所謂平民早餐，通常指的是那些價格便宜，又十分有飽足感的餐點，有些人習慣點燒餅油條，享受酥脆與柔軟交錯的口感，像我就是，某些人喜愛蛋香與麵香交融的蛋餅，再加上一點醬油膏或甜辣醬，味道會更有層次感，而有些人則偏愛蘿蔔糕加蛋，喜歡煎到微焦後散發出的香氣，我家有一段時間，都是用饅頭夾蛋作為早餐。
我媽說，因為饅頭夾蛋夠簡單，她可以自己做，又健康，吃起來又有飽足感，我媽都是去家附近的市場買白饅頭或黑糖饅頭，早上起床後，再煎一個蛋，不用過多的備料和烹煮技巧，就是一份健康又簡單的平民早餐，不過，一開始市場賣的饅頭是五元台幣，到最近已經漲到十五元台幣，而外面早餐店加蛋的價錢也漲到十五元台幣，吃一份饅頭夾蛋，也要三十元台幣，因為成本考量，我家已經不用饅頭夾蛋作為早餐了，因為已經有點貴了。
然而，即使近年物價上漲，一份傳統早餐仍比許多餐廳便宜許多，對於上班族或學生而言，不必花太多時間與金錢，就能快速填飽肚子，使早餐店成為許多人生活中不可缺少的一環，某天，我在去上班的途中，順手帶上一套饅頭夾蛋，回味曾經常吃的早餐味道，雖然今天早餐選擇越來越多，例如各式早午餐、便利商店新品層出不窮，但偶爾回到最簡單的饅頭夾蛋，反而有一種難得的踏實感。
What people call an everyday budget breakfast usually means food that is affordable but still filling. Some people like to order shaobing with youtiao and enjoy that mix of crispy and soft textures — I’m one of them. Some people prefer an dan bing, where the egg flavor blends with the dough, and adding a little soy paste or sweet chili sauce gives it even more flavor. Others like fried turnip cake with egg, especially when it’s cooked until slightly crispy and fragrant. For a period of time, my family often had steamed bun with egg as breakfast.
My mom said steamed bun with egg was simple enough for her to make at home, healthier, and still very filling. She usually bought white steamed buns or brown sugar steamed buns from the market near our home, then fried an egg in the morning after waking up. It didn’t require much preparation or cooking skill, but it made a simple and healthy breakfast. However, when we first started buying them, one bun only cost NT$5. Recently, the price has gone up to NT$15, and adding an egg at a breakfast shop also costs around NT$15 now. That means one steamed bun with egg can easily cost NT$30. Because of the rising cost, my family no longer eats it regularly for breakfast. It has become a little expensive.
Still, even though prices have gone up in recent years, a traditional breakfast is usually still cheaper than eating at many restaurants. For office workers and students, it’s a quick way to fill up without spending too much time or money, which is why breakfast shops remain such an important part of daily life. One day on my way to work, I picked up a steamed bun with egg and enjoyed that familiar breakfast taste again. Even though there are now many more breakfast choices, from trendy brunch spots to new convenience store meals, going back to something as simple as steamed bun with egg still gives me a rare sense of comfort and grounding.
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