Breakfast Food

Many regions of the United States have local breakfast specialties that are less popular nationally. In the South, homemade biscuits served with country-style gravy (also called sawmill gravy), country ham, and red eye gravy, as well as fried bologna and grits, are one traditional breakfast menu. In coastal South Carolina, mixing shrimp and grits is a common breakfast food; the Southwest has huevos rancheros and spicy breakfast burritos; scrapple is a favorite in the Mid-Atlantic states; salmon bagels are popular in the Northwest; pork roll is rarely available outside New Jersey and Pennsylvania; and New Englanders still occasionally indulge in fried salt pork and pie. Fried eggs with bacon or sausage and American cheese on a seeded kaiser roll is a popular breakfast sandwich in parts of New York. Many soul food breakfast menus across the country include fried chicken wings, catfish, pork chops and salmon croquettes. Specialty items also vary in popularity regionally, such as: linguiça sausage and Spam in Hawaii; crab cakes in southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions; andouille sausage, chicory coffee, Chisesi ham, and beignets in Louisiana; chorizo in the Southwest; lox and smoked salmon in the Northwest; and goetta in Greater Cincinnati.
American breakfast customs derive from those of rural England in the 18th century, and some divergences probably reflect changes in the latter since that time. For example, modern English hot breakfasts commonly include lightly fried tomato slices or a sauteed whole mushroom, but neither are found in the United States. Breakfast kippers are also uncommon in the United States. On the other hand, the steak-and-eggs breakfast is rare in England and probably a recent American import. English muffins (not to be confused with the British crumpet) are commonly eaten as a breakfast food in the United States.
Some regions of Canada especially Quebec, New Brunswick and parts of eastern Ontario will commonly include maple syrup with crêpes, French toast, pancakes, or waffles.
Hotels now often serve breakfast buffets for a fixed price, or offer sweet rolls, cereal, and coffee as a free "continental" breakfast. Traditionally, hotel breakfasts were made to order at a restaurant or by room service. Omelets made to order are also an option.