Brunch

Brunch or bruncheon is a combination of breakfast and lunch. [http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia/termdetail/0,7770,667,00.html foodnetwork] The term is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch(eon). Brunch is often served after a morning event or prior to an afternoon one, such as a wedding or sporting event. A common misconception is that after midday, the meal is a luncheon. This however is not true so long as a breakfast has not been eaten. While common in the United States, according to "Punch" magazine, the term was introduced in Britain around 1896 by "Hunter's Weekly", then becoming student slang. [ [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=brunch Online Etymology Dictionary ] ] A possible origin of having Sunday brunch in Victorian England came from giving the servants Sunday as their day off. The servants then early Sunday morning would set out a buffet of cold items that would be self serve for the rest of the house.

Some restaurants and hotels serve brunch, especially on Sundays and holidays. Such brunches are often serve-yourself buffets, but menu-ordered meals may be available instead of, or with, the buffet. The meal usually involves standard breakfast foods such as eggs, sausages, bacon, ham, fruits, pastries, pancakes, and the like. However, it can include almost any other type of food served throughout the day. Buffets may have quiche, large roasts of meat or poultry, cold seafood like shrimp and smoked fish, salads, soups, vegetable dishes, many types of breadstuffs, and desserts of all sorts.

The dim sum brunch is a popular meal in Chinese restaurants worldwide. [ [http://chinesefood.about.com/od/diningout/p/dim_sum.htm Dim Sum - History, Pictures, Recipes of Chinese Dim Sum ] ] It consists of a wide variety of stuffed bao (buns), dumplings, and other savory or sweet food items which have been steamed, deep-fried, or baked. Customers select small portions from passing carts, as the kitchen continuously produces and sends out more freshly-prepared dishes.

Special occasions

Brunch meals are prepared by restaurants and hotels for special occasions, such as weddings, Valentine's or Mother’s Day, with recipes available [ [http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/valentines/brunch.htm valentine recipes | valentine's day recipes | brunch recipes index ] ] or meals offered.

French language

The Académie française prefers that French speakers do not incorporate English words like "brunch" into their language, and suggests using the phrase "le grand petit déjeuner", [Anglicismes et les mots préférés] literally "big breakfast," and more literally, word-for-word this means "big little lunch." Despite the wishes of the Académie, the typical French person readily says "brunch." In fact, most French-French dictionaries have an entry for "brunch" but not "grand petit déjeuner," defining brunch as a "late meal taken in the morning, in place of both breakfast and lunch." [Dictionaire Général pour la maîtrise de la langue française la culture classique et contemporaine, p. 219, Larousse (1993)] .

German Language

German-speaking countries readily adopt Anglicisms, and "brunch" is no exception, defining it as "a combination of breakfast and lunch." [ [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunch] Deutsch Wiki entry on "brunch"] However, the German language has its own word for "brunch": "Gabelfrühstück" (literally, "fork breakfast"). [ [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwischenmahlzeit] Deutsch Wiki entry and s, "Zwischenmahlzeit", "Frühmi" (a portmanteau of Frühstück and Mittagessen, breakfast and lunch) and "Gabelfrühstück" ] [Cassell's German-English English-German Dictionary, MacMillan Publishing Company] While German versions of the word might exist, they are not used.

Variations

This meal always falls halfway between breakfast and lunch. Eggs, French toast, pancakes, hash browns, and other standard breakfast foods may be accompanied by coffee, and often by a Mimosa, champagne, Bellini, or a Bloody Mary. The grease-heavy meal is often used as a hangover remedy for those who stay out late drinking on Friday or Saturday night. Alcohol-fueled nightlife can often push brunch well into the afternoon, after party-goers have slept off the previous night's excesses.

Another variation, originating with New Yorkers, consists of bagels and their traditional accompaniments, including:cream cheeses of various flavors, tomatoes, red onions, butter, capers, and lox. This is often called a "bagel brunch," and has spread throughout the United States.

A newer tradition made popular in trendy areas of many cities across the U.S. are more upscale brunch options. Foods served in this variation often have a regional cuisine influence, such as Italian cuisine or Southern cuisine. The menus also typically have both breakfast- and lunch-related options (such as sandwiches and salads), as well as items that work to fuse both meals, including classics such as a Monte Cristo sandwich, and newer ideas such as "breakfast pizzas" (basically, a baked omelette with tomatoes, cheese, and pizza meats, cooked on top of a pizza crust). These meals are usually ordered menu-style (though some places have a buffet of salad and/or breakfast pasteries), and pricing is often Prix Fixe (usually costing between $10 and $20).

Culture

* "Brunch" was the name of a 1997 British television series directed by Sue Judd and Simon Pearce. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0294017/|title="Brunch" (Brit. TV series) at IMDB]

* In an episode of "The Simpsons" ("Life on the Fast Lane," which first aired on March 18, 1990) the handsome French bowling instructor Jacques gives his (French) impression of American brunch to Marge: "It's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end. You don't get completely what you get at breakfast, but you get a good meal."

* In "The Simpsons" episode "The Front," Homer claims to have discovered a meal between breakfast and brunch.

* Another episode of "The Simpsons" called "Lisa Gets an "A"" depicts the Simpson family going out to "brunch" by eating the samples in a grocery store.

* "Brunch" is also a term used by fans of "Law & Order SVU" to describe the love between John Munch and Bridget Marlowe.

ee also

*Breakfast
*Lunch
*Second breakfast
*Elevenses

References