It is very easy to get into a rut regarding the first food we put into our mouths. I want to look at this morning meal, because frankly, I am kind of tired of breakfast in general. So I want to know how it is experienced around the world. What other flavors are out there being fed to our families in the earliest part of the day.
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What is Breakfast’s History
Going to my favorite first stop, when reseraching, Wikipedia, writes: The tradition of eating a morning meal has existed since ancient times, though it was not until the 15th century that “breakfast” came into use in written English as a calque of dinner to describe a morning meal: literally a breaking of the fasting period of the night just ended.
My Breakfast Experience
Worldwide
Everywhere in the world I have lived has introduced me to new experiences, new customs, and new breakfasts. In some countries breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, while other places say it is probably the least important. Likewise there is a split on taste as well, some places prefer savory while others prefer sweet. Some want to make a very large meal, others prefer a light meal.
Another world traveler, Alan C., wrote to me that breakfasts in the sorts of places I stay are usually very basic. In Italy and France generally you get bread and coffee plus perhaps yogurt and juice, and not much more. In eastern countries it isn’t very different. I don’t stay in posh hotels so I don’t get posh breakfasts. I’ve been at a few somewhat better places but my memories of them are more of the ambience than of the food..
Cruises + Buffets Breakfasts
When my spouse and I went on a Cruise, each breakfast was mainly a buffet of a multiple of breakfast foods, designed to meet a varied set of cruisers. So I saw different areas focused on particular breakfasts, here is just a list of some I remember, there may have been more:
- Sandwich station with deli meats, cheese and bread with butter, mayo, and mustards.
- Pastry station with varieties of pastries, jams, jellies, marmalades, and butter.
- Egg station with various styles of cooked egg (baked, scrambled, over easy, etc), country potatoes, and bacon, ham, or sausage with toast of various breads.
- Bagel station with cream cheese and shmears, lox, onions, capers, etc.
- Porridge station with oatmeal, congee, and others with savory and sweet toppings.
- Carb station with pancakes, French toast, waffles and various fruit toppings and syrups.
- Fruit station with yogurt, granola, and all sorts of whole and cut fruit.
- Cereal station with various breakfast cereal choices and milks.
Our Family Breakfasts
What I cook changes based on what cuisine I am exploring, but I do have some common foods I eat and they are also based on what my son and spouse prefer. While we do get into a rut sometimes, and eat the same thing for a week, here are breakfasts I make at least once a year and often many more times for they “hit the spot.“
- Tex-Mex grits with cheese, which I make just for myself.
- Japanese white rice with bonito and seaweed seasoning, again just for myself.
- Scottish stone-cut oatmeal with fruit + cinnamon-sugar, but sometimes it is savory. My spouse makes this for us, and I love it.
- Vietnamese chicken congee with Chinese fried dough sticks, fried shallots, green herbs and various spices.
- German pfannkuchen with berries and/or jams, or rolled with cinnamon sugar which I make for the three of us on special occasions.
- Mexican Huevos Rancheros.
- French omelettes and toast.
- Japanese udon soup with egg and veggies, one of those breakfasts just for me.
- Yemen Green Shakshuka, especially when having breakfast guests.
- American vegetable scramble topped with salsa, or salsa fresca.
- Definitely American cold cereal with fruit and animal or plant milks.
- East Coast Lox bagels or an American egg + meat (bacon, ham, sausage) sandwiches on bagels and with cheese.
- American hash (potatoes, meat, onions, peppers) topped with runny poached eggs.
- For a while it was fruit shakes with coconut water, but I am over that.
International Breakfasts
It is not possible for me to cover every country and what they eat for breakfast, so I have chosen those cuisines which I am currently focused on in my PattyCooks website. Most of these meals I have some personal experience with, from either being in the country or eating at restaurants where the cooks are people from that country.
But also note I am not listing every possible breakfast meal from each country. These are just the ones that are most common from my experience, the experience of my friends, or from what I learned from the web. My hope is to first give you a sense of different countries approach to breakfast, to give you ideas for your own cooking.
Continental Breakfasts
The CultureTrip describes the Grand Tour as a European trip, typically undertaken by young men, which begun in the 17th century and went through to the mid-19th. Women over the age of 21 would occasionally partake, providing they were accompanied by a chaperone from their family.
During that trip they were introduced to the typical European breakfast which was called the Continental Breakfast. Later, as Europeans started to come to the USA, major hotels started to offer this minimal breakfast as part of the hotel fee as a way to market directly to them.
- Pastries and bread, butter, jams or jellies, fresh fruit, and coffee or tea.
- Sometimes a soft boiled egg.
Austrian Breakfast
The distinction of foods between Austria and Bavaria (Germany) is blurred as both share similar geography, language, food, and recipes.
- Breads and rolls served with various cheeses, cold-cuts (especially ham), and butter and jam.
- Some prefer yogurt, granola mixtures, and cut up fresh fruit (or stewed),
- A soft boiled egg can be added to either breakfasts above.
- Coffee or tea.
Chinese Breakfast
Breakfast in China varies, depending upon the region you are looking at. So here I note some of the options that might be on the table (1):
- Soybean milk or rice congee or even oat porridge with deep fried dough sticks
- Dumplings or Steamed Buns or Wontons
- Dim Sum
- Tea
In Wuhan in northern China, hot-and-dry noodles are boiled and then fried, dried, then scalded quickly and topped with spicy condiments. This bowl of noodles would be topped with ingredients specific for that region. In Hong Kong, there are areas serving morning tea and Dim Sum with plenty of small dish options.
English Breakfast
The English breakfast is much too hearty for me, I would tend to want to go back to bed afterwards. However, it is a part of the English cultural identity that is mentioned a lot in English TV. I have never been to England so have not experienced the “real” breakfast, but I have had it at a facsimile of an English Pub.
- Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, black (or white) pudding, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, toast, and tea.
Ethiopian Breakfast
The most typical Ethiopian breakfast is a carb-focused meal that may be mixed with leftover meat stews for a boost of protein.
- fir-fir (shredded leftover injera, a sour fermented flat bread), stir-fried with berbere, onion and butter; often with an egg on top.
- Chechebsa (slices of Kita, ~ pita bread, marinated with berbere, served with sides of honey + yogurt)
- Kinche (a porridge from cracked wheat, oats, or barley boiled in milk or water, and spicy clarified butter)
- Coffee
French Breakfast
My experience of a typical French breakfast was a real basic finger food, one that was made of bread with butter and jam held over the ever present coffee to catch crumbs. I would see people often dipping their pastries or bread into their hot drinks. Admittedly, it has been decades since I was last in France, so I expect now they are eating morning cereal and perhaps porridge.
- Traditional would be pastries or a sliced Baguette with butter, jam, jellies, marmalades, and honey.
- Nowadays I expect there to be cold cereals, fruit compote, and yogurt.
- Drinks would be juice, hot coca, tea and coffee.
Germany’s Well Known Bavarian Breakfast
My experience was, when living in a farming community outside of Munich, to eat two breakfasts (2). The first breakfast (Frühstück) occurred between 5am to 7am and had coffee and morning sandwiches. This was intended to be a quick wake up meal to start the farming chores.
- Breads and rolls served with various cheeses, cold-cuts (especially ham), and butter and jam.
- Some people may prefer yogurt, granola mixtures, and cut up fresh fruit (or stewed), but that was not what I ever ate.
- A soft boiled egg can be added to either breakfasts above.
- Coffee or tea.
Then the second breakfast (Brotzeit) would be served ~9am and would normally stop at the ringing of the church bells at ~11am. This was intended to really feed us after a good mornings work with the farm animals.
- Two lightly boiled Weisswurst sausages with sweet mustard, freshly baked pretzels with Weissbier (wheat beer).
- It is hard to get this sausage in the USA so I use Bockwurst as a substitute.
The eater is to remove the meat from its casing using a fork and knife, although when I was a kid you would see the farmers marking an X at one end, dipping the sausage in mustard and sucking out the meat. Then they would get to the point where they would flip the sausage and mark an X on the other end, eating it the same way.
Greek Breakfast
The photo above this section represents a meme about Greek breakfast, that it is usually coffee and a cigarette. The point being made is that many Greeks forgo breakfast food and sip coffee on their way to whatever they are going to do. When time is taken to eat, it is usually a light continental breakfast with choices among very fresh, and healthy foods.
- A variety of breads with butter, honey or marmalade (kids probably are using Nutella) or pastries, with fruit and honey, Greek yogurt, and Greek coffee.
- Or there are savory pastry dishes like spanakopita instead of sweet.
- Special Milk Shops (which are unfortunately dying out) serve the traditional: hot milk, fresh bread, butter and honey, and yogurt.
What I sometimes do is to turn Greek ingredients into a meal, such as a Greek Open Faced Omlette, the only thing missing from my recipe is that my spouse does not like olives so I did not add them. But, I would and it would make it taste even better.
Italian Breakfast
Like France, savory is not really considered breakfast food (3). My experience of eating breakfast in Italy was standing up at a Coffee bar drinking a caffè latte and eating a pastry.
- Coffee is a must at breakfast for adults, but other choices include hot chocolate, plain milk, hot milk with barley coffee or with a very small amount of regular coffee.
- Restaurant: coffee with bread or rolls with butter and jam, or pastries like biscotti.
- Home: muesli and yogurt, cookies, croissants and fruit, cold cereal.
Japanese Breakfast
The foods in Japan can vary, but I am looking at some traditional ways people eat breakfast (4). This food is healthy, balanced and filling. The foods being served are very Japanese and therefor colorful, generally seasonal, and beautifully laid out on the table.
- Two small bowls of polished white rice and miso soup, with a side of fish and two vegetable dishes.
- Sometimes there are little bits of pickles, seaweed, natto, pickled daikon, or folded egg, etc.
In Japan, and many other countries these days, there are choices to make because one can have a traditional breakfast which takes more time to prepare, or a Western-styled one which is quick. The reality is, as time speeds up in our modern world, we seek instant or fast foods to speed us on our way. Thus, the quick Western breakfast is becoming more of a norm, which often relegates the traditional foods to the weekends. My worry is that overtime, the traditional foods are then lost.
South Korean Breakfast
My understanding of breakfasts eaten in Korea are similar to any of their meals, but appear to use smaller bowls so the meal itself is lighter (5). But Korea is also known for the street vendors serving all sorts of foods for breakfast and that is where they merge American influences with Korean traditions.
- Rice, Soup, and Banchan (but fewer and smaller dishes, perhaps 3 instead of 13),
- Dakjuk: chicken porridge made of various grains, protein, and veggies.
I also make kimchi fried rice with a sunny-side egg on top for breakfast sometimes. But I am the only one in my house that like the flavor so it is not that open.
Mexican Breakfasts
Oh I love making these breakfast dishes for my spouse. They are not too complicated, versatile, and really filling. Also, sometimes these become dinner when I am fresh out of ideas as these are definitely comfort food. The breakfast meal generally is large and filling from what I have read and eaten.
- Huevos Rancheros (tortillas, beans, cheese, veggies covered with eggs and topped with guacamole and Salsa Fresca)
- Chilaquiles (a plate of corn chips simmered with tomato + dried chile salsa, which can be topped with cheese, avocado, and fried eggs)
- Migas (crisp corn tortillas strips, mix in eggs, garlic, jalapeño, and melted cheese, served on top of a plate of black beans and topped with sliced avocado)
The Huevos Rancheros is a very good dump dish to add veggies that have met their time. So sometimes this dish is a bit heartier than normal as I add miscellaneous chopped veggies.
Moroccan Breakfast
For breakfast drinks Moroccans choose between orange juice, mint tea, milk, or milky coffee (6). Depending upon the season, fruit might be served and those most likely would be bananas, apples, oranges, grapes and pomegranates.
- Plate of runny yoke fried egg, handful of black olives, soft cheese, butter, and a large helping of oil, and honey with chunks of various breads (including a pancake).
- Khlea plate of runny yoke fried egg, dried meat, and bread.
- Msemen is a square crepe bread. served with honey, butter, and soft cheese for dipping.
- Harcha a semolina griddle cake, or msemen an oiled pancake, served with olive oil and tea.
The French and Spaniards have had an impact on this cuisine for they were colonialists in the early 1900s.
Polish Breakfast
In Poland, meat or eggs are the items important to breakfast (7). What I have heard is that they often have a breakfast sandwich.
- A plate or large spread of options: bread, soft boiled egg, meat, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, and spreads. Condiments are on the table such as butter.
- Some choose to have oatmeal with some cocoa added.
- Zapiekanka from a stall for “on the go” breakfast item.
- For drinks: coffee, milk, hot cocoa, or tea.
My understanding is that heavy breakfasts are not served, so no fried meat and potatoes. The reason why their breakfast has choices is to provide everyone with what they may want to eat.
Spanish Breakfast
Although Spain does not actually have two breakfasts, the first meal of the day is smallish with just a few ingredients because shortly thereafter they eat a little snack (almuerzo) before lunch.
- At home, coffee with milk or Cola Cao (a fortified sugary chocolate drink), orange juice, biscuits or toasts, with butter and jam.
- But at restaurants Chocolate con churros: thick and sweet hot chocolate with Churros covered in sugar.
- Toast breads with light toppings or French bread sandwiches with various fillings.
- Tortilla which is a Spanish potato omelette.
Swedish Breakfast
I spoke to a friend, Eva P., who lived in Sweden for years and helped guide me in this description.
- Bread (soft or crisp) with cold cuts, smörgåskaviar (caviar), cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, scrambled or boiled, pâté with pickled cucumber, tomatoes or cucumber.
- Toast with marmalade or maybe honey, juices, coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
- Cold cereals or muesli with milk, yogurt or filmjölk (fermented mil)
- Whole grain porridge with currants, and other fruits.
Salutation
Science tells us breakfast replenishes the stores of energy and nutrients in your body after fasting since dinner, farmers tell us a hearty breakfast with coffee gets the energy flowing for the morning’s very physical work, while modern living rushes about saying there is no time for anything but a quick coffee and maybe a donut. So what do we do?
When working I would generally go to work without breakfast, but had a cup of coffee or tea. Earlier, when I was a kid, and now that I am retired, breakfast is a lovely way to wake up and start the day. Especially when my spouse is doing the cooking.
Before I go, I wanted to tell you about this great website that goes into much more detail about international breakfasts, should you be interested, it is called Cooking the Globe.
—Patty
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