Licking The Plate Clean: finishing off the Breakfast World Cup

So, I've had plenty of time to mull over the final stages of the Breakfast World Cup. It is now time for me to lay this ghost to rest, finish off the last few scraps that remain on the plate and digest it all in time for engaging once more with my original raison d'ėtre.


SECOND ROUND:

Mexico beats Chile

Brazil beats Australia

Costa Rica beats Greece

England beats Japan

Switzerland beats Argentina

Iran beats Ecuador

USA beats Algeria

Portugal beats South Korea

In these match-ups, it was a variety of flavours and textures that tended to win the battle. Each winner just had a wee bit more depth than the opposing breakfast. In close run clashes, a warmer, heartier dish would win the day over a colder one. A bit of warmth gets me going better at the start of the day.

And so, on to the...

QUARTER FINALS:

Mexico beats Costa Rica - the huevos rancheros flavours were more vibrant than those of the gallo pinto.

England beats Brazil - the hosts just couldn't match the total breakfasting of the English dish.

Switzerland beats USA - this was incredibly close, but the ease at which the Swiss breakfast was created gave it an edge for me over the pancakes.

Portugal beats Iran - another close one. Iran's breakfast was great, but the hearty warmth of the Portuguese dish did it for me.

Oh shiiiiiiii...we're getting close now...

SEMI FINALS:

Mexico beats Switzerland - vibrancy, warmth, spiciness...Although the muesli was easy to make, so too were the huevos rancheros, and with them came a much heartier depth.

England beats Portugal - the Portuguese dish was a powerful adversary, but ultimately lacked the incredible versatility of the full English, whose vast array of textures and moisture levels was too great to be overcome.

There can be only one...

FINAL:

England beats Mexico.

Slightly predictable, you might think. For me though, the full English breakfast is just the best way to go. Yes, my opinions may be Anglocentric and biased by years of eating this particular meal. Yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyesIdon'treallycare.

Ultimately, the Breakfast World Cup was not about what is the greatest breakfast in the world. Rather, it was a way to try out new things and an exercise in making time to enjoy what should be a delicious and relaxing occasion, as opposed to a rush madcap dash to wolf some poorly cooked bread. Or worse, nothing at all.

Hopefully this has been an interesting read. There are a great many dishes here that I would recommend, but above all I would recommend making time in the morning to break your fast good and proper. The video below shows how one can feel if they do just that.

Knockout Stage: Second Round

And with that, we can move on to the knockout stages...

Here is the draw for the second round. Each group winner has been paired with the runner-up from the adjacent group (Winner of Group A vs. Winner of Group B and so forth), mirroring the knock-out structure of the football world cup:

Mexico vs. Chile

Australia vs. Brazil

Greece vs. Costa Rica

England vs. Japan

Switzerland vs. Argentina

Iran vs. Ecuador

USA vs. Algeria

South Korea vs. Portugal

Whilst some of those are easy for me to call, there are a couple of clashes that will take some pondering. I will leave those there for the moment, and come back with answers by the end of the weekend.

Group C Final Standings

END OF GROUP C:

1. Greece

2. Japan

3. Ivory Coast

4. Colombia

This group wasn't the most exciting of groups, with each breakfast feeling like an exercise in competence rather than being genuinely exciting. Greece topped the group due to its simplicity and ease in preparation more than anything. It was tough to call between Japan and Ivory Coast, but Japan just had a little more going on on the plate.

Japan

Group C - JAPAN

What was it?

Steamed rice with nori (toasted seaweed), miso soup and “rolled” omelette.

How was it?

The overall feel of this particular breakfast was salty and stodgy. It was a fun mixture of textures, with each item wildly different from the others. The best component was the nori, when wrapped around rice with some soy sauce. This gave the dish its only real source of sweetness, allowing it to stand out dramatically.

Overall thoughts:

If I had accompanied this meal with some other extras (perhaps some pickles) to add greater variety to the flavours then it would have been more enjoyable. As it was, it felt unrelentingly salty. Still, it was a pleasant mixture of different types of component, and easier to put together than it initially looked (although my attempt at a rolled omelette came out more or less like any other omelette…)

If it was a Japanese footballer?

I felt powerful eating so much rice and egg, so I’d have to go with the defender Maya Yoshida.

Colombia

Group C - COLOMBIA

What was it?

Arepas! Little pitta-esque pockets filled with cheese. Dough was made from a mixture of cornmeal and water, then formed into small discs. These were briefly fried to make the outsides slightly crispy, before they were placed in the oven for 20 minutes.

How was it?

This was another breakfast that fell victim to house moving. Whilst I was making the areapas I grew distracted by packing and so accidentally left them in the oven for too long. What were supposed to open up softly like pitta breads became solid and bread-like. I was still able to open them up a wee bit, but the amount of cheese I could get in was minimal.

Overall thoughts:

These could have been delicious, but due to my inefficiency they were a dry stodgy hassle. I’ll have to give them another go when I don’t the pressure of an imminent removal van breathing down my neck, as the potential is there. Unfortunately on this occasion though, I did not enjoy this breakfast much at all.

If it was a Colombian footballer?

Dry and stodgy, like the veteran defender Mario Yepes.

Group G Final Standings

END OF GROUP G:

1. USA

2. Portugal

3. Germany

4. Ghana

This was a very, very difficult one to call. Well, so far as choosing which breakfast was number one and which was number two. Both USA and Portugal were incredibly delicious offerings. In the end I've had to plump for USA ahead of Portugal as its mixture of sweet and savoury gave it an extra dimension over its rival. Germany and Ghana were pleasant in their own ways, but they just couldn't stand up to the others.

Germany

Group G - GERMANY

What was it?

Cold cuts. All the cold cuts. I had some (vegetarian) ham, sausage, spiced sausage, cheddar, gouda and some very seeded bread. All cold. All cut.

How was it?

It was quite full-on. It felt like a battle to wade through, albeit a fun battle. It was pleasing to experiment eating the different meats with the different cheeses, and even though I could divide the ingredients into meats, cheeses, and bread, there was still enough of a variety on the dish to make it interesting.

Overall thoughts:

I should really have gone to town with this one and added in some vegetables to really broaden the range. This type of breakfast works best when multiple people are involved, as that makes it more practical to bring extra components in. It was pleasant and filling, ultimately, but I missed my vegetables. I realise that this is entirely my fault.

If it was a German footballer?

The meaty and carbohydrate-y Manuel Neuer.

Group F Final Standings

END OF GROUP F:

1. Iran
2. Argentina
3. Bosnia-Herzegovina
4. Nigeria

Iran's simplicity was masterful. It was both delicious and precise, which sent it through at the head of the group. Second place went to Argentina, which was good in similar ways but not quite as clinical. I found something revelatory about the Iranian breakfast. Sadly, B&H and Nigeria didn't really stand much of a chance against these two.

Iran

Group F - IRAN

What was it?

Flatbread served with feta and a variety of jams. I went for quince and strawberry.

How was it?

Feta and jam is a brilliant combo, and I can’t believe that I had never had it before. The cloudy bitterness of the feta is nullified beautifully by the sharp sweetness of the preserves. Both quince and strawberry complemented the cheese well. The bread provided a fitting neutral battleground for the flavours to do battle over.

Overall thoughts:

This was a simple and effective meal, quick and easy to put together and rewarding in taste. There were no pretensions and there would be plenty of scope for changing things around as well. A good solid start to the day.

If it was an Iranian footballer?

A man of sweet disposition that plays for an uncomplicated club. We’re looking at Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Group F - BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

What was it?

Pura - polenta cooked in water and milk, served yoghurt on top.

NB - I would have waited for the polenta to cool and solidify a bit more, but I was pushed for time and had to leave to catch my train to work…

How was it?

It tasted like a savoury porridge. The yoghurt made for a nice counterpoint, whilst not really adding much to the overall flavour. It was a fairly simple dish, overall.

Overall thoughts:

There were two ways I could have gone with this. A much more savoury style is adopted, and potato and meat can be cooked into the polenta as well (according to my meticulous research). I thought it would be more interesting to try the less savoury approach, and did enjoy finding out how versatile polenta can be. In general though there wasn’t really enough going on with this dish to satisfy me.

If it was a Bosnian footballer?

We're looking at the defensive defending defender, Emir Spahic.

Ghana

Group G - GHANA

What is it?

Oto (oh-tow) - basically yam and red onion mash, served with a boiled egg.

How was it?

I had written this one off after my last yam adventure, but having the yam mashed (or maybe even just cooked properly) and combined with the onion made a massive difference. Texturally it was much more fulfilling, and the red onion’s sharpness lifted it from the nondescript stodge that it could have been. The egg was a nice touch, adding a little bit of subtlety to the dish.

Overall thoughts:

It made me think of a more savoury porridge. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, and, although I probably wouldn’t choose to have it over most things, it was not a hardship to eat. It could have done with a bit more moisture. Perhaps soft-boiling or frying the egg would work, or bringing in a condiment or two.

If it was a Ghanaian footballer?

The adept defender, Jonathan Mensah.

Portugal

Group G - PORTUGAL

What is it?

Polenta with sweetcorn, topped with a tomato and chorizo sauce and grated cheese.

How was it?

This was a top breakfast. Hearty, warming, filling, exciting. Lots of different flavours and textures to be found here. The sweetcorn-augmented polenta served as a good foundation to the breakfast, offering a hefty stooge that was punctuated with kind bursts of sweetness. The tomato and chorizo sauce was simple and effective, giving fire to the belly of the breakfast. Grated cheese did what it always does.

Overall thoughts:

I was won over instantly by the polenta. It was very easy to put together, although it did take a little while for it to cook. Once the various components were in the oven/pan it didn’t take much supervision though, and only a small amount of synchronisation was necessary. This was a great effort.

If it was a Portuguese footballer?

Hard and skilled, we’re looking at Raul Meireles.

Uruguay

Group D - URUGUAY

What was it?

Alfajores! I basically made some small cookie-style biscuits, and used them to sandwich some of my caramel spread/dulce de leche. See here for a recipe.

How was it?

They tasted great, although I am unsure whether this really works as a breakfast. It is very similar problem to that faced by the Spanish breakfast. Still, the biscuits themselves felt quite wholesome and filling, which was good, and the dulce de leche worked brilliantly as a sandwich filling.

Overall thoughts:

The best way to approach these would be to make them, or at least the dough, the night before, as it did take quite a while for me to prepare the dish. The sense of satisfaction on eating them was far greater than that for any of the other breakfasts though. I will definitely make these again, albeit probably not for breakfast.

If it was a Uruguayan footballer?

Tricksy attacking midfielder Gaston Ramirez.

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NB - due to me accidentally forgetting to publish the "End of Group D" blog post, I've had to stick it in here...

END OF GROUP D:

1. England
2. Costa Rica
3. Uruguay
4. Italy


It was fairly inevitable, really. The English breakfast stormed through at the top of the group. It was a close encounter between Costa Rica and Uruguay, but ultimately the gallo pinto felt more apt as a breakfast. The less said about the Italian breakfast, the better.

Nigeria

Group F - NIGERIA

What is it?

Yam with red stew and scrambled egg.

How was it?

In Nigeria’s defence, this effort was hampered by the fact that I prepared it in my new flat which was missing several important things (oil, seasoning, salt). I’ve also never used yam before, and so didn’t know a.) how best to cook it, and b.) how much to cook. Still, even allowing for these handicaps, I didn’t particularly enjoy this breakfast. The yam was too bold and starchy and stifled the red stew (basically a tomato sauce). The scrambled egg did not add enough moisture to the dish.

Overall thoughts:

This dish could easily have been much better. I will hold me hands up and say that a large part of my dislike for this meal comes for how I made it. I could quite easily make it again and have a much better time (season the sauce better, make less yam, more scrambled egg etc.). I am not sold on yam as a breakfast ingredient though, at least not when served plain. I will be making a breakfast soon that will use yam differently, so we shall have to see how that goes before I pass judgement on the humble yam.

If it was a Nigerian footballer?

The occasionally clumsy defender, Efe Ambrose.