Breakfast around the world

[anzu]

Well, we probably all have some idea of the classic breakfast in France and the UK, and we might know what folks eat in Spain for breakfast.

But what about places more off the beaten track? What's for breakfast in Kazakhstan, Belize, Cambodia, Chad, or...?

(Thinking about this, I realized I don't even know what a classic Russian, Greek or Portuguese breakfast contains. )

[Ninjai Fanatic]

I know they have this really nice yogurt/honey comb mix + all sorts of nuts for breakfast in Greece (at least in some parts).. in the Philippines

people like to eat fried rice (with garlic) and some dried fish (usually)..

I've always eaten fruit with a little bread/cereal for breakfast.. we don't get very good milk around here, so i seldom drink milk anymore :(

[Milagai]

it is ON my beaten track, but classic south indian breakfast:

uppuma with sugar OR sprinkle of lime juice OR

sliced bananas, OR yogurt (depending on sub region)

idlis + chutney

poottu + kadale (steamed cylinder or cream of rice + chickpea stew)

uthappam + chutney

dosai + chutney

etc.

all served with a tumbler full of steaming hot, frothy,

coffee by the yard (with milk and sugar please, none of your

black stuff)

milagai

[Ducky]

In Athens, the "full breakfast" at the cafe downstairs where we stay is coffee, a couple of eggs, toast and a glass of brandy. Very civilized.

In hotels of course the universal breakfast buffet is much the same - whether you are in Cambodia or Chad.

[Chris Amirault]

In hotels of course the universal breakfast buffet is much the same - whether you are in Cambodia or Chad.

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Well, not entirely. In my experience, while most will have Western/US breakfast items, there are usually local or regional things out as well. For example, in Saudi Arabia, every hotel serves foul madamas, which looks pretty much like refried pinto beans, served with olive oil and other condiments. When good -- and it can be very, very bad, as can most hotel buffet food -- it is amazing....

[evilhomer]

it wasn't until we stopped staying at the cheapest possible hostels that I realized the typical italian breakfast is most emphatically NOT a stale bun with sour cherry jam.

I'm a big fan of the fruit/yoghurt/toast combo - the fruit can be juice or jam or fresh. sometimes we get very good yoghurt which has a creamy top layer which can be spread on toast very succesfully.

[shelora]

In Japan, its steamed rice, miso soup, pickle and some seaweed with either a raw or hardboiled egg on top.

In the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle in Oaxaca, it's hot chocolate with pan de yema (sweet bun) or freshly made tlayudas spread with a hot bean paste, wild beans hand ground on the metate and mixed with a bit of water to thin it out. With some hot pickled chiles on the side, a true breakfast of champions.

In many parts of Mexico, breakfast consists of tacos, usually served from a street cart.

Puebla, a woman makes five or so different kinds of tamales for the breakfast crowd. The sweet tamales, a lovely colour of pink, are mor-ish dipped into a hot cup of atole.

[SeaGal]

And don't forget chilaquiles in Mexico--what a great way to use up leftover tortillas.

And pho in Vietnam.

[little ms foodie]

in spain it was commonly torta espanal (sp?) and coffee or churros and hot chocolate (see my avatar)

[Daniel Rogov]

And in Israel and other parts of the Middle-East it might be said that "a breakfast without olives is like a day without sunshine"

[Soup]

fruit, yogurt and toast, perfect. I had it this morning and its just makes you feel good.

I am also a huge fan of asian breakfast. Noodle soups, congee etc.

[Pan]

Dim sum aka yum cha is breakfast food even more than lunch food. Various kinds of steamed dumplings and buns, fried dumplings, and other small plates.

In Malaysia, the breakfast of champions is roti canai or chapatti (savory pancakes that come with various types of sauces such as chicken curry, dal, etc.), but lempeng and jemput are also possibilities. Lempeng and jemput are both usually sweet. Common flavors are coconut, banana, and jackfruit. In the lempeng, the filling is thoroughly mixed into the dough, and in the jemput it's separate in the middle, if I remember correctly.

I enjoy the Italian breakfast of bread or cornetti (croissants) with jam (marmelata) and a caffeinated drink of your choice (cafe latte, tea, or hot chocolate) or juice or acqua minerale. A somewhat more formal breakfast that's delightful on weekends is prosciutto e melone, sometimes with a good local cheese, as well. A brunch of prosciutto, pecorino toscano, and melon that I was served in the Chianti country house of a professional gastronomer was memorable.

[EdS]

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a common choice is three medialunas (small croissants) and a cafe con leche. The same in Uruguay.

[ingridsf]

I felt my best ever in Japan where I ate miso, fish, seaweed, rice and a wee bit of fruit for breakfast, starting with green tea and finishing with black coffe. (Caffeine addiction transcends cultures.)

My grandfather and father in Hamburg plied me with salami, rye bread, butter, beer and coffee. Not bad.

Love masala dosas (sp?). Love poached eggs on toast.

Cannot abide doughnuts, pastries, pancakes with syrup, etc. Not averse to a nice ham and cheese on rye to start my day.

When I die and go to heaven, as I surely will, there will be dim sum carts wheeling up to my bed every morning.

[divalasvegas]

I know it's not another country's breakfast since I grew up in the US, but it might as well be. When I tell folks that we would eat fried fish and grits, or salmon cakes and grits, or even in real lean times sardines and grits I get a look from people/yankees like I just admitted to be a Satan worshiper. But that's what we ate.

Also had breakfasts fried liver (very pink in the middle), with onions, gravy and bacon..................... and grits of course. The addition of sliced tomatoes would often accompany those breakfasts as well.

[Ducky]

In Malaysia, the breakfast of champions is roti canai or chapatti (savory pancakes that come with various types of sauces such as chicken curry, dal, etc.), but lempeng and jemput are also possibilities. Lempeng and jemput are both usually sweet. Common flavors are coconut, banana, and jackfruit. In the lempeng, the filling is thoroughly mixed into the dough, and in the jemput it's separate in the middle, if I remember correctly.

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Or better yet a serious plate of Nasi Lemak!

[rooftop1000]

When I was on vacation in Iceland the breakfast buffet was amazing...of course I had to pop open a synaps and remember David Rosengartens old show TASTE where he explained smoerbroed (sp?) ...but it included a large array of cold cuts and cheeses, boiled egg slices, sliced veggies like cucumber, tomato and red peppers, flavored cheese spreads, butter and really good sliced bread. You were supposed to make open faced sandwiches on the bread after spreading it with butter or cheese spread and eat with knife and fork.

There was also cold cereal, Skyhr (yogurt) and mashed berries

worked for me

tracey

[bavila]

Every restaurant breakfast I've had in Costa Rica has included pinto gallo, or just pinto, which I understand is common throughout Latin America. It's basically the beans and rice leftover from the day before sauteed with peppers, onions garlic. I always had it with scrambled eggs and a bit of bread. And cafe con leche, of course.

Home breakfasts (at my in-laws) were generally just fresh bread and coffee, maybe with a little bit of cheese (like a queso fresco) or jam.

[Arghavan]

In Iran bread is definitely on the breakfast table. By bread I mean flat bread just bough from the bakery where it is baked in the traditional oven on hot stones. It is ususally served with feta and walnuts or butter and jam and honey. Iranian brewed tea is also part of the breakfast.

[torakris]

breakfast in Japan

[anzu]

When I die and go to heaven, as I surely will, there will be dim sum carts wheeling up to my bed every morning.

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Be careful what you wish for. I stayed with friends for a while in Hong Kong who ate dim sum for breakfast every day, and though it was great for the first few days, it actually got to be a bit too much (something I had never imagined possible with dim sum up until that moment). I started longing for something plainer, like a nice bowl of rice porridge...

And on the subject of Chinese breakfasts, any of:

Dim sum

Rice porridge AKA congee, zhou, jeuk

Fried noodles

Hot soy milk with or without youtiao (deep fried dough in a long stick shape)

Steamed zongzi AKA joong (ongoing cook-off in the Chinese forum, but I am too technically incompetent to give a link).

Freshly made crepe topped with an egg (cracked onto the crepe and spread so that it cooks over the entire surface), some sauce added, and wrapped around a youtiao.

[LynDel]

When I visited friends in Brazil, their mom would put out coffee (with a lot of milk), bread, butter and cheese. This was in Minas Gerais. I was told that in the "city" (probably Rio and Sao Paulo) people would eat fried yucca and chorizo. Fresh fruit was more with lunch or dinner than breakfast.

My husband says his mother used to make rice and beans for breakfast, but they were farmers and wanted to eat, in his words, heavy.

[Paradasia]

Me ? I have bread and coffee. Who has time for breakfast anymore?

When traveling I always enjoy the breakfasts in Germany, particularly the delicious sliced meats, cheese, and rye bread. I find they go great with the strong black European coffee served.

Among the most unusual breakfasts I have had are the Japanese Nato (fermented soybean); usually served on rice with a raw egg, soy sauce, and seaweed. The smell takes a little getting use to, but my friends always tell me its very healthy.

Another very interesting Breakfast Dish is Soodae in South Korea. It resembles pudding, and is made from congealed blood (from pigs I think). There must be a Scottish connection here, because I also recall that in the Northern UK they also eat blood sausage for breakfast.

[chappie]

On the Delmarva Peninsula it is scrapple...

[racheld]

Two different grumps in our vicinity have made snarky remarks lately about the growing number of Carniceria and Supermarcados in our area---I'm just delighted to have all the new flavors and herbs and vegetables to choose from.

My VERY favorite part is going a few blocks EARLY in the morning to pick up lovely breads and pastries right out of the ovens. Home to warm Orejas and Besos with a cup of strong cinnamon coffee---that's improving the neighborhood.