I wrote a post a while back called What Passes for Food in America. It was all about the junk they pass off as food at free breakfast buffets at American hotels. Pastries, waffles, breads and extruded cereals made from white flour. Sausage with meat extenders. Liquid egg mix. And no fruit to be found except for sweetened jam. And the only milk available was skim milk. They had some cream but it was ultra-pasteurized.
This is a follow-up post. My in-laws went to South Africa and you won't believe the nutritious food they had at their breakfast buffet. Sure, they have their share of white flour products, cereal, and jam at this buffet, but they also have a plethora of healthy nutrient-dense foods. There are plenty of fruits — fresh, stewed and dried. They also have a variety of breads including whole grain varieties.
And check out all the protein! Salami, turkey and other cold cuts, smoked salmon and mackerel, various cheeses including cream cheese and cottage cheese, real eggs (still in the shell), and not one but two kinds of liver pâté — chicken liver and calves liver.
Granted, this may have been a nicer hotel than the one we stayed at in San Diego (I'll have to ask my mother-in-law what it cost), but you'd have to pay a lot to get a spread like this in the United States. I have never in my life seen pâté at a breakfast buffet in America — not to mention two different kinds.
Take a look at this amazing breakfast buffet:
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I did a 3-week tour through Western Europe in the summer after 7th grade with a school band. Nearly every hotel we stayed at had a very similar breakfast buffet. And I can’t imagine that we were staying at the very best hotels.
Ha! Pate for BREAKFAST. I love it.
.-= FoodRenegade´s last blog ..Sugar- The Bitter Truth =-.
Wen my mom and I visitied Israel back in 1998 the breakfast bufffet looked a lot like that! we got addicted to a tomato/cucumber/cilantro salad they served every morning. We’ve been making “Isreli Breakfast Salad” ever since!
That has absolutely made my mouth water!!
All I can say is WOW. This is the first time I’ve salivated looking at hotel food…
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Repost- Some people simply cannot be vegan =-.
When I was in Europe in 2008 the hotel breakfast buffets were not quite that good, but they were still very good. Real eggs. Fruits and yogurts. Meats. Not like the Days Inn or Best Western hotel breakfasts I’ve recently been subjected to. GAK! Only real food I found there was a banana.
.-= Joanna ´s last blog ..Low Carb Asian Feast =-.
this is amazing!
I’m inspired with the thought of new breakfast possibilities!
This was not an ultra expensive hotel. We were on a tour. This hotel was in Capetown. When I saw the pate and cheese section, I thought of Ann Marie and grabbed my camera! I must also say that the food in South Africa was extraordinary. They grow all of their food. They export food since they have a surplus. The milk and dairy products were excellent and I think that they must have been raw milk in some places because it tasted like it too us.
We are planning a trip to India in January and I will, of course, take food photos there for my wonderful daughter-in-law. We are so blessed that she is in our family and Kate’s mom!
You do have to wonder what your folks paid for this buffet…
My family stayed at a pretty fancy resort on Longboat Key in Florida last Christmas. They had a brunch buffet which was nearly as gorgeous as this one, I dare say (for which we paid handsomely). Okay, no two sorts of pates, but I think there was at least one item with caviar, if I remember correctly.
It’s true that “nourishing food” does sometimes align pretty well with “swanky food,” right? But it sounds like the Europeans (and South Africans) may do it better than our average American buffets.
Go South Africa!
However, that is not representative of the whole of Africa. By no means.
I am so glad your mother in law thought to take pictures. My mom is an activist and travels all over the world. She tells me amazing stories of the foods that families prepare when she stays with them. A friend that she stayed with in Japan served either caviar and crackers for breakfast or ice cold fish head and rice every morning. That would take some getting used to.
Just wanted to let you know that every upscale hotel (Four Season, Ritz, etc.) buffet I have visited has served several pates, smoked salmon, caviar, shrimp and
other nutrient-dense foods, along with all of the usual pastries and cereals.
My husband and I always make the pate table our first stop!
B –
That’s interesting. I’ve eaten at lots of upscale hotels and have never seen pâté at the buffet. Not once!
I do see smoked salmon and shrimp and such. But never pâté.
I don’t think the hotel my inlaws stayed at was anywhere near as nice as the Ritz!
Laura –
It was not meant to be representative of all of Africa. Just like our hotel buffets are not representative of all of America.
Heather H –
I agree, cold fish heads for breakfast would take some getting used to! LOL!
And yes, my mother-in-law is awesome for taking those photos! She and my father-in-law are very much behind the way we eat. They are very supportive and I’m lucky to have them as family!
Drew –
Yes, that was what I experienced in Europe too. Every restaurant in Paris had liver on the menu — even the crappy Denny’s-type restaurants. In fact, when we were in Paris, we left the bar at like 2 am and went to a Denny’s-type place and drank wine and ate raw beef (beef tartare) until 6 am. Good times! :-)
If someone can tell me what they think are the top 3 hotel chains (we don’t travel all that much), then I will track down the CEO (or someone close anyway) and send them this post! It will at least make them think about the junk they serve in comparison.
Kelly
.-= Kelly the Kitchen Kop´s last blog ..Kitchen Goals for July =-.
That cream cheese in the photo also doesn’t really look like anything which would be sold in a plastic tub in this country!
.-= Soli @ I Believe in Butter´s last blog ..Traditional cream cheese dip =-.
Hi AnnMarie.
All my family (except my grandfather on mothers side) are South African.
Last year I went with my dad and sister to South Africa and stayed with my relatives in Johannesburg and Durban. I met with 40+ relatives which was amazing.
In terms of food I found some of it the same as other places- there does seem to be processed foods wherever you go. Though of course not all food is refined as your in-laws can witness to. My aunty is a great cook so it was wonderful when she cooked for us there. Though their cooks were amazing as well!
The dairy cream I had there was probably the best tasting cream I’ve ever eaten!
I have a whole lot of pictures (of food and things) from my trip which I should probably blog about soon lol….it has been a while since then but ohwell!
Great post AnnMarie, I was a bit worried when I saw the title though lol…but I’m glad they were able to find such great nutritious food!
.-= Michelle (Health Food Lover)´s last blog ..Prosciutto Bacon- Steamed Romanseco and Avocado Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette =-.
You say our hotel breakfasts are not representative of all of America.
Of course, you are right, but I’d say we all know lots and lots of Americans who consider themselves as having had breakfast if all they’ve had is a glass of orange juice, some cold cereal with lowfat milk, or a piece of toast or bagel with lowfat cream cheese, maybe some coffee–what was on offer at the American hotel you wrote of. A fancy weekend brunch brings out omelettes and smoked salmon and more, but most Americans do not eat those things for breakfast on a daily basis.
Seems to me that American hotel breakfasts reflect your average American home breakfast, no more and no less. I’m not sure the fault is the hotel’s.
I would guess that Europeans and South Africans have a very different idea of breakfast!!
Wonder how long it might take for mainstream Americans to eat daily a breakfast that offers real nourishment…
Most hotels in Europe that are at the higher end of the market will have a spread like this, it seems to be the norm. It is very easy to eat well when staying in European hotels – and even very small ned and breakfasts will offer real whole eggs, ham and at a push bacon. England has a very fine tradition of bacon and eggs for breakfast…….France will give you the bread/crossaints and jams and most places are pretty well catered for will have most of everything…….
I ahve been living in Europe for the last several years and this is a pretty typical breakfast buffet at most of the pensions, B&Bs, and even small hotels we always stay at. I guess I have just gotten used to it and expect it, so never thought to take extra notice of it! I will now appreciate it more!! Thanks for your post.
Yum… Maybe it’s time I took a little trip.
.-= Robin´s last blog ..Hummus a Tune =-.
Now THAT’s what I call a breakfast worthy of the moniker “Most Important Meal of the Day!” YUM!
.-= Peggy´s last blog ..Twinkies- Petroleum and Foreign Food =-.
Kelly,
Top 5 family friendly
Top 10 luxury
Hi, I’m a newcomer to your blog but already see I have to add you to my Google Reader. I found you via Matt Stone’s comment on the NY Times website about the so-called “healthy” bechamel sauce recipe (NOT!).
And when I saw the name “Cheeseslave” I knew I had to come here, LOL. I mean I’m the one who had a roommate once who used to claim “If cheese ever vanished from the earth Debbie would starve to death”. And nothing in the 30 years since then has changed my mind!
I know most of the “free” buffet breakfasts at hotels are pretty nasty, but I’d like to put in a plug for the White House Inn in Bangor, Maine. Over the 20+ years I have stayed there on my way to Canada annually I’ve seen their buffet grow from it’s initial cheap packaged donuts and coffee cakes to their current buffet which still includes the cheap processed foods, but also now includes hard-boiled eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, baked beans, fresh fruit. No pâté, but that’s not something you see every day. However I can now actually eat a real breakfast when I stay there! And grab an egg or two for the road. :-)
.-= Debbie´s last blog ..Cauliflower salad =-.
Hi, Debbie,
I too would starve to death without cheese. Well, without dairy anyway.
The White House Inn sounds fabulous!
OMG, that looks amazing.
BTW, when I went to Germany, the breakfasts all had cold cuts, bread, cheese, coffee with canned milk, jam and Nutella. These were small hotels but not dives. One place also served soft boiled eggs. (Frankfurt am Zoo).
In January, I had to travel to Iowa for a funeral. The AmericInn boasted that they had fresh waffles. You have to pour the batter yourself and cook up a Belgian waffle. I cringed because I am avoiding carbs. Lucky for me they had hard boiled eggs. That was the only protein worth eating. Nonfat, high sugar yogurt doesn’t qualify. I sliced the eggs in half and smeared them with the processed cream cheese. It worked in a pinch and I didn’t feel cheated.
I stayed at a hotel in Jerusalem while I was taking a course for college and their breakfast spread was just like that. I had never seen anything like it. Of course, at that time (many years ago) that was not what I wanted to eat. I went straight to the chocolate filled pastries because it was the closest thing to a Pop Tart. Even wrapped a couple up and stuck them in my backpack. Present day I would be elated to see a spread like that. The free breakfasts that are at the hotels here in America are sad. It seems that we are behind on what “real” food really is. I end up eating only fruit for breakfast when we travel.
just back from quebec. the Hotel Champlain (a 3-star hotel, rooms are about $160 USD per night) included pork pate at their breakfast buffet (along with eggs, low-fat yogurt (boo), pastries, stewed prunes…).
.-= elise abrams miller´s last blog ..taking it lazy =-.
Being a South African all my live, living in Johannesburg, I can sadly say that such a breakfast buffet will only be served at the lot more expensive hotels. Lucky for you with our exchange rate being what it is, what is expensive for us will be affordable for you. :)
Also lucky for you, and not for us, all our top quality products are exported and only the other quality sold in stores, unless we are prepared to go to Woolies Food Shop and pay up for quality… which I can afford but not the other 98% of the country.
But looking at your photos… mmmm… jum jum! :)
I”m already dreading out stay at a “Stay Bridge Suites” for my son’s World Series tournament. They claim to have a “free breakfast” and a “free supper”, but I know what these things are going to be full of, processed food and carbs. Woe is me LOL.
If the eggs are real eggs and not powdered, I’m going to celebrate. I am bringing a bunch of food to eat, but it’s my vacation too, I don’t want to spend all my time worrying about cooking.
Looks like your in-laws had a great time.
.-= Paula´s last blog ..The Hardest Mess in the World to Clean =-.
Paula,
I agree — it is so difficult when you go on vacation and want to eat well but also don’t want to have to cook the whole time!
BTW Paula –
Your blog is so cute! Love it!
The hotel directly across the street from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is actually not too bad with the breakfast: hardboiled eggs, apples, pears, bananas, oranges, almonds, walnuts, sourdough bread for toast and REAL BUTTER! They of course had fruit loops,donuts and such. I’m thinking it’s about $80 a night. I seem to recall as a kid that the Fontainebleau in Miami had things like caviar,ceviche, pâté, every kind of fruit you could think of and two kids of eggs chicken and something else. Too bad I didn’t know back then what I know know! Luckily for me my mom MADE us eat liver almost daily. Oh and we drank the coconut water by the pool with little umbrella’s – didn’t know it was a healthy treat back then.
When I went to Switzerland and France the breakfasts served were so healthy and fresh. Even though everything was on a smaller scale and I had to eat more of it but I felt so ‘right’ eating it. Why does America has it SO WRONG?
Brooke –
You ate liver almost daily growing up?? How are your teeth? Did you need braces? Did you have cavities?
Also, how fun that your mom gave you coconut water — I brought coconut water with us to have by the pool on our last trip to Palm Springs. I love it!
It’s just not fair to show all that to a pregnant lady.
When we travelled south to FL this summer I had to subsist on such nasty “foods” I came back with hot/cold sensitive teeth, and a belly ache, all for just two weeks travel, and where ever I could I ate real food, it was few and far between, even the eggs, though real, were storebought useless pale yellow things… blech.
I gotta get to Europe and SA to eat up!
.-= Mrs.Logan´s last blog ..My Homemaker Schedules =-.
wow. That is a gorgeous spread!!!
South Africans certainly love their protein! I was practically a vegetarian before moving there, now a meal without meat or seafood seems like only half a meal.
The quality is generally higher here too, and it’s much easier to source whole, wild animals which are expertly hunted in a quick and humane manner. We generally buy 2 or 3 whole Springbok at a time, which we skin and butcher ourselves and then store in the freezer.
Do you know what part of South Africa this hotel was in?