What Is Brunch? Where Did It Come From?

Once a week, an epic message chain germinates in almost everyone’s inbox. It’s a routine call to brunch, followed by a mad dash to figure out where we’re eating, how many people are coming so that reservations can be made, what time we’re eating, and whether bottomless bloody marys are available. You could go scrounging for the best brunch restaurants in NYC without stopping for a drink now and then.

Depending on who’s in, no bloody mary usually means a change in venue. And come Sunday morning, there’s a round of phone calls and text messages to rouse the group’s oversleeping, hung-over, and/or otherwise ill members. It’s a complicated situation. In anticipation of this Sunday, families all over the country will be competing to see who can secure the best brunch spot at their favorite dining spots in order to celebrate Mother’s Day.

When did people start subjecting themselves to this delicious little slice of Sunday madness?

Origins of Brunch

What appears to be true is that the term “brunch” — a playful combination of adding the benefits of both “breakfast” and “lunch” — first appeared in print in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article. In his book “Brunch: A Plea,” British author Guy Beringer proposed a change from heavy, post-church Sunday meals to lighter fare served late in the morning. “Brunch is cheerful, sociable, and stimulating,” says Beringer. ‘’It has a talk-compelling quality to it. It puts you in a good mood, makes you happy with yourself and your fellow beings, and sweeps away the week’s worries and cobwebs.”

People who drink heavily on Saturday nights, according to Beringer, should never encourage themselves to eat meaty dishes when they wake up. Rather, they should skip Sunday breakfast in favour of a hybrid meal during midday. Furthermore, Beringer advocated that brunch should be followed by tea and pastries.

Beringer suggested that you share the meal and the previous evening’s hangover stories with your friends. People are satisfied not only with themselves, but also with their fellow humans, when they share brunch and stories. As a result, the concept of brunch is to be sociable and cheerful.

Typical Brunch Food

A usual brunch can combine the sweet and the savory, like pancakes, french toast and waffles paired with dishes including eggs as their protagonist. One of the trademark dishes is eggs benedict, made from poached eggs lay on top of english muffins and bacon, smothered in hollandaise sauce.
Whereas, seeing the ever growing trend and interest in brunch, restaurants have started to perfect more original dishes. They often do this with a health conscious audience in mind to cater to. Or perhaps less healthy for those who need a brunch to get over a hangover. Brunches are also being adapted to different audiences, such as vegetarians, vegans and people preferring gluten free.

Brunch appeals to me because of its flexibility in terms of timing and the ability to mix sweet and savoury dishes. Brunch goers swear by it as a hangover cure as well. On the one hand, greasy food can aid in the body’s absorption of alcohol, while on the other hand, more alcohol consumption reduces the effects of alcohol abstinence.

Brunch in the USA

Brunch was undoubtedly perfected in the United States, regardless of where it originated. According to one brunch historian, the late-morning meal became fashionable in the 1930s, when Hollywood stars travelling across the country on trains would stop in Chicago for a late breakfast.

It was a meal promoted by hotels because most restaurants were closed on Sundays. With church attendance flagging after World War II, people were looking for a new social outlet that also let them sleep in a bit.

Following WWII, a large number of American married women entered the labour force for the first time. Married women, too, needed a break on Sunday, which explains the rise in popularity of Sunday brunch.

Restaurants were overjoyed to have another way to attract customers. Nothing beats pecan French toast, bacon, cornmeal waffles, omelettes, and breakfast cocktails like Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Mimosas to lure people out on a Sunday morning.