only fish, but also some vegetable foods and oils contain omega-3 fatty acids, for example linseed oil, hemp oil, rapeseed oil, wheat germ oil and walnuts as well as special preparations from microalgae. Iodine, vitamin D and proteins, which are abundant in fish, can also be easily ingested from plant sources.

Under certain circumstances, pollutants can also be found in fish in addition to all the healthy substances. Heavy metals such as mercury, industrial toxins such as PCBs (polychlorinated diphenyls) and dioxins, but also the smallest plastic particles (microplastics), antibiotics and pesticides are regularly found in fish of various origins. In particular, predatory fish such as tuna, salmon, swordfish or pike are affected. The Federal Ministry for the Environment therefore advises pregnant women not to eat some types of fish.

Which fish can you eat now?

Giving up fish is the safest choice for the environment. Fish is also not a must for your own health. Anyone who is concerned with habits or taste will find many vegan fish substitutes on the market today.

Anyone who does not (yet) want to do without fish completely should pay attention to a few things when buying:

The WWF shopping guide provides an assessment of which fish species from which stocks and fishing methods are (still) acceptable from an environmental point of view. You have to look closely at the ratings, because some restrictions apply. In the past it was criticized that the WWF was too uncritical of the MSC, but the association is now complaining about shortcomings. Without major restrictions, the WWF only recommends carp and African catfish from European aquaculture.
The relatively new fish guide from the consumer centers (here as a PDF) also provides good orientation. It takes slightly fewer fish species into account, but is sometimes a bit stricter than the WWF in its assessment.
The organic farming associations Naturland and Bioland certify sustainably caught or farmed fish. Their guidelines are very strict, but the seals are not very widely used at the moment. You can find certified products in health food stores.
Just like meat, fish is actually a luxury product, which means: if you buy it at all, it’s better to buy it seldom and of good quality.

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Cooking Tips

Make Bubble Tea Yourself: 5 Good Reasons and a Recipe

Colorful drinks with wobbly balls: bubble tea is back in fashion. We’ll show you here why it’s better to just make it yourself than to buy it.

Already ten years ago it was the trend drink par excellence in Germany: bubble tea. Freely translated, this means ball or pearl tea. The liquid refreshment comes from Asia, more precisely from Taiwan. Bubble tea has been there for more than 25 years. The special thing about it: in addition to tea, milk and syrup, small balls make the bubble tea what it is.

The classic version of the bubbles consists of tapioca pearls. These are made from maple syrup mixed with tapioca flour and cooked. The bubbles turn black because the syrup caramelizes.

Tapioca flour consists of ground cassava roots, which are often referred to as “tropical potatoes”. The tapioca flour is relatively neutral, the flavor comes from mixing with the syrup. The consistency of the pearls resembles that of jello.

There are now other options on the market: on the one hand, there are the “Popping Bobas”. They are filled with fruit juice and will burst if you bite into them. There are also “jellies” made from coconut flesh and fruit juice.

Why you should make bubble tea yourself

As tasty and trendy as the soft drink may be, there are good reasons not to buy commercial bubble tea. In addition to very obvious points such as the plastic packaging, there are also many hidden ingredients in Bubble Tea that are not necessarily obvious at first glance.

If you still feel like having the drink from time to time, you can make it yourself with just a few ingredients. This is how you decide what goes into the tea and how you serve it.

Plastic cup and straw: the packaging of bubble tea

Bubble tea shops usually offer little space and are designed according to the to-go principle. This means that the drink is filled into plastic cups and customers take it with them. But that’s not all: the lid of the cup is made of a thin plastic film into which a plastic straw is inserted.

Not exactly timely when you consider that an EU-wide ban on single-use plastic, which also affects plastic straws, is to come into force in July 2021. Because if you use plastic, you harm both the environment and your health. Because plastic contains many chemicals that can get into your body, according to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND). The additives are not firmly embedded in the plastic and are therefore particularly easy to remove from the cup and straw.

Packaging waste in particular poses a problem, as it is thrown away after it has been used once. It accounts for around a third of the plastic waste we produce; according to BUND, only a little is recycled.

Sugar content as high as cola

Tea and milk – actually, the main ingredients of bubble tea seem to be quite healthy. In fact, bubble tea contains about the same amount of sugar and calories as cola: a 500-milliliter cup of the trend drink contains between 300 and 500 calories, depending on the variety; the sugar content is up to 60 grams.

For comparison: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum of 50 grams of sugar per day for adults. With a cup of bubble tea, this need is already covered, if not exceeded. For children and adolescents, the recommended intake of sugar is even lower.

As a consumer, you quickly underestimate the sugar content of bubble tea: the drinks are enriched with ice cubes, which weaken the sweet taste. If you make the bubble tea yourself, you can better control the sugar content.

Ingredients of Bubble Tea

From colorants and flavorings to acidifiers and preservatives – according to Stiftung Warentest, bubble tea contains numerous artificial ingredients. The survey was released during the first wave of bubble tea trends in 2012. However, the results are still usable, because the ingredients have not changed much.

There are also shops that use tea powder instead of fresh tea to prepare bubble tea. This creates a variety of tastes. The downside of the coin: the powders contain more chemical additives than natural teas. In the homemade bubble tea you can rely on natural ingredients.

Caffeine content in bubble tea

Black and green teas contain theine – a special name for the stimulant caffeine. Since green or black tea forms the basis for many bubble teas, the soft drinks also contain large amounts of caffeine. The stimulating effect is usually similar to that of cola, but is usually not marked when bubble tea is sold.

The problem with this is that children and young people in particular drink bubble tea. And caffeinated drinks are not suitable for them, according to the Association for Independent Health Advice (UGB).

Danger of choking from bubbles

As attractive as the bubbles make the tea, they can be life-threatening. Because the beads with a diameter of eight to eleven millimeters are very slippery and sometimes difficult to chew on.

The danger is increased by the straws: They are extra wide so that the balls can fit through. Due to the suction, the beads can get directly into the trachea and lungs. The situation in children is so alarming that the professional association of paediatricians in Germany advocated a warning on the cups with bubble tea in 2012. Adults can also choke on the bubbles.

If you make bubble tea yourself and want to serve it to children, make sure to use low-caffeine tea and do not offer it to young children.

Make bubble tea yourself

Although the above points make bubble tea questionable: you don’t have to do without the soft drink. With our simple recipe you can make it yourself and thus pay attention to natural ingredients and a low sugar content – you can do without the plastic cup and straw.

For all ingredients, make sure to use products with organic and fair trade seals – especially with tea, which you use as the basis for the drink. We particularly recommend the Naturland, Bioland and Demeter seals, as the certified products have to meet very strict environmental protection criteria. You can use black or green tea, but any other variety of your choice also tastes good as bubble tea.

To make the balls you need Tapioca Starch. Regional alternatives are corn starch or potato starch.

Caution: Homemade bubble tea is also unsuitable for small children, as they can choke on the balls.

Ingredients:

60 g tapioca, corn or potato starch
30 ml maple syrup
700 ml tea
300 ml vegetable milk
ice cubes
Honey, agave syrup or maple syrup for sweetening

Directions:

First you make the tapioca pearls. Put the starch in a bowl with the maple syrup.
Knead the ingredients into a homogeneous, caramel-colored mass.
Form hazelnut-sized balls from the syrup-starch mixture.
Boil water in a saucepan.
Put the balls in the water and let them cook for 20 minutes. Keep stirring every now and then.
If the bubbles have a jelly-like consistency, you can pour them into a colander. Then rinse the balls thoroughly with cold water. Tip: If you don’t use your bubbles straight away, you should store them in syrup so that they don’t stick together.
brew the tea It can be a little stronger, as the ice cubes will dilute it.
Divide the tea, bubbles, ice and milk into glasses. To sweeten, you can add honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup to taste.

Bubble tea sometimes fruity

To serve the bubble tea, you can put tall spoons or straws made of glass or metal into the glasses.

If you want to give your drink a fruity note, you can reduce the amount of tea and add a fresh juice of your choice to the bubble tea instead.

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Cooking Tips

The English Breakfast: Traditional Recipe For a Good Start to the Day

Who of you has never tried a traditional English breakfast?

Bacon, scrambled eggs, pork sausages, beans, toast, jam and much more are part of the “Full English Breakfast”, the traditional breakfast that the British love to eat in the morning. And “Full” really is. In contrast to the small, often quick bites that we eat in Germany in the morning, the English breakfast always counts as a complete meal.

When it comes to this hearty highlight of English cuisine, non-British people usually have different opinions: either you love it or you find it far too sumptuous and take some getting used to.

Especially on cold winter days, the English breakfast offers a really energetic start to the day.

Why is the English breakfast so rich?

The reasons for such a hearty breakfast have a historical background. In the past, such a high-calorie start was very good preparation for a long day’s work in the factory or in the field. The rich breakfast provided the necessary energy for this. Nowadays, so many reserves of strength are no longer absolutely necessary, since many jobs are less physically demanding. That’s why there are also lighter breakfast options in England for everyone who prefers to stay in shape and start the day carefree.

How do you prepare an English breakfast?

As previously mentioned, the Full English Breakfast consists of both sweet and savory foods. Although there are now various healthier breakfast options, this traditional morning meal remains popular and is a nice ritual for the whole family, especially at the weekend.

Now let’s take a look at how to prepare a traditional Full English Breakfast and what ingredients you need to make it.

Ingredients (2 servings)

– 6 sausages
– 4 slices of smoked bacon
– 2 medium-sized eggs
– ½ can of beans in tomato sauce (baked beans)
– 2 medium tomatoes cut in half
– 12 cleaned mushrooms
– 4 slices of toast
– some butter
– some jam
– 8 oranges
– Coffee or Ceylon tea

preparation

Fry the sausages in the pan on all sides, do the same with the bacon until it is crispy. Keep everything warm in the preheated oven (to 80°C). Warm the beans over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now fry the tomatoes and mushrooms in the same oil as the sausages and bacon and keep them warm in the oven as well. Toast the bread slices until golden, cut each in half diagonally and brush with butter and jam if desired. Now fry the eggs in another pan: depending on your taste, you can either prepare fried or scrambled eggs.
Arrange the plates as shown in the picture above.

Coffee or tea: what do you drink with an English breakfast?

At a full English breakfast, Brits usually drink a freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of tea. However, over the years, traditional English tea has been increasingly replaced by breakfast coffee, which is best drunk thin in a large cup.

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Cooking Tips

Coffee Crema: The Adornment of a Good Espresso

A well-done coffee crema can be found on a correctly prepared, fresh espresso and makes you look forward to the perfect coffee just by looking at it. It stands for the quality of the coffee and the skillful preparation in equal measure.

With a good espresso, the crema settles by itself, so it is not poured onto the coffee. Ideally, it is light brown, thick and a few millimeters high. It is created by the oil in the coffee bean, which rises to the top after preparation. In addition to the coffee beans, carbon dioxide, proteins and sugar bind to form a velvety, fine consistency.

Connoisseurs swear by a good crema that it holds a teaspoon of sugar for about 3 seconds before the sugar settles to the bottom. The crema should then close completely on the surface. The settling of the coffee crema on the surface is particularly visible when the espresso is served in a glass. Then you can see how fine bubbles form, which collect on the surface to form a golden-brown layer. The finer the bubbles settle, the higher the quality of the crema. In the best case, a kind of hood forms on the espresso in which you can hardly see the individual bubbles.

The bean used for the espresso is decisive for the consistency of the coffee crema. With an Arabica bean, the crema becomes finer and lighter, it is velvety. With espresso made from Robusta beans, or with a proportion of Robusta beans, the crema becomes thicker and firmer, so it stays on the surface longer.

Different ways of preparing the coffee crema

There is no crema on a normal filter coffee, as this is only created by pressure during preparation. The higher the pressure, the better the coffee crema. With a classic espresso maker, this is not ideal because the water pressure is not high enough. That’s why espresso makers are now available with a special crema valve that ensures perfect coffee enjoyment all round. In fully automatic coffee machines that are filled with whole beans, or with pad and capsule machines, you can prepare a good coffee crema at the touch of a button. With high-quality portafilter machines, very high pressure of nine to ten bar is generated and the crema is correspondingly good with this professional method of preparation, in which the coffee only dribbles slightly at first and then flows into the cup with an even stream. This guarantees the perfect crema.

The characteristics of a perfect coffee crema

The crema is a quality criterion for the coffee and connoisseurs can tell whether the coffee is fresh or the beans are a bit older by its colour, consistency, dwell time on the coffee and the quantity. The fresher the coffee, the better the coffee crema. And the color also provides information: If the crema is very dark, then the water was too hot during the brewing process or the beans were ground too finely. On the other hand, if the color is too light, then the beans were prepared too quickly and with too cold water, or the beans were too old and ground too coarsely. If the coffee crema dissolves quickly, then too little pressure was brewed – however, the espresso cup may also have been too hot or too cold. In general, the ground coffee should be fresh, the amount must be right and it should be brewed with a water temperature of 90 to 95° C and a pressure of nine to ten bar – then nothing can go wrong. In terms of color, the ideal crema should have a beautiful golden-brown tone.
With fully automatic coffee machines, pad and capsule machines, the crema is created by additional valves that froth the coffee. A good crema completes the pleasurable experience when drinking an espresso, because it ensures a harmonious and velvety overall impression.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Beans Raw: Why It’s Not a Good Idea

Eating beans raw is not a good idea, although many other vegetables are fine to eat raw. Uncooked, legumes contain phasin, which has many undesirable side effects.

That’s why you shouldn’t eat beans raw

Raw fruit or vegetable sticks are considered a healthy snack. Unlike carrots or cucumbers, however, it is better not to use raw beans. It is also not advisable to try a piece of uncooked bean when preparing it.

This is because raw beans contain phasin, according to the Bavarian consumer advice center. This is a mixture of lectins, a toxic protein compound. It consists of the amino acids glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, tyrosine, lysine and arginine. Phasin is found in raw vegetables, especially kidney beans and other legumes such as red and white kidney beans.

Phasin is toxic to humans because it causes red blood cells to stick together. Above a certain dose, the consumption of green beans leads to vomiting, diarrhea, stomach and intestinal problems or headaches. According to the Bavarian consumer center, five to six beans are enough for children to show symptoms. With red kidney beans, adults can experience side effects after eating four to five seeds, while with kidney beans it has to be a good handful. Symptoms of poisoning usually appear two to three hours after consumption.

In the worst case, fatal poisoning is also possible. However, this requires a very large amount of beans.

You should keep this in mind when eating beans

So that you can enjoy your beans without side effects, we have a few tips for you below:

Boil the beans for at least 10 minutes. According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, the phasin is destroyed and you run no risk of poisoning yourself.
Discard the bean water after soaking, as it contains phasin. You can reuse the cooking water: Use bean water: 5 surprising ways.
Be careful with sprouting beans or legumes. Sprouting reduces the phasin content, but you should still blanch or boil them briefly. Due to the lower phasin content, blanching would also suffice here.
Keep small children away from uncooked beans. They are more prone to side effects due to their light weight and don’t yet know that uncooked beans are not good for them.

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