Around the World in 8 Breakfasts

“The first thing I do when I wake up, I have breakfast” Karl Lagerfeld

Have you ever wondered why we always try not to eat the same food at lunch or dinner because considered unhealthy, and for breakfast we pretty much have the same thing every morning? I tried to answer this questions many times, and the only reply I could come up with is because breakfast is a pure cultural thing. If you think about it, every country has a specific set of food that is served for breakfast: you would never really see a Japanese eating pancakes and scrambled eggs, or an Italian enjoying a Nasi Lemak at 9 in the morning. Every region of the world has developed a breakfast ritual, which can be also considered as a cultural signature. From East to West, and from North to South, here is a complete guide to all the different breakfasts of the world:

ITALY

Sitting down at a tiny table on the edge of the street with scooters passing by and people frantically walking around you. Italians love to enjoy their breakfasts at their local bars, usually sitting outside where they can still smell the fresh baked croissant and the grained coffee beans. The typical Italian breakfast consists of espresso or cappuccino, “cornetto” (croissant) and orange juice.

UK, U.S. and AUSTRALIA

All Anglo-Saxon countries share the same, or at least similar, breakfast routine. British, North Americans and Australians are wild-eyed fanatic of pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled, poached or fried eggs on toasts, accompanied by sausages, bacon and sometimes mushrooms and tomatoes.

AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST

Africa is a very vast continent and presents different cultural heritages depending on the state. In the north, for examples, (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria…) breakfast is very similar to the Middle Eastern one: usually served with mint or herb tea, it is composed by a sort of sweet bread baked with honey and spices, and couscous. Towards the south of Africa, on the other hand, people have completely different breakfast tastes: countries such as Botswana, Mozambique, Congo or Kenya prefer to eat peanuts mixed with a dough of millet and vegetables.

RUSSIA

In this cold and snowy country, people love to start their freezing days with Kashas, a type of porridge cooked with warm milk or water and accompanied with crêpes or pancakes made of Tvorog (a type of cheese) and honey. Sometimes Russians also like to add the Buterbrod to their breakfasts, a sandwich stuffed with cold cuts and different cheeses. When the weather is terribly cold, food is vital to keep the body warm!

JAPAN, KOREA and CHINA

These three countries have similar tastes in breakfast; they all enjoy eating white rice, which they usually enrich it with fish, meat or vegetables and accompany with a cup of fresh or warm soya milk. In China the word for breakfast is even traduced with “morning rice”! In case one morning Japanese, Chinese or Koreans don’t feel like having rice, the alternative breakfast dish is the dim sum, steamed dumplings stuffed with meat, seafood or vegetables.

INDIA and MALAYSIA

Even thou these two countries are not geographically close to each other, their breakfast routine is quite similar. Both cultures love to fill their stomachs with heavy dishes: Indians usually make curry rice, chapatti bread and coconut cakes; whereas Malaysians enjoy Nasi Lemak (fried rice with egg, seafood and dry chicken curry).

ANTARCTIC, ARCTIC and ALASKA

Antarctic and Artic are opposite to each other, one is in the extreme south and the second is the extreme north, however both regions are characterized by the rigid cold weather, which is also a feature of the Alaskan territories. These three areas have been put together because their breakfasts are very similar: usually the best way to start the day in such a cold country is by fueling up the body with a long coffee, which is accompanied by spicy reindeer sauces, buttery toasts, waffles and warm soup.

SOUTH AMERICA

In this case, like for Africa, South America covers a very large territory composed by different countries with different cultures. States such as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador or Peru, usually eat omelet made of egg, tomatoes, onions and cheese framed with white toasted bread, fresh squeezed juices and espresso. Central American countries, Costa Rica and Mexico, prefer fried rice with onion wrapped in soft white bread or tacos. Finally states like Brazil, Bolivia, Chile or Argentina enjoy more a platter of fresh fruits (usually papaya, mango or bananas) accompanied with yogurt, local coffee and toast with melted cheese on top.