As a dish, baked beans need no introduction. Most of us have had it at least once in our lives. It is one of the most common breakfast menus that often comes along with sausages and scrambled eggs. Some of us even have stacks of canned baked beans in the kitchen pantry in case we are having a lazy breakfast day. Nonetheless, most would agree that it is an essential ingredient that completes a breakfast meal.
The History of Baked Beans
Good food often stems from experimentations or through an accident. For baked beans, it is said to be originated from the Native American food culture before finding its way to the staple of Western cuisine that we know today.
Native Americans usually cook their beans with sugar, maple syrup and bear fats in a pot. They bury the pot in soil and place hot rocks on top of the pot to slowly cook the beans. Surprisingly, even though the dish belonged to Native Americans, it was the British that first adopted the baked beans recipe.
When the British colonised New England (in America), they quickly adopted the baked beans dish as it reminded them of the peas porridge back home. However, they replaced the bear fats with bacon fats and instead of cooking underground; they use fire like we do today.
Not long after the British were introduced to baked beans, the Americans then began to mass-produce baked beans in 1895. When they were first sold in the UK in 1901, they were sold as a luxury item. Not long after, the canned baked beans became more accessible to the commoners and eventually became a staple ingredient in English breakfast.
Over time, Heinz tweaked the recipe by using less sweet ingredients, turning it into the canned baked beans we know today.
Dishes Variation that goes with Baked Beans
Traditionally, baked beans are often served with tomato sauce. Nowadays, famous brands such as Heinz has come up with a few variations, such as cheesy baked beans and spicy baked beans.
Besides having the baked beans with your toast, you can also enjoy it with your breakfast wrap or turn it into a Shakshuka; a Turkish dish often served for breakfast.
For vegetarians, baked beans are a suitable meat replacement for Shepherd’s Pie and Burrito. You can also make baked beans curry to go with your rice, which is a common meal in South American cuisine.
Where to get Baked Beans in KL
Canned baked beans are readily available in grocery stores across Malaysia but if you’re tired of the canned beans and want something more creative, head over to Bistro Benji’s by BIG in Jalan Telawi and try their Breakfast Junior. It is a breakfast platter that includes Danish Breaded Loaf Sticks and Baked Beans. They even allow you to have baked beans on the side with any other dish on the menu.
Want something simpler? Head on to Common Man Coffee Roasters and try their Common Man Full Breakfast served with Spanish Sausages, baked beans and sourdough bread.
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