Breakfast Around the World

Our word for the first meal of the day, "breakfast," has almost religious overtones, as if the hours in which we sleep are a purposeful abstention from sustenance. We get this word from the English -- just as we get from them many of our breakfast habits and dishes. And, since both the US and England have unusually elaborate ideas of what constitutes an appropriate culinary opener to the day, it is not surprising that we share a loaded name for the meal.

Almost uniformly in other countries, the word for breakfast is not so portentous. In some languages, it barely rates meal status. The German frühstück is, literally, an "early bite." In France and Italy, petit dejeuner and prima colazione are both just a bridge to the midday meal -- a "little" or a "first" lunch. The Dutch ontbijt can mean either breakfast or a snack. And often, the idea is pared down to its bare minimum -- coffee -- as in the Portuguese cafe da manhã, or "morning coffee." In the end, whether it is a large or a small meal, one thing is expected from breakfast: it should get you going. This is usually done by combining a rousing stimulant with strengthening substance, in varying proportions that are largely cultural. In France, for example, the coffee is the main thing. In Asian countries most people eat the same sorts of foods for breakfast that they would eat for any other meal. And in America, a great deal of work has gone into searching for just exactly the right foods for the morning hours, quite apart from any other time of day.

Breakfast in America

Although in these days of rush and health-consciousness we may only indulge in a real breakfast spread at brunch, Americans have historically inclined toward the English tradition of substantial breakfasts, which first crossed the Atlantic with the Puritans. Over the years, as different cultures have made their culinary mark on American habits, we have put together an unusually large collection of foods associated primarily with the morning meal. In exchange, we have made our own contribution to breakfast in other countries with the concept of packaged, prepared foods. For better or worse, 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. Coffee, tea, milk, hot cocoa, eggs, cereal, bread or baked goods, bacon or sausage, and fruit and fruit juice are all standard items. Nevertheless, quite a few things do retain their regional flavour. Pancakes and maple syrup, beloved by children across the country, were, in the days before marketing and artificial flavorings, a New England specialty.

Culinary imports to the breakfast table in the heartland of America are often of German or Scandinavian origin, and many of these involve a sensible hashing together of various ingredients (especially meat) to use up leftovers and create a delicious meal. For example, scrapple, a Pennsylvania Dutch side dish, is made by cooking a mixture of pork scraps, cornmeal, and herbs into a mush, pressing it into a mold, then cutting the loaf into slices and frying them before serving.

The good old-fashioned, pre-healthfood breakfast is alive and well in the South. Many people still start their days with grits slathered with butter or red-eye gravy (which is, essentially, bacon grease mixed with the active "red-eye" ingredient, coffee); biscuits made with lard; a thick slice of country ham, as big around as the plate it is served on (or bacon, or a few slices of spicy pork sausage); crisp, fried hash brown potatoes; and a bottomless cup of coffee.

In the western states one can still find hearty frontier "grub" in the form of the Irish-influenced corned beef hash and eggs breakfast (originally the eggs would always have been fried, but now, to class the dish up a bit, they might be poached). Hearty omelets, with plenty of eggs and lots of filling, are also characteristic frontier food. And home fries, chunks of potatoes skillet-fried with onion and bell pepper, are the western equivalent of hash browns.

Baked goods have proven particularly attractive to Americans in search of breakfast items. Many of these, like the waffle (relative of the French gaufre and the Dutch wafel) are snack foods or desserts in their native countries. The doughnut has its origins in the Dutch olykoek and the French beignet, both of which are little nut-shaped hunks of deep-fried yeast dough. It didn't acquire its un-nutlike but definitive doughnut shape (that is, the "torus") until the early 19th century in America, when it was decided that having a hole in the middle of the dough would increase the surface frying area and improve the texture.

Another, similarly shaped, breakfast favorite, the bagel (from the Yiddish beygel or "ring"), has its roots in 17th century Polish Jewish culture, but is now a thoroughly American product. The special chewy texture is achieved by first boiling the ring of yeast dough and then baking it. It is now the centerpiece of a morning meal associated mostly with Jewish New York -- a bagel spread with cream cheese, piled high with lox, and garnished with a few thin slices of onion.

The English muffin, which forms the basis of several egg dishes and is popular in its own right as toast, is an American invention, in spite of its name. (Although it is clearly related to several varieties of griddlecakes that are found in the British Isles, among them crumpets.) It is made by baking a round of yeast dough on a griddle. Always halved and toasted before serving, the English muffin is rarely cut with a knife; instead a fork is used to pry the bread apart, creating a rough surface on which to spread butter and jam. There is, of course, the other popular breakfast muffin: the soft-textured, usually sweet, little quick bread that comes made with blueberries, bran and raisin, and in countless other flavours. This appears to have originated in America.

Breakfast in Canada

Breakfast in Canada is little different than in the United States, except perhaps for a slightly stronger tendency to indulge in large English-style spreads. It is not a surprise that a country whose flag bears a maple leaf is the largest producer of maple syrup in the world and claims the pancake and maple syrup breakfast as a local specialty. 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. Canadian bacon, a popular side dish, is quite unlike the crispy strips that are familiar to United States residents; it tastes more like ham, and is served in thin round slices.

Breakfast in Central America

Staples for breakfast in Central America include egg dishes, chorizo and other sausages, tortillas, pan dulce (sweet bread), fresh fruit and fruit juices, and fried plantains. As is only appropriate for the region to which chocolate is native, chocolate beverages are especially popular in the morning. They tend to be much thicker and frothier than their counterparts in America, and they are often flavoured with spices such as cinnamon or achiote. In Chiapas, tascalate combines chocolate, ground pine nuts, sugar, vanilla and achiote. And, since Central and South America now help supply the world's addiction to coffee, it is available in many forms, among them cafe con leche (sweetened, with lots of milk) and café de olla (with cinnamon and brown sugar). Huevos rancheros is only one of a number of egg-based dishes, many of which are local specialties. On the Yucatan peninsula, huevos motuleños -- eggs in the style of town of Motul -- are a popular choice. The dish is made by spreading refried beans onto fresh tortillas, then adding a fried egg or two, chopped ham, peas, and cheese. The Costa Rican national dish is gallo pinto, which means "spotted rooster." The dish is indeed spotted; it is a combination of fried rice and black beans, lightly spiced, that might be served with sour cream and fried or scrambled eggs at breakfast time.

Breakfast in South America

The South American breakfast tends to be light in the Continental style, just a cup of coffee with plenty of milk and some bread or pan dulce (sweet bread). Medialunas, small croissants that are available either sweet or plain, are popular for breakfast. Those who prefer a less filling beverage drink tea or yerba mate. In Argentina, one orders cafe con leche only in the mornings. By the afternoon, those who like their coffee with milk switch to cortados, which contain a little less of it. Another Argentine breakfast beverage is the submarino, which is a glass of steamed milk with a bittersweet chocolate bar melted into it.

Many people follow up their light, early breakfasts with a midmorning snack. In Bolivia this snack might be something like salteñas. These are small, oval pastries that are filled with a juicy mixture of meats, peas, potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, raisins, and olives.

Breakfast in Russia

Some Russians do choose coffee for breakfast, but strong, hot tea is probably more popular. A variety of breads (black bread being the most associated with the country), blini, sausages, fried eggs, and cucumber pickles are also typical breakfast items. Kasha is particularly common, especially for children. The word means "cereal," and it is not made with a specific sort of grain, although Americans are most familiar with buckwheat kasha (millet, semolina, oats, or rice might also be used). It is often served with tvorog (a soft curd cheese similar to ricotta) or sour cream and sugar.

Breakfast in Turkey

Turkish cuisine provides quite a few options for morning meals. One popular continental-style breakfast requires only a loaf of bread, a little softened butter and honey, which are mixed together before spreading. There are many different sorts of honey produced in Turkey, and among the most unusual to westerners is the molasses-colored siyah çam bali, or black pine honey. It is not uncommon for workers to eat at restaurants in the morning. There, the popular menu choice is tarhana soup and fresh bread. Tarhana is a mixture of crushed wheat and yogurt that is pressed into small cakes and sun-dried. The soup made from it is fairly simple, little more than the dissolved tarhana, meat broth and curd cheese. Those who breakfast at pastry shops might choose su böregi, a warm, layered noodle pastry that is filled with soft white cheese and parsley. And, for those who have the time, a full breakfast spread includes ekmek (a typical Turkish bread, made with wheat flour and always served fresh) with preserves, honey, butter, boiled eggs, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sheep's milk cheese.

Breakfast beverages also proliferate in Turkey. Tea, usually served in glasses not teacups, is made in a device that is just like a double boiler; it keeps the tea hot without allowing it to boil. The Turks say this accounts for its lack of bitterness. There is also, of course, the famous Turkish coffee. It is made by boiling very fine coffee grounds (sometimes flavoured with cardamom or other spices) in a container called a jezve. The coffee is sweetened to varying degrees according to a specific system, and served black, in tiny cups. Ayran is a simple drink made of yogurt and water, lightly salted. During the winter, many people drink sahlep: hot, sweet milk flavored with orchid root powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon, a beverage that is also considered to be a cold remedy.

Breakfast in Israel

Western-style breakfasts are common in Israel, although, of course, such combinations as eggs and bacon aren't available except in non-Kosher establishments. The kibbutz breakfast is distinctive in its use of the food produced by the cooperative. Both workers and guests wake up to a generous buffet spread that includes yogurt, herring, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other fresh fruits and vegetables of the season.

Breakfast in Africa

In Northern Africa, where the culinary traditions have a great deal in common with the Middle East, breakfasts are likely to include tea or coffee and breads made with sorghum or millet. In Egypt, in particular, ful medames is considered to be a traditional early morning meal.

In East and West Africa, breakfast most often includes uji. This is a thin gruel made out of cassava, millet, rice, or corn, depending on the region. Cornmeal gruel is most common and is made by pounding fresh corn, then squeezing out the starch before cooking. Of course, the extent to which breakfast is differentiated from other meals varies from country to country and with the level of poverty in the area. In some places, peanuts are ground into the cornmeal. In Madagascar, kitoza might be eaten along with the gruel; this delicacy is made from dried strips of beef that are then grilled over a charcoal fire. Fresh fruits, where available, are always popular.

In urban areas, breakfast in the European style is not uncommon. The years of European colonization, especially by the French and the English, have made it likely that breakfast in the west of Africa will be on the French, or Continental model, while in the east and south, the larger English breakfast predominates.

Breakfast in Australia

Not surprisingly, considering the country's relationship with England, the Australian range of breakfast foods is pretty much what you'll find in the United Kingdom -- bacon, eggs, toast with butter and jam, cereal with milk, and tea or coffee to drink. There are a couple of idiosyncratic food combinations on the Australian breakfast menu, though. Toast, topped with either spaghetti or baked beans and bacon, is a popular morning dish.

Breakfast in India

There is great variety in Indian cuisine, and popular breakfast foods vary from region to region. Eggs scrambled with spices, potatoes, and onions are popular in the morning, as are fresh fruits and yogurt. The Hindi breakfast dish khichri is made with a mixture of rice, lentils, and spices. During their occupation of India, the English adopted this dish for their own, by adding smoked haddock, cream, and eggs, and renaming it, according to their phonetic translation of the original, kedgeree.

Although tea is drunk more often on the whole, in the south of India, coffee is the caffeine provider of choice. Many people buy the beans raw and roast them at home. Popular foods include appam (thin, crepe-like rice pancakes that are often filled with spiced meat or potatoes and vegetables), idi-appam (rice noodles eaten with either sweet coconut milk or a meat curry), idli (small steamed cakes made with a lightly fermented batter of rice and split peas) and puttu (crushed rice and coconut pressed in alternating layers into a bamboo mold, then steamed and served with bananas and milk).

Far to the north, in Kashmir, the day starts particularly early, so the first meal is usually a quick cup of tea with some bread. Kashmiris drink a green tea, which they make in a samovar. The tea may be drunk plain, but if possible, sugar, cardamom and ground almonds are added to make a concoction known as kahva. Many of the breads that are eaten in Kashmir are, like the samovar for the tea, more related to Middle Eastern cuisines than Indian. They are leavened wheat breads, among them are the slightly sweet bakirkhani and the sesame-sprinkled tsachvaru.

Breakfast in China

The breakfast hour in China is very early. In most areas, the foods eaten are the same as at lunch and dinner. This means primarily a grain, often rice, which is supplemented with small amounts of vegetable and meat dishes. Tea is drunk throughout the day, although often not at meals. In Canton, dim sum, and congee in particular, can be considered primarily breakfast choices.

Breakfast in Japan

In spite of the fact that asa-gohan means "morning rice," most people in Japan these days -- at least in urban areas -- eat quick western-style breakfasts like eggs, toast, juice and coffee. Those who prefer more traditional foods are likely to have tea and miso soup or, yes, rice. Some season the rice with nori seaweed flakes or mix in a little raw egg for added protein. Umeboshi, pickles made from unripe plums soaked in brine and packed with red shiso leaves (which are responsible for their vivid color and flavor), are popular breakfast accompaniments. They are also used to balance the digestion.

Breakfast in Southeast Asia

As in many parts of the East, there are usually no certain foods reserved for breakfast. Rice, curries, and noodle soups are popular morning foods, as are the plentiful and varied fresh fruits.

In Singapore, many choose a rice dish made with coconut milk and fish, nasi lemak. Thais eat a rice gruel similar to Chinese congee; this might be further enriched by stirring raw egg into the hot liquid so that it poaches. In the Philippines, Western style breakfasts are at least as common as the traditional fish and rice, reflecting their years as a Spanish colony. For the most part in Vietnam, people make their breakfasts out of the same soups and spicy dishes that are common at other meals. Outside of the cities, many workers eat xoi, sticky rice (sometimes mixed with peanuts or mung beans) steamed in a leaf wrapper.

Breakfast in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia

These countries are characterized by the generous selection of food that is eaten there in the mornings. Cereal, eggs, a variety of breads with butter and jam, cold meats, cheeses, yogurt, fruits and fruit juices, as well as tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or milk -- the breakfast eater is likely to make a substantial early meal out of these elements.

There are, as might be expected, regional specialties. In Sweden, for example, people may choose to put filmjölk, a thick, slightly sour milk, on their cereal. In Germany, the most common preparation for eggs is soft-boiled. Austrians eat a light breakfast very early in the morning, and often have this substantial breakfast, which they call a Gabelfrühstück or "fork breakfast", a little later, perhaps at one of the many coffee houses for which Austria is famous.

At breakfast in the Netherlands, you might encounter a local specialty known as groene haring (green herring). These are small herring that have been lightly pickled in brine, and they may be eaten in the style of a small child -- by picking one up by the tail, holding it up over the head, and dropping it into the mouth. And, instead of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, some Dutch breakfasters might choose anijsmelk, warm milk flavored with aniseed.

Breakfast in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales

THE UNITED KINGDOM
The British Isles are famous for multiple-course breakfasts. A wide array of meats is always in evidence: bacon, sausage, grilled kidneys, mutton chops. There are also eggs in profusion, grilled tomato and mushrooms, oatmeal or cold cereal, various smoked fish, in addition to tea and coffee. Baked goods may include assorted buns, crumpets, and brown bread with butter, honey, jam, or marmalade. There is absolutely always toast. The culinary influence of England's centuries of rule in India is visible at breakfast where kedgeree (originally khichri, a dish of lentils, rice and spices to which the English added smoked haddock, eggs, and cream), hoppers (originally the rice pancakes known as appam), and mango chutney ("chutney" is the Hindi word for relish) all make an appearance.

IRELAND
A proper full Irish breakfast is known as a "fry," which gives some hint of how meat-oriented it is likely to be (although fried bread might be served). White and black puddings are frequent additions to the array of meats already mentioned. There may also be Irish soda bread, a slightly sweet, white-flour bread that is raised with baking soda, rather than yeast, and includes a liberal sprinkling of golden and brown raisins.

SCOTLAND
Scottish contributions to the breakfast table in the British Isles include oatcakes, scones, and Arbroath smokies. Scones are very much like biscuits and are traditionally cut into wedge shapes before baking. Oatcakes, also called bannocks, are made with a mixture of oat and barley flour, then baked on a griddle. Scots are, if possible, even a little better known for eating oatmeal in the morning than the British or the Irish; popular additions to morning porridge are sugar, cream, and black treacle. Arbroath smokies are made of small haddock that are gutted, then tied together in pairs and either salted or pickled in brine before being smoked over a peat fire. They are eaten with with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of black pepper, accompanied by brown bread and butter.

WALES
The unusual, and traditional, Welsh additions to the breakfast table are laverbread and cockles. Laverbread is an edible seaweed that is gathered from the rocky shores of the southern coast of Wales. It might be served as an added ingredient in porridge, mixed with oatmeal and fried into a sort of griddlecake, or served plain like spinach. Cockles are bivalves similar to mussels or clams, and, in the morning, are often served fried.

Breakfast in Greece

Breakfast isn't a big meal in Greece. Most people start off with a quick bite that might include a grilled roll, or fresh fruit with yogurt. Greek coffee (which is identical to Turkish coffee) is extremely popular and can be ordered without any sugar at all (sketo), medium-sweet (metrio), or very sweet (glyko), but it is not served with milk. Many people supplement their light breakfasts with a midmorning snack that includes bread, meat, and cheese.

Breakfast in France, Italy, Belgium, and Luxembourg

These are the countries that define the term "Continental breakfast," paring down the morning meal to the absolute minimum of stimulant and sustenance: coffee and bread. In France, the most common coffee choice is café au lait, served in a large ceramic bowl, although, of course, there are those who opt for other beverages, say black coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Similarly, in Italy, the choice is most likely to be cappuccino, caffe nero, tè, or latte al cacao. In both cases, the bread is usually a croissant, brioche, or slice of toast, served with butter and preserves.

Breakfast in Bulgaria

Breakfast in Bulgaria might include tea or Turkish coffee, sesame bread and butter, sheep's milk cheese, honey, olives, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and -- most importantly -- yogurt. The Bulgarians have a larger percentage of centenarians in their population than most other parts of the world, and much of the credit for this is given to yogurt. Most Bulgarians eat it at least once a day.

Breakfast in Spain and Portugal

Probably the most common breakfast in Spain and Portugal is a roll with butter and jam and a cup of milk-rich coffee. Spain is the country responsible for bringing chocolate from the New World to Europe, and she reflects her culinary and colonial history in the fact that chocolate is a more common beverage for adults there than in other countries. One popular and indulgent breakfast combination is chocolate con churros; thick hot chocolate served with a sort of deep-fried tubular doughnut coated with cinnamon sugar. Aficionados dunk the churro into the chocolate before each bite.

In Catalan, olive country, bread is often served with olive oil instead of butter, and a favorite 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 omelets are also popular.

Back to Lesson 9