NATIONALITY SHOWN BY EATING.
A man's nationality is betrayed to the thoughtful observer by the manner in which he eats his breakfast eggs. The Englishman uses a dainty little cup into which the egg slides deeply. The top is cut off or the shell chipped with the spoon, and its fragments removed with the same utensil.
The Englishman next lifts the top portion of the white or 'cap. Then the condiments are mixed on the plate into a neat little grey heap, and the contents of the eg? are scooped leisurely out, due care being taken to get about half and half of white and yolk on the spoon at the same time, a fresh little dab of the mixed pepper and salt being given to each spoonful of egg. In such a fashion, with his broad and butter, marmalade, English breakfast tea, and paper propped against the 1 caster, the Briton makes a meal which to him is the j perfection of light morning refreshment. The Frenchman also uses the small eggcup. The egg is soft boiled, and when the shell is opened the Frenchman puts in his salt and pepper and butter, and stirs them thoroughly with the contents until every part has been well mixed. Then he breaks his bread into small, narrow dips each piece into the pgg, and eats the resnlt. This he continues to do until the egg is neai-ly empty, when he takes it out of the cup ancl drinks the remainder. The German breaks his eggs—soft boiled— into a large egg-cnp, and spoons them up like soup. The Italians cook eggs by placing them in a vessel filled with cold water, which is allowed to slowly come to a boil. "When the water boils the eggs are cooked** and, according to the Italians, theirs is the only method by which the true edible consistency of the white and yolk can be secured.
When brought to table it is generally the Italian's pleasure to break the eggs, on a plate, and sop them up with good white bread. When a man enters a restaurant and orders hard-boiled eggs, which he cuts in two, then scoops the contents into a glass, there to be chopped up with butter, pepper, and salt, his nationality is assured; he is an American.
NATIONALITY SHOWN BY EATING.
Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9385, 8 April 1896, Page 6
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