Breakfast — it’s the most important meal of the day, and everyone eats it differently. Here is a small assortment to see how our fellow humans enjoy their early morning meals all over the world, there are some similarities of course, but there are also many differences. Either way, its always fun to try some of these out if you haven’t.
The Full English Breakfast
The English breakfast as it is known today is based, like so many British traditions, on what became popular in the Victorian era.
Victorian home economist Isabella Beeton gives the following advice in The Book of Household Management (1861) about breakfast:“ The following list of hot dishes may perhaps assist our readers in knowing what to provide for the comfortable meal called breakfast. Broiled fish, such as mackerel, whiting, herrings, dried haddocks, &c.; mutton chops and rump-steaks, broiled sheep’s kidneys, kidneys à la maître d’hôtel, sausages, plain rashers of bacon, bacon and poached eggs, ham and poached eggs, omelets, plain boiled eggs, oeufs-au-plat, poached eggs on toast, muffins, toast, marmalade, butter, &c. &c. ”
Nowadays far too few Englishmen start their day with such a large meal. Surveys cited in The Magpie history of food (Audrey Ellis, 1977) indicate that in 1958 50% of British families still started their day with a cooked breakfast, but by 1976 it had fallen to 18%. More recent surveys (within the last 2-3 years) put the figure today at less than 1%.
The English breakfast is still a mainstay of boarding houses, hotels and cafés in Britain, however, and will always be found on the menu of most such establishments. There are also many varieties across the United Kingdom and Ireland, including the Full Irish, Ulster Fry, Full Welsh, and Full Scottish, among others.
Japanese Breakfast
Traditional breakfast (above), regular breakfast (below).
A traditional Japanese breakfast is based on rice, seafood, and fermented foods, which do not differ substantially from dishes eaten at other meals in Japanese cuisine. An exception is nattō (a type of fermented soybeans), which is most popularly eaten for breakfast. A typical Japanese restaurant breakfast presentation would be miso soup, rice with nori or other garnishes, nattō, rice porridge, grilled fish, raw egg, and a pickled vegetable. The influence of Japanese travelers has made this traditional breakfast a standard option on the menus of many upscale hotels worldwide. It is common in Japanese households to include leftover items from the last evening’s dinner in the next day’s breakfast. Western breakfast foods such as toast and boiled or fried eggs are also common, and cereals are becoming popular. The typical breakfast beverage is green tea (traditional).
America
Bacon, eggs, waffles, sausage, coffee.
Grits are usually part of a Southern breakfast in the United States, as are continental breakfasts (below) and cereal.
Iraq
Iraqi food of rice, noodles, bean stew, pea soup, bread and eggs.
Vietnam
Vietnam’s most popular breakfast made from rice and different kinds of herbs. This is not only simple food but also our culture of food - art. Where do you go to try this? Everywhere! Ask your tour guide or any local people and they will show you the one that they normally eat at daily. However, the many Pho 24 or Pho 2000 restaurants are famous with travellers.
France
Croissant, coffee, jam.
Germany
Similar to French but with more meats and vegetables.
Haiti
The Haitian breakfast is mostly made up of fruit such as papaya, bananas, plantanes, bread, cheese, yogurt, coffee and juice.
Ethiopia
“Genfo” an Ethiopian porridge.
Jamaica
Ackee, callaloo, Johnny cakes and fruit, at Country Peppa’s
