Group H Final Standings

END OF GROUP H:

1. South Korea

2. Algeria

3. Russia
4. Belgium

This has been the most competitive group so far, with a lot of different approaches to fastbreaking on display. In the end I've had to go with the South Korean sandwich as my top choice, followed by Algeria. These two just had a bit more power to their flavours ahead of the other two. South Korea pipped Algeria to the top of the group due to its utilisation of vegetables and the short cooking time.

Algeria

Group H - ALGERIA

What is it?

M'shewsha - an Algerian egg dish that is somewhere between an omelette and a cake. See here for a recipe.

How was it?

Texturally, this sat somewhere between an omelette and a sponge cake. It was soft, airy and slightly chewy, with a slight crispiness to the outside. The main body of the m’shewsha only had a subtle sweetness to it, but it absorbed the honey I poured over it readily. It was a sweet treat with a very full body.

Overall thoughts:

Not using any sugar made this dish feel much healthier than it probably was. It was definitely a fuller meal than pancakes would have been, and it did leave me feeling ready to take on the world. It took quite a while to make unfortunately, but is something you could just leave for a while and get on with other things.

If it was an Algerian footballer:

The full-bodied and skilled Sofiane Feghouli.

Group B Final Standings

END OF GROUP B

1. Australia

2. Chile

3. Spain

4. Netherlands

I was surprised that Australia ended up being my favourite here. The problem with Spain and the Netherlands was that they were both too sweet, at times in an overbearing way. They were also quite one-dimensional in terms of what they offered. The heartiness of the steak and eggs just pulled Australia ahead of Chile.

Chile

Group B - CHILE

What is it?

A Latin American kind of cold cuts platter; bread, avocado, cheese and tomato.

How was it?

This was refreshing and healthy. Each of the four components complemented the others, and it was fun mixing and matching them up to see which taste combinations were best. It was quite easy to prepare a large portion as well, so the dish was quite filling.

Overall thoughts:

Very healthy and very easy to prepare. The only problem was that the dish lacked a fire in it. There was no moment of culinary genius or anything that felt particularly catalysing on the plate. I felt refreshed and comfortable, perhaps physically fuelled but not mentally fuelled for the rigours of the day.

If it was a Chilean footballer?

Supportive and familiar but not quite a main player, we’re looking at Jean Beausejour.

Costa Rica

Group D - COSTA RICA

What is it?

Gallo pinto! Black beans and rice refried together and served with toast and a fried egg.

How was it?

The beans and rice had a simple salty taste to them and felt as though they would make a good foundation for some form of salad. The egg worked well alongside, adding much needed moisture to the dish, but the toast, though buttered, was crying out for something less dry and stodgy to accompany it.

Overall thoughts:

Less beans and rice and more egg could have been a good move to make, as the dish was relatively dry as it was. It was a fine way to use up leftover rice, but lacked the well-rounded nature of some other breakfasts. It did feel quite hearty and homely though.

If it was a Costa Rican footballer?

The workmanlike defender, Oscar Duarte.

South Korea

Group H - SOUTH KOREA

What is it?

Gaeran tost-u (egg toast) - basically an omelette containing cabbage, carrot and onion eaten within two slices of toast. Ketchup finished things off.

How was it?

This reminded me of bubble and squeak slightly, probably due to the vegetables used in the omelette. I probably should have seasoned the mixture more before cooking, as I didn’t get much more than the regular tastes of veg and egg. The whole thing felt very wholesome in the mouth. It had a satisfying chew to it.

Overall thoughts:

This somehow managed to feel simultaneously healthy and unhealthy, most likely due to the mixture of traditionally healthy vegetables and oil and ketchup. It was certainly hearty and quick to knock up, and could easily be augmented and refined to become something very delicious indeed.

If it was a Korean footballer?

Definitely and defiantly the ever-dedicated Takhyeong Lee.

Argentina

Group F - ARGENTINA

What is it?

Medialunas with dulce de leche and a cup of mate.

How was it?

The medialunas (half moons/croissants) had an air of sophistication about their sugariness. The mate kept this meal grounded, stopping it from floating away in a sickly sweet haze. The medialunas had a fleshiness to them, which set them apart from other bastions of sweet that appear at the breakfast table.

Overall thoughts:

Simple, effective, and probably just the right amount of sweetness here. Dulce de leche is fairly strong stuff, but it was contained and made to be not too overbearing by the nature of the medialuna and the mate. It was a basic dish, but something about it felt quite refined.

If it was an Argentinian footballer?

Sweet like the delightful Angel di Maria.

Group E Final Standings

END OF GROUP E:

1. Switzerland

2. Ecuador

3. Honduras

4. France

The Bircher Benner muesli was a real sensation and sees the Swiss top the group comfortably. Another close run for second place sees Ecuador slip past Honduras. Honduras' baleada didn't have the textural variety that Ecuador did, as good as it tasted. A very similar outcome to that from Group A.

Ecuador

Group E - ECUADOR

What is it?

Bolon de verde, with a fried egg, hot sauce, and avocado slices.

How was it?

The bolon de verde were plantain dumplings with cheese in them. The plantain were fried until soft,  then mashed with some paprika and chili powder and formed into balls (bolones) with cheese**. These were then fried again until the outside of the balls were brown and crispy. They tasted like a nutty hash brown, and were quite dry. They worked well with egg and avocado which provided moisture to the dish. Some hot sauce (not pictured) helped add even more, and contrasted nicely with the coolness of the avocado and yolk.


*they didn’t go particular soft unfortunately. I probably should have used riper plantain.

**due to the mash being rather crumbly I had to mix the cheese into the plantain mixture, rather than enclosing the cheese within the centre of the ball.

Overall thoughts:

This was a meal that was not too complex on the plate, yet managed to do plenty of different things and do them well. The contrasts between taste and texture were, as ever, very pleasing to me. The main drawback with this dish was how long it took to prepare the dumplings, whose cooking seemingly had a small margin for error. These could be prepared the night previously, but that is a level of hassle that most breakfasts don’t share.

If it was an Ecuadorian footballer?

Versatile and skilled, but with a dark side, we’re looking at Antonio Valencia.

Spain

Group B - SPAIN

What is it?

Churros, hot chocolate, una magdalena.

How was it?

This was very sweet. The churros and magdalena were so sweet that the hot chocolate had a savoury feel to it when I came to drink it. The churros had a chewy crunch to them which was satisfying, and contrasted with soft sponginess of the magdalena, which had a lemony hint to it that set it off nicely. 

NB - I removed the ridiculous amount of icing that was on the cupcake I bought to play the role of magdalena. I was served the churros with some dulce de leche to dip them in.

Overall thoughts:

I am told that this type of breakfast is considered to be something of treat, which for the sake of Spanish diets everywhere is just as well. This was a sugar fest, the kind of breakfast that 7 year olds dream about. There was a good variety to the types of sweetness though, which made it interesting, but I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty that this was actually my breakfast at 9am.

If it was a Spanish footballer?

As sweet a player as Diego Corbalán Muñiz.

Italy

Group D - ITALY

What is it?

Coffee with fette biscottate. I used a tea rusk to represent this, being the closest equivalent I could find.

How was it?

Too slight, too brief. Not enough going on, here. The coffee was great, but my stomach was not convinced. That biscuit should not have been the centrepiece for any kind of meal, let alone breakfast. Barely any flavour, barely any consistency, barely any hope of getting me ready for the rest of the day.

Overall thoughts:

This is no way to start your day. Perhaps midway through the morning, but first thing I want something a little more substantial, thank-you very much.

I had originally failed to find any kind of rusk-like biscuits for this breakfast, and so I originally ate a pain au chocolate with my coffee, to mimic the stylings of the cornetto. This was much better. Pastries are probably the way for the Italians if they’re going to insist on small breakfasts.

If it was an Italian footballer?

Lauded in his homeland, impotent in the World Cup. We’re looking at Ciro Immobile.

Greece

Group C - GREECE

What is it?

The kind of traditional Greek breakfast that is/was available in “milk shops”: hot milk, yoghurt, and bread and butter with honey.

How was it?

This was a very simple breakfast, that provided neat counter-balancing textures and temperatures. The soft bread and innocently sugary honey were delightful to eat alongside the cold yoghurt, and the milk functioned as a palette cleanser that also soothed with warm almost-sweetness. It was a very complete meal.

Overall thoughts:

It was a well-rounded breakfast in itself, but this didn’t feel particularly hearty. There was no strong flavour swaggering around to stoke the fires of the heart. Yes, it was pleasing to eat, but I was not left feeling ready for the day. The warm milk may have contributed to a lethargy that hung over shortly after eating. This meal would probably work better at the opposite end of the day.

If it was a Greek footballer?

Old and sweet, but lacking in power or potency, we’re looking at Theofanis Gekas.

Group A Final Standings

I'm now starting to finish off some of the World Cup groups, so let's have a look and see who was tasty enough to go through to the next round.

GROUP A:

1. Mexico
2. Brazil
3. Croatia

4. Cameroon

Mexico ran away with this one. It was close for second between Brazil and Croatia. Croatia may have shaded it in the taste stakes, but the balance and variety on the Brazilian plate gave the edge. Cameroon's breakfast was a bit too stodgy to really make an impact in this group, and so Mexico and Brazil move on to the next round.