No matter where in the world you may find yourself, you can comfortably rely on that place offering a culturally relevant breakfast food.
When it comes to breakfast foods, there are countless dishes all over the world that people eat to greet the day. In America, breakfast can be as simple as a bowl of cereal or oatmeal – or as complex as a full blown continental breakfast, with eggs, toast, meats, and fruits. Often, staples of a local diet will wind up becoming breakfast food – in other places, convenience or tradition dictates what one will eat in the morning. No matter where in the world you may find yourself, you can comfortably rely on that place offering a culturally relevant breakfast food. Here are some of the most popular and unique breakfast foods in countries around the globe.
England: The “Full English”
Breakfast in England is legendary thanks to the “Full English Breakfast”, which is bound to satisfy even the most voracious of morning appetites. It consists of eggs, pudding sausages, bacon, tomatoes, toast, mushrooms, and baked beans – all together on one plate. Add a cup of black tea for the true English experience, or a cup of coffee if you really need the help waking up. While the “Full English” has some similarities with what we in America would know as the “continental breakfast”, there are some differences that make it truly British. The pudding sausage is a special type of sausage that is unlike the sausage you may be used to, while English bacon tends to be thinner and made from the same cut as pork chops.
Japan: Rice and Fish
In Japan, when people sit down for a full breakfast, the dishes that make it up actually look more like dinner or lunch in our eyes. You would find a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, grilled salmon, some pickled vegetables, and nori seaweed. If you found yourself at a more traditional home, or with an adventurous host, there would also be some natto, or fermented soybeans. Many Japanese swear by this delicacy for its taste and its bodily benefits, although the smell is truly something awful! This breakfast is almost the polar opposite of the “Full English” – it is very light, yet still quite sustaining.
Italy: Cappuccino and Cornetto
In contrast to most parts of the world, most Italians don’t ever really sit down to enjoy a large breakfast spread. They will simply head over to their local café and order an espresso drink and a sweet pastry known as a cornetto. Cappuccino is the most popular morning drink, consisting of espresso and steamed milk – take note that, as any Italian can tell you, a sure mark of a tourist is someone who orders a cappuccino after midday! Despite its simplicity, this breakfast practice (or lack thereof) has led to a noisy, bustling café culture in the country that is unmatched anywhere else, and should be seen in person to be believed.
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