Africa
Although this is a general overview of breakfasts in Africa you will find certain countries in Africa have their own section here.
Lets start with Northern Africa where breakfast is similar to the Middle East and likely to include tea or coffee and breads made with sorghum or millet. Ful medames is considered to be a traditional early morning meal in Egypt. Uji, which is a thin gruel made of cassava, millet, rice or corn will be found as a breakfast dish in East and West Africa, although cornmeal gruel is the most common. In some areas peanuts are also ground into the cornmeal. Kitoza, a delicacy made from dried strips of beef that are grilled are eaten with the gruel in Madagascar. Across Africa fresh fruits for breakfast are always popular. In the towns breakfast has taken a strong influence from the French and English. West Africa will enjoy the French Continental style breakfast, while the traditional English breakfast features highly in the East and South. It is not uncommon to find dishes such as omelettes with beans, spaghetti, noodles or sardines served here for breakfast.
In Algeria French bread, jam and coffee is a typical breakfast, while in Cameroon breakfast is beignets (a square doughnut) eaten with beans or dunked in bouilli which is a sticky, sugary liquid made from maize.
America (United States)
In America they may only indulge in a real breakfast spread at brunch, and are inclined towards the English tradition of substantial breakfasts. Although different cultures have influence on American habits they have put together a large collection of foods for the morning meal. They have also made their own contribution in other countries and thanks to Mr Kellogg cereal has joined coffee, tea, eggs and bread as a global breakfast food. In spite of its size there is a great deal of uniformity in what Americans choose to eat for breakfast, although in some regions they retain a local flavour. For example pancakes and maple syrup were a New England speciality. Importing ideas from Europe has involved the mixing together of a variety of ingredients like scrapple – a Pennsylvanian side dish, which is made by cooking pork scraps, cornmeal and herbs into a mush, pressing it into a mould then slicing and frying.
Although not noted as a health food, people in the South may well start their day with Grits, slathered with butter or red eye gravy (basically bacon grease mixed with the active ‘red eye’ ingredient – coffee). They will also eat biscuits made with lard, a thick slice of ham or bacon or crispy pork sausage with fried hash browns. The Western states have an influence from the Irish where you will find corned beef hash and poached eggs for breakfast, hearty omelettes with lots of fillings and home fries (chunks of potatoes skillet fried with onions and bell peppers) making the Western equivalent of hash browns.
More European influence has brought waffles and doughnuts to the breakfast table together with a now breakfast favourite – the bagel imported from its Jewish roots. The New York bagel is spread with cream cheese, piled high with smoked salmon and finished with thin onion slices. The English muffin used as a base for dishes like Eggs Benedict is in fact an American invention although clearly related to varieties of griddlecakes like crumpets that are.
Argentina
Breakfast in Argentina is strong espresso coffee, cafe con leche or yerba mate. Croissants, known as media lunas, are popular with rich butter or dulce de leche, a very sweet toffee like spread that is also eaten with brioches or facturas. Filled churros, similar to doughnuts, French bread with jam and butter, grilled sandwiches of ham and cheese known as "tostados" and sweet or salted coookies are also widely enjoyed.
A popular breakfast drink is the submarino, which is a glass of steamed milk with a bitter sweet chocolate bar melted into it.
Australia
In Australia the breakfast menu is fairly similar to that found in England, which
considering the relationship is hardly surprising – bacon, eggs, toast, cereal and tea or coffee. We’ve have however heard of kangaroo sausages for breakfast as well as popovers – not dissimilar from Yorkshire puddings – filled with anything from beans and sausages to marmalade. Another popular morning dish is toast topped with either spaghetti or baked beans and bacon and it goes without saying that Vegemite is routinely smeared on toast for breakfast.
Belgium
Traditionally a continental breakfast of coffee and bread with preserves is the order of the day. It is also the home of a very special type of sweet waffle delicious served with fruit, syrup or cream. Pancakes are a popular start to a Belgian day served with bananas and blueberries, apples and strawberries.
Brazil
n many South American countries we have had Gallo Pinto (black beans)with rice,loads of fresh fruit, fresh baked breads with honey, butter, a white cheese that I have forgotten the name of and yummy guava jam. In Brazil they always served breakfast with at least 2-3 varieties of fresh, yummy cakes. Mamta. 12/08/06.
Brazilian coffee:
Compost by fresh bread, coffe and milk and sugar unless you love black coffee
requeijao(a melted cheese)Queijo branco(white fresh fish)fruits & butter. Claudia.
Canada
Stack of buckwheat or buttermilk pancakes drowned in maple syrup and served with Canadian or peameal bacon. Canadian bacon is cured and smoked pork loin and is generally served grilled or fried in thick rounds rather like ham. Canada is the largest producer of maple syrup in the world and claims that pancakes & maple syrup are a Canadian speciality. The syrup can only be produced in the eastern part of the country where the climate is just right to encourage sap production by sugar maples.
For those with a more substantial appetite breakfast is a huge fry up with lots of bacon, several eggs, loads of hash browns and a stack of thick pancakes, as you will find in many a Canadian truck stop.
China
Zao can
Many Chinese will buy breakfast from street vendors who open around 5am and are gone by 8am. These vendors offer a variety of different breakfast dishes. Frequently found in the morning in China, with regional variations, is a bowl of thin flavoursome broth, rice noodles and marinated sliced beef flavoured with shallots, raw garlic and sometimes chilli. This can be accompanied by a bowl of wonderfully warm soymilk. Breakfast can also be rice porridge or soybean milk soup. On the street breakfast ‘biscuits’ are baked in a tandoori style clay kiln or in steel drums.
In most areas breakfast foods are the same as lunch and dinner. Generally speaking rice with small amounts of vegetable and meat. In Canton dim sum and congee are primarily breakfast choices.
In Northern China breakfast might include steamed breads, unleavened pocket bread with sesame or steamed buns with meat or vegetable stuffing.
In Central and Eastern China a traditional start to the day would include xifan - a glutinous rice dumpling with fried bread sticks, salted mustard greens and dried pork mince. Then there is a soup made from fried tofu and cellophane noodles, plain rice or congee and numerous side dishes like salted duck eggs, pickled vegetables, century eggs and of course sweetened or savoury soy milk.
Other breakfast fares found more often in Southern China include rice noodle rolls or cheong fun, pan fried noodles with bean sprouts, spring onions and soy sauce, fagao - rice cakes, thin pancakes rather like crepes, turnip cakes.
The dim sum breakfast is often eaten at specialist restaurants for brunch and is a world in itself.
Egypt
In Egypt ful mesdames is considered to be a traditional early morning meal. This popular breakfast dish is made with slow cooked fava or broad beans (sometimes with lentils) and is generally served with a fried egg and pita bread – the latter used as a scoop for the fava beans. It is dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and is a dish that dates back to ancient Egypt.
France
Le Petit Dejeuner (little lunch)
The Continental style breakfast is most commonly found in France best know for offering stimulant and sustenance. Freshly baked baguettes, croissants, pain chocolat, brioche or toast and preserve would be the norm often accompanied by steaming bowls of café au lait or hot chocolate. Black coffee and tea are also popular.
Germany
Frühstück(early bite)
A selection of freshly baked rolls will often be served for breakfast in Germany with a generous selection of cold meats, cheeses, yoghurt and fruits. Boiled eggs are very popular and you may also find fleischsalat served with bread – chopped ham with mayonnaise and gherkins.
weisswurst (literally white sausage) is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from very finely minced veal and fresh pork bacon. It is usually flavoured with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom, though of course there are some variations to this traditional recipe. The mixture is then stuffed into natural skins and made into sausages about four to five inches in length and less than an inch thick. As it is very perishable weisswurst is traditionally prepared early in the morning and eaten for first or second breakfast - there is a saying that the sausages should not be allowed to hear the church bells noon chime. The sausages are heated in water just short of boiling for about ten minutes, which will turn them greyish white because they contain no preservatives.
India
Great variety is found for breakfast in different regions. Commonly found are eggs, scrambled with spices, potatoes and onions as well as fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Chana puri is a good breakfast option in the North and quite spicy and alu paratha with dhal is another traditional start to the day. The usual North Indian breakfast consists of chapati or paratha breads with a vegetable curry, plus sweets like kaju burfi.
In the South the nearest equivalent is iddi sambar for breakfast, which is steamed rice pancakes (made with fermented batter of rice and split peas) eaten with coconut paste and spiced with chillies. Masala dosa as another option are large thin pancakes served with a potato based spicy filling or mixed vegetables in spicy gravy with yoghurt and coconut chutney.
It is also in the south where branches of the India Coffee House can be depended upon for decent coffee and toast. Therefore the most popular breakfast is an assortment with several possible main dishes, such as idlis, vadas, dosas and chapatis. These are most often served with hot sambar and at least one kind of chutney (usually coconut chutney). Breakfast is usually followed by a glass of tea or coffee, both made with milk and sugar. Pongal is a common breakfast item in Tamil Nadu, while uppittu and kesaribath are the common items in Karnataka. In urban areas, omlettes and simple butter sandwiches are becoming a popular breakfast food.
The Hindi breakfast dish khichri is made with a mixture of lentils, rice and spices. It was the occupying English that adapted this dish by adding smoked haddock, cream and eggs – known as kedgeree.
In the Kashmir region early breakfast would be tea and bread. The tea is green, can be drunk plain or with sugar, cardamom and ground almonds, which is called kahva. The bread would be unleavened wheat bread sometimes slightly sweet (bakirkhani) and sometimes sesame sprinkled (tsachvaru).
Other breakfast items found around this vast region include appam – thin rice pancakes often filled with spiced meat or potatoes and vegetables. Idi-appam – rice noodles eaten with sweet coconut milk or meat curry and puttu – crushed rice and coconut in layers moulded and steamed and served with milk and bananas.
Italy
Prima colazione (which means first lunch)
Breakfast is not a big deal in Italy! Traditionally it would include coffee & biscuits, croissants and other pastries or bread. Variations may include fette biscottate (biscuit slices served with jam) – a sugar fix. They are big on coffee in the morning – espresso and cappuccino. If breakfast is eaten in a coffee shop it would probably be cappuccino e brioche (frothed hot milk coffee served with a pastry)
Korea, South
A traditional Korean breakfast would be soup made of either beef ribs or pork intestines. Koreans eat many preserved foods because these had to be made for keeping over wintertime. Every traditional household has large earthenware pots filled with pickled vegetables (kim chee), soybean pastes, and chilli pastes. Even today, apartment buildings in any city will have row upon row of preserving pots set out on apartment balconies. Dried fish, meats, and vegetables remain staples of the Korean diet and make it unique from all other Asian cuisines.
In Korea, breakfast has historically not existed as a distinct concept. Traditionally, food eaten in the morning does not differ substantially from the other meals of the day though the number of dishes is fewer. Kimchi (a mixture of fermented vegetables) and rice are traditional staples of the morning meal. Today, however, people are more likely to eat Western-style breakfasts similar to those in the United States.
Mexico
El desayuno means breakfast and brunch is known as almuerzo.
Breakfast in Mexico can only be described as spicy and colourful.
Fruit and vegetables feature highly in breakfast like red and green peppers, yellow and green bananas, yellow and red tomatoes, forest green cilantro, oranges and golden pineapples. Other fruits you might enjoy in Mexico include: mangos, papaya, watermelon, guava, limes and strawberries.
The Chile pepper is one of the commonest ingredients in Mexican cookery and is found in breakfast just the same as any other meal. They are used in many regional and national dishes like chorizo, the spicy sausage so commonly found in Spain and the ubiquitous huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos. If this isn’t enough you will always be offered additional hot, spicy sauces in restaurants.
Refried beans are a breakfast staple and can be cooked in a sort of spicy soup or with copious amounts of onions and garlic. In the north you will more often find white beans and pinto beans whereas in the south black beans are the favourite.
The tortilla under your huevos rancheros dates back 10,000 years before Christ. The unleavened, flat bread - usually made from corn flour - was named "tortilla" by Spanish conquistadores around 1500. The word means "small and flattened". Whether it’s a tortilla, a tostada, a taco or a burrito these are what the Mexicans will have over, under or round their breakfast much like we will have ours on toast or in a toasted sandwich.
Mexican coffee is generally light and nutty, but it can also have a heavier body. It can taste a little burnt at first but the more you drink the more the hint of chocolate flavour will come through. One of the most popular ways to take coffee in Mexico is café con leche, which is with milk, normally a 50/50 blend.
Mexican hot chocolate is made from dark, bitter chocolate and is commonly mixed with cinnamon and sugar. Chocolate at breakfast time is enjoyed by Mexicans much like their ancestors – discs are melted in warm milk or water and then a variety of other ingredients are added like masa (corn dough), thick cream, egg yolks, vanilla, molasses or cinnamon. For a really special treat try dipping pan de yema (a soft sweet bread made with loads of egg yolks) into a big bowl of hot, thick cinnamon infused Mexican chocolate – scrummy!
Middle East (general)
In most Arab areas the favourite and most popular breakfast is pitta bread dipped in rich labneh, a type of creamy curd, or in olive oil seasoned with za'atar (a delicious spice mix commonly found in the Mashriq).
Other breakfast foods generally found include cheese, beans, olives and boiled eggs.
Nigeria
Grinding corn into a powder, placing it with some water in a watertight bag and leaving it to ferment for a few days, makes a traditional Nigerian breakfast. When it is ready you pour the mixture into tall containers, add some sugar and drink – its called Moyin-Moyin.
Nigerians also use their greatest resource, the sea for breakfast. Often a fish or crab stew served with ground manioc (also known as cassava). As the tuberous root contains traces of cyanide, careless preparation it is said could mean your first meal will be your last!
Philippines
Western style breakfasts are equally as common as the traditional fish and rice. A favourite traditional breakfast in the Philippines consists of garlic fried rice, fried or scrambled eggs, and a choice of breakfast meat: beef tapa (like a fried beef jerky), pork tocino (caramelised pork), longaniza (breakfast sausage), dried and salted smoked fish or sardines, sauteed corned beef, or crispy pork adobo, often with Western-style baked beans, sliced tomatoes and a local pickle (achara) on the side. Alternatively, a cheese-topped breakfast pastry called an ensaimada (a colonial relative of the Mallorcan ensaimada) is also eaten, usually with hot chocolate, as is pan de sal (breakfast roll) filled with a buffalo milk white cheese, and local barako coffee.
Russia
Zavtrak
In Eastern European countries with cold climates such as Russia breakfasts tend to be substantial. Some Russians do choose coffee for breakfast but traditionally hot strong tea is popular. A variety of breads with black rye bread being the most common, blini, sausages or cured meats, eggs and cucumber pickles are typical breakfast items. The cereal Kasha is commonly eaten by children. It is not a specific type of grain and is often served with tvorog ( a soft curd cheese similar to Ricotta) or sour cream with sugar.
South Africa
In South Africa we might breakfast on porridge made from rolled oats, mealie meal, maltabella (a porridge made from ground sorghum or Tasty Wheat. There are also the cold cereal-from-a-packet options. If we are having eggs, they might be boiled eggs or could be an omelette, or scrambled, poached or fried. In the latter options, the eggs would come with a selection of bacon (with the rind on), link sausages, boerewors, minute steak, fried tomatoes, fried bananas, mushrooms, fried bread etc. but I have never had a fry up in Africa that included baked beans! Other breakfast options might be devilled kidneys on toast, or kippers. We might start with some fruit such as half a grapefruit or orange, a slice of paw paw or melon or some stewed prunes. Also there might be orange juice, guava juice or tomato juice as well as milk, tea or coffee to drink. Marmite, fish paste (anchovette) and marmalade often feature prominently on the breakfast menu. Texas Titch.
Spain
Desayuno
A traditional Spanish breakfast is chocolate y churros - hot chocolate with Spanish style sweet fritters rather like an elongated or star shaped doughnut covered in sugar. The hot chocolate would be very thick and sweet.
At home it is more common to have a cup of coffee, olive oil or buttered toast, buns or a ham and cheese Spanish sandwich.
In Catalan, olive country, bread is often served with olive oil instead of butter and a favourite breakfast treat is pan con tomate, an ancestor of the American pizza. It is made by brushing a thick, crusty slice of grilled bread with olive oil, garlic, tomato and sometimes topping it with a slice of ham. Fried eggs and omelettes are also popular.
Switzerland
Petit dejeuner or Frühstück
At around the time the Americans were caught up in their late 19th century cereal inventions the Swiss nutritionist Dr Max Bircher-Benner was working on a breakfast dish for the patients in his sanitarium. He advocated vegetarianism and foods that were processed to the minimum. Muesli, or 'mix' as it translates to in Swiss German, was a combination of raw grains, mostly rolled oats, nuts and fresh and dried fruits served with yoghurt or milk. It became a very popular breakfast in Switzerland and throughout Europe.
Rösti potatoes are another typically Swiss breakfast choice. Otherwise tea, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, bread, meats and eggs are commonly found for breakfast.
Tibet
Butter tea, also known as po cha or su you cha is the traditional morning drink to be consumed in Tibet as well as parts of China. It is made of tea leaves, yak butter and salt and is an indispensable part of Tibetan life. Several bowls of this tangy beverage will be consumed before work. It is especially suited to high altitudes as it is a warming drink and good antidote to the cold. according to Tibetan custom the host will refill the bowl after a guest has taken every sip so that it is never empty.
Turkey
Kahvalti.
A regular Turkish breakfast comprises white cheese, tomatoes, black olives, bread with honey or preserves, soujouk, pastirma and an egg - all accompanied by sweet black tea.
A popular Continental style breakfast in Turkey would be sliced bread with a mixture of softened butter and black pine honey.
Tarhana soup would be a popular workers cafe breakfast. Tarhana is a mixture of crushed wheat and yoghurt that is pressed into small cakes and sun dried. The soup made from it is simply dissolved Tarhana, meat broth and curd cheese.
Those who breakfast at pastry shops might choose su böregi, which is a warm layered noodle pastry filled with sot white cheese and parsley. A full breakfast spread would include ekmek, a typical Turkish bread, preserves, honey, butter, boiled eggs, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and sheeps milk cheese.
Tea is usually served black in glasses and made in a samovar- a device like a double boiler that keeps the tea hot without boiling it. The famous Turkish coffee is made by boiling very finely ground coffee in a container called a jezve.It is sometimes flavoured with cardamom or other spices, sweetened in varying degrees and served in very small cups. It is always served black.
Ayran is a popular breakfast drink made of yoghurt and water and lightly salted. In the winter sahlep is commonly drunk which is hot sweet milk flavoured with orchid root powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Vietnam
One of the most common breakfasts in Vietnam is called pho bo and is a beef noodle soup. It contains small lean pieces of beef, thin rice noodles, bean shoots and spring onions all in a delicious soup. The ingredients vary slightly from cafe to cafe but you will almost always get a side bowl of fresh chillies, salt and sliced lime. Its a tasty and satisfying start to the day.
