I'm sure this is one statement we all have used at least once in our lifetime. (Probably many more times).
I
guess what's for breakfast depands on who we are and what's available.
Full breakfast of the English, such as eggs, bacon, and sausages,
accompanied by toast and tea or coffee as well as the modern version of
packaged cereal with cold milk, toast with a variety of spreads such as
butter, jam, marmalade is most common. Or is it?
Different
nations and races have their very own traditional breakfast dishes. For
south Indians, Thosai, Idlis and Chutney or other dishes made from rice
flour is most common. While North Indians use wheat flour for breads
such as Chapatis and Naans.
Chinese breakfasts vary greatly
between different regions. Except for Hong Kong, Western types of
breakfasts or their derivatives are rarely eaten. In Northern China
breakfast fare typically includes huājuǎn, mántou (steamed breads),
shāobǐng (unleavened pocket-bread with sesame), bāozi (steamed buns with
meat or vegetable stuffing), with Dòunǎi or dòujiāng (soy milk) or tea
served in Chinese style as beverages.
Indonesian breakfasts
usually contain rice in some form. Some common dishes are nasi goreng,
lontong sayur (rice cake wrapped in banana leaf with vegetables and
coconut milk soup), and gado gado. In Jakarta nasi uduk would be served
which consists of spiced milk and steamed rice served with fried fish or
fried chicken, sliced cucumber, and sambal. Many Indonesians also enjoy
bakmie ayam (chicken noodle) as well as an assortment of cakes in the
morning.
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 rarely eaten outside of
breakfast. Typical breakfast beverages are green tea (traditional) and
coffee (modern).
In Korea, breakfast contains rice, soup,
several kinds of Namul or seasoned vegetables, Kimchi (fermented,
pickled vegetables), and grilled meat or fish. Traditionally, food eaten
in the morning does not differ substantially from the other meals of
the day (see Korean cuisine) though the number of dishes is fewer.
In
Myanmar (formerly Burma), the traditional breakfast in town and country
alike is htamin gyaw, fried rice with boiled peas (pè byouk), and yei
nway gyan ( green tea) especially among the poor.
A favourite
traditional breakfast in the Philippines consists of garlic fried rice,
fried or scrambled eggs, and a choice of breakfast meat: beef tapa (like
a fried beef jerky), pork tocino (caramelised pork), longaniza
(breakfast sausage), dried salty, smoked fish, tinned sardines, sauteed
corned beef, or crispy pork adobo, often with Western-style baked beans,
sliced tomatoes and a local pickle (achara) on the side. Alternatively,
a cheese-topped breakfast pastry called an ensaimada (a colonial
relative of the Mallorcan ensaimada) is also eaten, usually with hot
chocolate, as is pan de sal (Philippine breakfast roll) filled with a
buffalo milk white cheese, and local barako coffee. Finally, there is
champurrado, a local sweet chocolate sticky rice porridge, often served
with a side dish of crisp-fried sun-dried fish (danggit or tuyo) -- an
unusual, though authentically Filipino combination.
The
breakfast includes usually fresh(hot) bread, Rotti, Pittu (Rice or
Manipittu - Eaten with Oxstripes) String Hoppers (With Milky Gravy),
Hoppers, Rice or Green Grams. These are usually eaten with gravy (meat
or vegetable), Sambol (Commonest - Coconut or Seeni (Onion fried with
chilli and sugar), Maldive Fish) or with Juggery and Plantains.
In Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam it is customary to eat soup for breakfast, as well as congee.
In
case of Thailand, a variety of different food is served for breakfast
since the country has opened to receive eating culture from many
countries. Thai-Chinese people typically have congee/jook, boil-rice
with fishes, pickles, dried shredded pork, dried shredded pork; dim-sum
is also popular in some provinces particularly in the South of Thailand.
In New Zealand and Australia, the typical breakfast strongly
resembles breakfast in other English-speaking countries. Owing to the
warm weather in some parts of Australia, breakfast is generally light.
In the cold parts, however, one might find a full English breakfast. The
light breakfast consists of cereals, toast, fruit, and fruit juices
rather than cooked items. Australians also enjoy a heavy breakfast with
fried bacon, egg, mushroom, sausage, tomatoes and toast, with tea or
coffee and juice (similar to the full English breakfast).
A
typical Continental breakfast consists of coffee and milk (often mixed
as Cappuccino or latte) or hot chocolate with a variety of sweet cakes
such as brioche and pastries such as croissant, often with a sweet jam,
cream, or chocolate filling. It is often served with juice. The
continental breakfast may also include sliced cold meats, such as salami
or ham, and yogurt or cereal. Some countries of Europe, such as Holland
and those in Scandinavia, add a bit of fruit and cheese to the bread
menu, occasionally even a boiled egg or a little salami. In Britain, a
continental breakfast can include bacon, eggs, toast, a bit of broiled
tomato, etc
The breakfast in Belgium consists of breads, toasted
or untoasted, with several marmalades, jams, and nut spreads, such as
nutella or just with a bar of chocolate. Other common toppings include
sliced meats and cheeses. Pastries and croissants may be served on
Sundays, but are mostly not eaten on a regular day. To drink, the
Belgians often enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, or fresh juice
with breakfast.
Dutch people typically eat sliced bread with 3
sorts of toppings: dairy products (numerous variations of cheese), meat
products (a variety of cured meats and sliced meats), or sweet products/
semi-sweet products like jam, syrup (from sugar beet of fruit), honey,
Bebogeen (a topping which is very sweet, sugar beets are adapted into
caramel spread), Kokosbrood (Cocosbread, sliced pieces (just like sliced
cheese) in which coconut is the main component) or peanut butter.
Another type of sweet toppings are the chocolate-toppings.
A
typical breakfast in Denmark, similar to its southern neighbor Germany,
consists of bread rolls or toast with butter and Danish skæreost
(slicing cheese), a buttery creamy white cheese (often Danish havarti or
Danish tilsit), fruit jam, and a lot of coffee.
Breakfasts in
other parts of Scandinavia besides Denmark can be quite ample. Fish,
cheese, eggs, bacon, hot and cold cereals, breads, potatoes, and fruits
are all eaten in various combinations, along with juices, coffee, and
tea. Filmjölk (Sweden) or kulturmelk (Norway), a cultured milk similar
to buttermilk or yoghurt is often eaten with cereals. Whole-grain
porridges are popular in Finland, also accompanied by this type of
cultured milk.
In Iceland, pickled fish is a popular dish, particularly pickled herring. Pancakes are also eaten.
The
typical German breakfast consists of bread rolls, butter, jam, ham, a
soft-boiled egg, and coffee. A special breakfast treat is Affenbrot.
Swiss
breakfasts are often similar to those eaten in neighboring countries. A
notable breakfast food of Swiss origin, now found throughout Europe, is
muesli.
The traditional Polish breakfast is a large spread with a
variety of sides eaten with bread or toast. Sides include various cold
cuts, meat spreads, the Polish sausage kielbasa, sardines, tomatoes,
Swiss cheese, and sliced pickles.
In Eastern European countries
with cold climates, such as Russia, breakfasts tend to be substantial.
Zavtrak may consist of hot oatmeal or kasha, eggs, cheese, cured meats
or sausage, rye breads with butter, and coffee or tea.
In France a
typical domestic breakfast will consist of cups of coffee, often café
au lait, or hot chocolate. Bowls are rarely used these days. The main
food consists of tartines — slices of baguette spread with jam —
sometimes dunked, as well as brioches and other breads. Croissants are
also traditional, as are other similar pastries such as pains au
chocolat and pains aux raisins.
Various kinds of pastry
constitute the traditional Greek breakfast. Tyropita, spanakopita, and
bougatsa (particularly in Northern Greece) are eaten, usually
accompanied with Greek coffee. Simpler breakfasts include honey,
marmelade or nutella cream (as well a Greek variation thereof, Merenda)
spread over slices of bread. Children typically drink chocolate or plain
milk.
The traditional breakfast in Italy is simply Caffè e
latte (hot coffee with milk) with bread or rolls, butter, and jam —
known as prima colazione or just colazione. Fette biscottate (a
cookie-like hard bread often eaten with Nutella) and biscotti (cookies)
are commonly eaten.
In Central Spain the traditional breakfast
is chocolate con churros — hot chocolate with Spanish-style fritters,
which are extruded sticks of doughnut-like dough with a star-shaped
profile covered in sugar.
A Portuguese pequeno-almoço comes in
two varieties: one eaten running to work and another, more
time-consuming one, more common on the weekends. When rushed in the
morning, a cup of yogurt, milk, coffee or both and some bread with
butter, cheese or jam suffices. Given the time, additions include orange
juice, croissants, different kinds of pastry, and/or cereal.
Turkish
breakfast consists of fresh white sourdough bread, white cheese (feta),
yellow cheese (kasar), fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, black and/or green
olives, butter, honey, preserves, soujouk, salami, pastirma and a boiled
egg — all accompanied by hot black tea in small tulip-shaped glasses.
In
northern South America, maize-based breads, such as tortillas or
arepas, may dominate or be augmented with wheat breads or pastries.
Caffè, caffè e latte, chocolate, and tea are common beverages.
In
Argentina, breakfast consists mainly of espresso coffee, café con
leche, or yerba mate. There are also croissants, brioches, or facturas
with dulce de leche, filled churros, French bread with jam and butter,
grilled sandwiches of ham and cheese known as tostados, and sweet or
salted cookies.
In Brazil, the common breakfast consists in
bread and butter, toasted or not, alongside with coffee, black, or with
milk. It can also have juice, usually of orange.
In Chile, breakfast is a light meal consisting of coffee or tea and 2 types of bread, called "Marraqueta" and "Hallulla".
In
Costa Rica breakfast is traditionally Gallo Pinto which is pinto beans
and rice. A preferred alternative is to substitute black beans for the
pinto beans.
In Colombia there are various breakfast staples. In
the Cundinamarca region people eat changua, a milk, scallion, and
cheese soup.
In most Arab areas, the most popular breakfast by
far is pita bread dipped in rich labneh, a type of creamy curd, or in
olive oil and za'atar (a common Middle-Eastern spice mix). Other popular
breakfast foods in the Mashriq include boiled eggs, olives, cheese and
beans.
In Iran, a non-Arab country, varieties of Iranian
flatbreads (naan), Iranian feta cheese (panir-e irani), butter (kareh), a
variety of traditional marmelades (morabba) or jams, honey (angebin or
asal), and hot tea are essential breakfast foods. Other foods, such as
heavy cream, walnuts, hard and soft boiled eggs, and omlettes are also
popular for breakfast.
In Egypt the traditional breakfast is ful
medames: slow cooked fava beans (sometimes with lentils) dressed in
olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
An Israeli breakfast typically
consists of coffee, orange juice, fresh vegetables salad, goats/cows
cream cheese, fresh bread or toast, olives, butter, fried eggs of your
choice, and some small cookies or slices of cake. For an even fuller
breakfast it might include hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, quark
cheese, and Israeli salad.
Traditional breakfasts in the United
States and Canada derive from the full English breakfast[citation
needed] and feature predominantly sweet or mild-flavored foods, mostly
hot. Typical items include hot oatmeal porridge, grits (in the South),
other hot grain porridges, eggs, bacon, ham, small sausages, pan-fried
potatoes (hash browns), biscuits, toast, pancakes, waffles, French
toast, cornbread, English muffins, pastries (such as croissants,
doughnuts, and muffins), and fruit. Coffee and tea are standard
breakfast beverages.
There are obviously regional variations accross the vast island
populations that comprise Indonesia. Influences come from China, Malaya,
Singapore and of course the western world. In some regions the cuisine
will tend to be generally sweeter with much coconut milk used, in some
more fiery with greater use of chillies and in other more emphasis on
the fragrant. The common breakfast dishes found in most parts of
Indonesia would include Nasi Goreng - basically a rice dish flavoured
with mild curry, vegetables, soy sauce and chicken or prawns. This can
be topped with a fried egg and sliced cucumber and then called Istimewa.
When you're talking about breakfast in Vietnam, you're probably talking
about one of three things: pho, sticky rice or some sort of French
bread.
Korea has a great tradition of breakfast. Centuries ago, Korea barely
recognized a lunchtime meal. It was a snack at best. The result was that
both breakfast and dinner were grand meals often consisting of several
courses.
Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso (soy bean paste) soup,
and side dishes. Common side dishes are grilled fish, rolled omelet,
pickles, dried seaweed, natto, salad, and more.
Here are some traditional Chines breakfast recipes for you to try out.
Please not that I've not tried out any of them, but got them from
friends and the net. 
Now, for some of my favorite North Indian Breakfast Dishes.
You might have guessed from my rather long earlier post, that I'm going
to concentrate on traditional breakfast dishes of different nations for
the next few posts.
Any yummy dish needs that splash of spice to add the aroma and texture
to make it mmm.. delicious. I know that Indian cooking is very spicy.
Likewise, I think middle east and mexican. Do you know of any other
nations that like to spice up their meals? Do share with me.