Fried egg on toast in UK - Is it WW2 leftover?

Question

Should English seperate fried egg and toast

as a rule when served in England?

If Yanks want it mashed amid hash browns

is egg properly served apart from potatoes?

Answer 1

Eggs were extremely scarce during WW2, the ration was one egg per person per week.  so possibly, frying it and eating it on toast was a way to make it go further.

But people were eating fried eggs long before WW2, and I daresay they had them on toast before then too.

Answer 2

I doubt if it is a WW2 'leftover' The fresh egg ration was only often one a month, people making do with the ghastly dried eggs. However, egg (fried or poached) on toast is, I suggest, fast disappearing as peoples' tastes become ever more refined and cosmopolitan. And, of course, so many people don't know how to even boil and egg these days. Remember Delia Smith included a lesson on that in a recent TV series. You can't get an instant egg on toast from Iceland.

Answer 3

Absolutely agree with previous answers.

I wouldn't say that fried egg on toast is particularly common and no way is it anything to do with WWII, fresh eggs were extremely hard to come by then.

Now a fried egg sandwich is a joy..... if a trifle messy :)

Answer 4

Egg is usually served with sausages fried/grilled tomato, bacon, toast and with what ever else you fancy....Fried bread, black pudding and so on.

It's called an English breakfast.

Answer 5

I've never heard of fried egg on toast. If bread is served with fried egg it is normally also fried.