Food gives a glimpse of a nation’s culture so let’s do some globe-trotting and have a sneak peek at traditional breakfasts that are eaten around the world....
COVER STORY
It is very important to kickstart your day with a well-balanced breakfast that is full of essential nutrients. When you wake up in the morning, you probably have eggs with toast, butter and jam, or paratha with omelette usually accompanied by milk or tea. Some of you might eat cereals with fruits or milkshakes. On Sundays, you might get a traditional breakfast like halwa puri, channay with sweet, cold lassi or nihari with naan. But, have you ever wondered what people across the globe eat when they wake up in the morning with hungry bellies? Food gives a glimpse of a nation’s culture so let’s do some globe-trotting and have a sneak peek at traditional breakfasts that are eaten around the world.
If you hop on a plane and land in Japan, you will be served a selection of small plates or bowls for breakfast. Each plate will contain a few bites of a traditional Japanese dish such as miso soup, grilled fish like salmon or mackerel, boiled rice and pickled vegetables. If you do not look at the clock, you might not even recognize that you are being served breakfast as most Japanese meals whether breakfast, lunch or dinner consist of these dishes.
Other than soup, fish and steamed rice, there are a variety of side dishes like Japanese pickles (tsukemono), seasoned seaweeds (nori), fermented soybeans (natto) or vegetables (kobachi). The breakfast is complemented with hot green tea. A typical Japanese breakfast is highly nutritious without being too rich or greasy. If you are wondering whether you can get eggs for breakfast in Japan, then don’t worry. Simply request a tamagoyaki, a delicious breakfast egg dish made with soy sauce, sugar and soup stock (dashi). Do remember that Japanese breakfast is eaten with a pair of chopsticks, so better get some practice before landing in Japan.
Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea and is home to great athletes like Usain Bolt, Chris Gayle and Andre Russel. However, if they invite you over for a traditional Jamaican breakfast, you might get cooked saltfish and ackee fruit. Fish with fruits for breakfast might sound strange enough but that’s not all. The ackee fruit has the distinction of being lethally poisonous if used unripe or prepared incorrectly as it contains high levels of toxins. Even the water that is used to boil the ackee fruit should be drained away, as that’s potentially toxic too.
You may think that this piece of information is enough to make anyone lose their appetite, but ackee and saltfish remain the national dish of Jamaica and were named as one of the top breakfast dishes in the world. Mackerel fish, calalloo (a leafy green vegetable), and plantains (a variety of banana family which cannot be eaten raw) all are staple ingredients of a typical Jamaican breakfast accompanied with a hearty cup of Jamaican hot chocolate tea, brewed from natural cocoa sticks.
Sausages are the first things that come to mind when you think of a typical German breakfast. The German word for breakfast is frühstück and it usually consists of fresh bread rolls, with plenty of spreads and toppings like boiled eggs, sausages (wurst), cheese, jams, preserves and cold meat slices (most of which are not halal, of course!). Muesli is also popular among young people which is a mixture of whole-grain oat flakes, nuts, and dried fruits. Mixed with yoghurt or milk, muesli is often topped with fresh fruits. It is healthy and a delicious way to start your day.
There’s a saying, “Eat your breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king and dine like a pauper,” and German breakfasts usually live up to this axiom. For more special occasions, apple pancakes, apple custard pies and apple cinnamon sticky buns are also served with dark, rich, hot cocoa and coffee. You can almost feel the richness of a German breakfast, can’t you?
Huevos rancheros! Enchiladas enmoladas! Chilaquiles rojos! Quesadillas! Tamale! Just the names of these Mexican dishes are enough to make you dash for a nearby Mexican restaurant for grilled tomatoes, fried tortillas and of course, the spicy salsas without which no Mexican dish is complete. If you crave spicy food, then a Mexican breakfast might just be the thing for you. Huevos rancheros is a typical Mexican breakfast consisting of fried eggs served on top of a lightly fried tortilla and smothered in a spicy tomato salsa.
Mexican-style eggs, “huevos a la Mexicana” are scrambled eggs cooked with enough jalapeños or serrano chillies to make you breathe out fire. Tamales and tacos are other traditional Mexican foods that can be eaten for breakfast or any other time of day. Delicious, fresh tropical fruits such as pineapples, papayas, cantaloupes, bananas, and watermelon are common in Mexico and most are part of the breakfast table.
The staple ingredient of any Korean breakfast is kimchi which is a salty, tangy mix of shredded vegetables like cabbage and radish. You might turn up your nose at the idea of eating cabbages and radishes for breakfast but kimchi is very good for your digestion as it is full of healthy probiotics. Kimchi can be mixed with cream cheese, spring onions and cilantro and spread thickly on toast to make kimchi toast or mixed with eggs to make kimchi scrambled eggs.
Korean children can also enjoy pancakes, pizza or tacos for breakfast (yum, yum) but they would all contain kimchi with other ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, avocado, eggs, etc. Another traditional dish is brown rice breakfast bowl in which brown rice is sautéed with garlic and soya sauce, then topped off with a crispy fried egg and served with a healthy serving of … you guessed it, kimchi!
A typical Greek breakfast is full of Mediterranean colours, flavours and aroma. Feta cheese, avocados, olives, herbs and sun-dried tomatoes are widely used in preparing dishes. Whether scrambled eggs are being served or an omelette being whipped up, Greek breakfasts are super nutritious and a feast for the eyes and the palate. They rely heavily on herbs like dill and oregano, locally produced olive oil and fresh, colourful vegetables to enhance the taste and flavours of their cuisine.
Sesame bread rings, coated with sesame seeds, are usually served with eggs which look like doughnuts or bagels. Cheese pie with nuts and honey is another traditional dish which creates a lovely sweet and salty flavour contrast. Greek rice pudding is also served during breakfast which resembles our kheer as it is made from rice and milk but thickened with egg yolks and sprinkled with cinnamon for added flavours. I am sure it is making your mouth water!
A typical Russian breakfast consists of pancakes or porridge (buckwheat or millet) sweetened with honey or topped with seasonal fruits. Russian black bread is famous for its unique dark colour and tons of flavourful ingredients such as rye, brown sugar, molasses, fennel seeds, coffee, wheat bran, and cocoa powder. It is thick and usually eaten with butter and honey.
Raspberries are popular in Russia for making jams and preserves and are commonly served on breakfast tables. Russian tea is extremely aromatic and bursting with citrus flavours as it is made with pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Russian pastries are also an integral part of their breakfast with toppings like glazed sugar, cream cheese, fresh berries and golden raisins.
A traditional Saudi breakfast is rich with a variety of dishes like hummus, falafel and flatbreads which are common in other Middle Eastern countries also. Another traditional dish is shakshuka which resembles poached eggs in onion and tomato gravy. Goat cheese and labneh, a thick cream cheese made by draining yoghurt through cheesecloth and then drizzled with olive oil, are eaten with pieces of warm bread between sips of Turkish coffee or sweet tea.
Halawa is a traditional Saudi dessert that is also part of a typical Saudi breakfast. Masoub is similar to banana bread and is made with overripe bananas, ground flatbread and cream or milk. Most Saudi desserts are topped with raisins, honey, almonds, etc. and are consumed with strong coffee and, of course, a variety of dates are always a part of the breakfast platter.
This was just a glimpse into what people around the globe eat for breakfast. Do the breakfast menus make you grateful for your local dishes or make you feel adventurous enough to try new ones? If so, why not don your chef’s hat and see if you can prepare kimchi toast, brew a cup of Russian tea, or even surprise your family with a serving of fiery huevos a la Mexicana? Bon appetite!
In the U.S., breakfast is the most frequently skipped meal. According to a survey, about 58 percent of Americans do not eat breakfast every day.
In the 19th century, the typical British aristocrat would have up to 24 dishes for breakfast alone.
A traditional breakfast in Peru would consist of a cold drink made of fish juice called leche de tigre.
A typical Australian breakfast is incomplete without Vegemite, a rich, salty mixture spread on sandwiches, toast and crackers. Over 22 million jars of Vegemite are sold in Australia each year.
Century eggs are a common breakfast delicacy in China. Though they do not take 100 years to cook, duck, quail or chicken eggs are soaked in ash, salt and quicklime mixture and buried underground, anywhere from two to five months before they can be eaten.
Black pudding (not a sweet dessert as the name might imply) is an integral part of a typical British breakfast. It is a type of sausage made from animal blood and fat!
Italy is one of those rare places where breakfast isn’t particularly important. The first meal of the day here is usually coffee accompanied only by bread or pastry.
Ful medames is an ancient Egyptian dish with origins that reach back to the time of the pharaohs. Slow-simmered fava beans seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices are popular as a breakfast dish all over Egypt.
