Breakfast around the world

[Hector]

Swedish breakfast:

Traditional breakfast is any kind of porridge, remember my grandma serving me different varietys of breakfast every day: polenta (made with milk), oat meal porridge, grano duro porridge, rice porridge with milk and something called "mannah grain porridge". Ussually it's the oat meal porridge that's the traditional common porridge. but it's not popular. Another traditional dish was fava bean "porridge" served with molasses and pork fat. Not one of my childhood favorites though. Maybe now I would enjoy it more.

A good swedish breakfast might be today, instead of porridge; consisting of different kinds of breads which you make open sandwiches with (sandwiches in sweden is actually refered to as "double sandwiches"), traditional swedish crisp rye bread, cheese, cold meats; like salami, diced bell peppers, fruits added to müsli (type of mixed cereals with oatmeal, raisins, nuts and stuff) served with milk (traditionally it's served with "fil" a kind of mixture between buttermilk and yogurt). Honey and marmelade. Milk to drink. Morning coffee.

Most swedes have problems eating anything but this kind of food for breakfast.

Remember taking a friend abroad to England, and he COULDN'T squeeze a bit of the fine bacon, the eggs, the sausage, the mushrooms and the black pudding I had cooked to himinto his mouth, just because it wasn't ussual breakfast food.

The fact that some people eat such things as Dim Sum for breakfast is probably very worrying to most Swedes.

[slyaspie]

In Cyprus, carob syrup (the trees are everywhere) on thick tangy yogurt or on bread. Also honey on yogurt. The carob syrup is also popularly used on anari cheese a very tender fresh goat cheese (but it doesn't smush!). The name for carob syrup is teratsomello which basically translates as carob honey.

Other foods at breakfast are bread dipped in olive oil. Bread and olives and halloumi. Bread with olives, green onions, leeks, cilantro and parsley baked into it, ripped into chunks.

A more leisurely type breakfast (perhaps you have guests) might include some fried halloumi and loukaniko a local sausage marinated in wine for days on end and then smoked. Always a squeeze of lemon on the fried halloumi.

And of course the tiny cups of thick Greek coffee, always a necessity.

[daniellewiley]

In Istanbul we had hard boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese and fresh bread. I think they also put out yogurt.

We often serve Turkish breakfasts at home (and have even done so at a tailgate).

[JayBassin]

Pho is a breakfast dish in Viet Nam.

Rice porridge or gruel is common throughout asia. "Congee" or "jook" in Chinese. We make congee often on weekends for breakfast, usually mixing in a little Scottish oats with the rice, and adding seaweed, dried fish, grilled tofu, etc.

[Jensen]

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.

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This is, without a doubt, my favourite type of breakfast: Brötchen; frische Käse, Hackenpieter (spelling?), and more.

And definitely lots of good European coffee.

[Almass]

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.

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This is, without a doubt, my favourite type of breakfast: Brötchen; frische Käse, Hackenpieter (spelling?), and more.

And definitely lots of good European coffee.

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You mean Hackepeter.

Unless you mean to say Aufschnitt which is cold cuts.

[Jensen]

You mean Hackepeter.

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That is exactly what I mean. Thank you!

Do you know what it is called in English? My German neighbour and the fellow at the German Metzgerei thought I meant Tartare but my friend in Germany said it wasn't the same thing.

[Almass]

You mean Hackepeter.

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That is exactly what I mean. Thank you!

Do you know what it is called in English? My German neighbour and the fellow at the German Metzgerei thought I meant Tartare but my friend in Germany said it wasn't the same thing.

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Strictly speaking Hackepeter is minced meat. But in a breakfast context and with a bread roll, then it is a particular mince with onions, persil and S/P.

Now the difference between Hackepeter and Steak Tartare is that Hackepeter is Porc and Steak Tartare is Beef!

So your friend in Germany is correct.

[zeitoun]

Foul moudammas is also common in Lebanon.

Labne with olive oil and bread is typical also.

Not sure if this is typicaly lebanese but in our home we also ate for breakfast:

Shanklish - the cheese - if available or Shanklish, as in the diced Feta/Tomato/onion/parsely mixture with bread and olive oil.

Or some bite size mana'ich, the oven baked dough topped with a zaatar/olive oil mixture.

[Behemoth]

In Northern Germany, krabbensalat (small north sea shrimp in a sweetish mayo dressing) would also be a breakfast staple. I mocked it but then I grew to love it. Lachs (smoked salmon) for special occasions, served with horseradish or a sweet mustard sauce.

In Lebanon, labneh and zeitoun (olives) is the default option. Zaatar man'ouch fresh from the bakery is a nice treat especially if you have to be on the road at an ungodly hour, and a nice regional treat in Chtoura is an areesha (cheese curd/clotted cream typa thing) sandwich with local honey. Strong sweet tea in most families, black arabic coffee in ours. For kids before or on the way to school, various forms of ka'ak are popular. Variations range from crumbly sweetish cookie to rock-like plain to decidedly breadish -- the last kind with zaatar or cheese or both. Foul is popular but I must admit I tend to eat more of the pickles that come with it than the actual beans. I personally think it goes best with arak but my aunts tend to disapprove.

[Smarmotron]

In Turkey, they'll usually eat olives, tomatoes, bread with butter and jam or honey, cheese, egg, and tea or coffee.

[Jaymes]

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

As others have pointed out, breakfast buffets in Europe are quite likely to look more like what we'd consider a luncheon buffet in the US. All sorts of cold cuts, pates, salmon and other smoked and/or marinated fish, assorted cheeses, sliced tomatoes, olives, and breads.

And those wonderful machines that you throw an orange into, and out comes fresh juice. Boy would I like to have one of those in my kitchen.

[joiei]

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.

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Ocasionally, my mom would also make fried fish, usually small perch with grits for breakfast. And sometimes, squirrel or quail with grits. Satan worshipper, nah. Just using what you have on hand.

When I am in Belize, ususally Maria serves an egg, frijoles, fresh fruit and fry jack with marmalade. yum.

Edited July 10, 2005 by joiei (log)

[Pan]

What's fry jack? Fried jackfruit? Flapjacks? Something else?

[Hector]

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

As others have pointed out, breakfast buffets in Europe are quite likely to look more like what we'd consider a luncheon buffet in the US. All sorts of cold cuts, pates, salmon and other smoked and/or marinated fish, assorted cheeses, sliced tomatoes, olives, and breads.

And those wonderful machines that you throw an orange into, and out comes fresh juice. Boy would I like to have one of those in my kitchen.

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In southern Europe this is very different. In Northern and Eastern europe, these big buffets you talk about is always there. But in like Spain, France and Italy Nothing more than a cup of coffee is ussually eaten for breakfast. But the breakfast buffets at hotels are still there. In modified form though! Not with the meat, cheese and vegs. In France you'll get served piles of sweet croissants, pain au chocolate, ussually dry french bread, beure and sweet maremlade.

In Spain, breakfast is just some white bread with olive oil and a cup of black coffee. Italian hotel breakfast is dried out cookies, biscotti, marmelata sweet things.. more dessert than breakfast.

Edited July 10, 2005 by Hector (log)

[Verjuice]

Here in the U.A.E., a common traditional breakfast item is balaleet.

This involves taking cooked vermicelli noodles and tossing them in an incredibly sweet (4-5 cups of sugar for every packet of noodles) reduced sugar syrup flavored with cardamon, and then topped with fried omelettes.

It is one of the most vile concoctions on the face of the planet. My dad loves the stuff.

[joiei]

What's fry jack? Fried jackfruit? Flapjacks? Something else?

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It is a fried bread, sort of a fried flour tortilla but a little thicker. Kind of like a New Orleans beignet without the powdered sugar.

[Jaymes]

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

As others have pointed out, breakfast buffets in Europe are quite likely to look more like what we'd consider a luncheon buffet in the US. All sorts of cold cuts, pates, salmon and other smoked and/or marinated fish, assorted cheeses, sliced tomatoes, olives, and breads.

And those wonderful machines that you throw an orange into, and out comes fresh juice. Boy would I like to have one of those in my kitchen.

In southern Europe this is very different. In Northern and Eastern europe, these big buffets you talk about is always there. But in like Spain, France and Italy Nothing more than a cup of coffee is ussually eaten for breakfast. But the breakfast buffets at hotels are still there. In modified form though! Not with the meat, cheese and vegs. In France you'll get served piles of sweet croissants, pain au chocolate, ussually dry french bread, beure and sweet maremlade.

In Spain, breakfast is just some white bread with olive oil and a cup of black coffee. Italian hotel breakfast is dried out cookies, biscotti, marmelata sweet things.. more dessert than breakfast.

It's hotel breakfast buffets I'm talking about. I have traveled quite a lot all over Europe over the last few years, and found these types of breakfast buffets to be ubiquitous. I particularly remember a hotel in Granada a few winters back, watching families in ski gear loading up before heading off for a snowy day in the Sierra Nevada.

I've not been lucky enough to enjoy breakfast buffets in anyone's home. But the large hotels where I stayed usually featured buffets that included the sorts of things I mentioned.

I wouldn't say that they were necessarily "big buffets," but what was on them, as I said, reminded me more of luncheon buffets in the US than breakfast buffets.

And frankly, I quite got the hang of cheese and pate for breakfast pretty quickly.

Edited July 10, 2005 by Jaymes (log)

[legourmet]

In Northern Germany, krabbensalat (small north sea shrimp in a sweetish mayo dressing) would also be a breakfast staple. I mocked it but then I grew to love it. Lachs (smoked salmon) for special occasions, served with horseradish or a sweet mustard sauce.

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Krabbensalat as the first cours in a menu is ok for me. Lachs, raw, smoked or graved Lachs that's my first choise for breakfast. I like it. Mid of June I've been in Bremen for some days and Lachs was each day on my breakfast plate.

[djbeers]

Fried chicken used to be a common breakfast item for country folks in the deep south. Some only ate it at breakfast and as they moved out into the rest of the country were shocked to see it on lunch and dinner menus. I recall eating breakfast at an Australian military base in 1976. They served beef, gravy, peas, and mashed potatoes. Someone please tell me this isn't normal for Australia. When in the Philippines I loved to get a bag full of hot pandesal at a local bakery.....and a jar of cheese whiz (don't laugh, at least not too loud). They all sold jars of cheese whiz. It was a great combination!

[Hector]

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

As others have pointed out, breakfast buffets in Europe are quite likely to look more like what we'd consider a luncheon buffet in the US. All sorts of cold cuts, pates, salmon and other smoked and/or marinated fish, assorted cheeses, sliced tomatoes, olives, and breads.

And those wonderful machines that you throw an orange into, and out comes fresh juice. Boy would I like to have one of those in my kitchen.

In southern Europe this is very different. In Northern and Eastern europe, these big buffets you talk about is always there. But in like Spain, France and Italy Nothing more than a cup of coffee is ussually eaten for breakfast. But the breakfast buffets at hotels are still there. In modified form though! Not with the meat, cheese and vegs. In France you'll get served piles of sweet croissants, pain au chocolate, ussually dry french bread, beure and sweet maremlade.

In Spain, breakfast is just some white bread with olive oil and a cup of black coffee. Italian hotel breakfast is dried out cookies, biscotti, marmelata sweet things.. more dessert than breakfast.

It's hotel breakfast buffets I'm talking about. I have traveled quite a lot all over Europe over the last few years, and found these types of breakfast buffets to be ubiquitous. I particularly remember a hotel in Granada a few winters back, watching families in ski gear loading up before heading off for a snowy day in the Sierra Nevada.

I've not been lucky enough to enjoy breakfast buffets in anyone's home. But the large hotels where I stayed usually featured buffets that included the sorts of things I mentioned.

I wouldn't say that they were necessarily "big buffets," but what was on them, as I said, reminded me more of luncheon buffets in the US than breakfast buffets.

And frankly, I quite got the hang of cheese and pate for breakfast pretty quickly.

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OK; Me myself has experienced that there's a general south-north border in europe when it comes to breakfast. In south you'll only be served some kind of bread with sweet things, or sweet cakes, juice and coffee. And in the the north you get a more varied breakfast with cereals, porridge, rye bread, meat, vegs, cheese, yogurt (popular in southern europe too but not that well found in hotels) But I'll guess you can find this kind of breakfast in the south, nowadays too. Especially when there's an infux of german tourist in the area where the hotel is!

But then I've experienced being served nothing more than cookies, biscotties, and amaretto biscuits in Italy, Sticky pain de chocolate in france, and a little bit bread with oil in Spain.

[anzu]

I recall eating breakfast at an Australian military base in 1976.  They served beef, gravy, peas,  and mashed potatoes.  Someone please tell me this isn't normal for Australia. 

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It is NOT normal for Australia (I am Australian BTW). Normal for Australia is more along the lines of muesli or cereal - these are similar to the US but in general not as many sweetened cereals are on offer as the US. Porridge, maybe, depending on the season and the family.

After cereal, or in place of it, is toast. Either with jam (jellly for the Americans ), or with something savoury, such as cheese, vegemite, some kind of fish or meat paste...

Fruit juice, millk, and tea or coffee depending on the age and level of yuppie-hood of the person drinking.

However, Australia has a LOT of immigrants. The breakfast listed above will still not be representative for many people living in Australia - but those immigrants are probably still not going to be eating beef, gravy, etc. for breakfast either.

[Staximo]

My breakfast?

At home: milk & cereal / milk & cake / milk & biscuits

otherwise: cappuccino & cornetto con la crema (sweet croissaint with confectioner's

custard)

[daniellewiley]

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

As others have pointed out, breakfast buffets in Europe are quite likely to look more like what we'd consider a luncheon buffet in the US. All sorts of cold cuts, pates, salmon and other smoked and/or marinated fish, assorted cheeses, sliced tomatoes, olives, and breads.

And those wonderful machines that you throw an orange into, and out comes fresh juice. Boy would I like to have one of those in my kitchen.

←

In southern Europe this is very different. In Northern and Eastern europe, these big buffets you talk about is always there. But in like Spain, France and Italy Nothing more than a cup of coffee is ussually eaten for breakfast. But the breakfast buffets at hotels are still there. In modified form though! Not with the meat, cheese and vegs. In France you'll get served piles of sweet croissants, pain au chocolate, ussually dry french bread, beure and sweet maremlade.

In Spain, breakfast is just some white bread with olive oil and a cup of black coffee. Italian hotel breakfast is dried out cookies, biscotti, marmelata sweet things.. more dessert than breakfast.

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At the hotels we stayed at in Italy, there were always meats available, and also some delicious stewed prunes that were absolutely addictive. This was at maybe 4-5 hotels in both Tuscany and Emilio-Romagna.

[Pan]

At the hotels we stayed at in Italy, there were always meats available, and also some delicious stewed prunes that were absolutely addictive. This was at maybe 4-5 hotels in both Tuscany and Emilio-Romagna.

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The hotels I stayed at in Italy that provided breakfast had bread and cornetti accompanied by jam (marmelata) and butter, with water/juice/caffe latte/tea/hot chocolate/milk to drink, and perhaps some fresh fruit. No meat for breakfast in those hotels. What level of luxury were the hotels you were staying at? We stayed at relatively inexpensive hotels, mid-priced at times. Some were classy, some weren't, but none were expensive luxury places.