The Stars of the Show

• The main elements of the full English are bacon, sausage and eggs. Crispy American bacon is unpleasant to the British palate; bacon slices should be thick and soft. Sausages may be local -- England has several different regional sausage traditions -- but they shouldn't be too strongly flavored. In fact, one key principle of the English breakfast is that a single flavor shouldn't be allowed to overpower the others. Fried eggs are the third central element, without which a breakfast isn't really English.

The Supporting Cast

• Other elements of the English breakfast can vary from place to place or person to person. Grilled tomatoes are common, as are mushrooms, which may be button mushrooms or larger specimens such as portobellos. Baked beans are another typical component of the English breakfast. Toast is common, but traditionalists may insist on fried bread. A truly complete English breakfast may have all of these elements, but it's not uncommon to find one or more omitted.

Variations

• Despite the name, the English breakfast isn't just confined to England. In Scotland, however, it may also be served with black pudding, sausage patties rather than sausages or even haggis. Potato -- or "tattie" -- scones are another common part of the Scottish breakfast. Similarly, an Irish breakfast is much like an English breakfast but may include soda bread of white pudding. Another variation particularly found in pubs is adding chips, or "fries" to Americans, to the meal.

The Finishing Touches

• A hot cup of tea is the traditional accompaniment to a full English breakfast. In fact, the typical tea served with this meal is called "English Breakfast" abroad. In Britain, it's usually just referred to as "tea." Breakfast tea should be strong and served with milk. Strong tea with milk and lots of sugar, or "builder's tea," is regarded as the ideal drink for those with a long day of hard, probably cold, work ahead of them.