Indulging in a great breakfast is the right way to kick your day off to a good start, although this meal can vary depending on your location. Whilst some people are happy with having a bowl of cereal and coffee, others branch out with something a little more complex.
Read on to discover what foods different nationalities dip into on a daily basis and expand your cultural awareness! You never know; you might find yourself inspired to experiment with some of the traditional delicacies listed below…
Egypt
Kicking off our list is Egypt’s serving of ful medames, a dish of stewed fava beans spiced with the flavours of parsley, onion, cumin, chilli pepper, and lemon. You’ll often find a piece of Egyptian pita alongside this. As a dish consumed in Ancient Egypt, variants of this dish have evolved – it can be served hot or cold and include different garnishes, such as hard-boiled eggs.
Vietnam
Pho can be served all day in Vietnam, although this meat and rice noodle soup can be found at street markets in the morning as the perfect comforting pick-me-up for the day ahead. Many vendors boil this Vietnamese delicacy in excess at night so enough food is available when morning rolls around. If you’re not interested in pho, you could experiment with other Vietnamese breakfast dishes, such as op-la and congee.
The United Kingdom
The UK is famous for its traditional Full English breakfast, a hearty dish sure to get any morning off to a good start. With this plate, you’ll find bacon, eggs, sausages, toast, mushrooms, fried tomatoes, baked beans, and black pudding. With a steaming mug of hot tea or coffee on the side, this dish is one which anyone can indulge in, especially as vegetarian and vegan alternatives are now being offered too.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, a typical breakfast comprises curries, flatbreads, and eggs. The bread selection includes pan-fried parathas. Additionally, the curries are usually stuffed with vegetables and served alongside spicy sauces and chutneys.
Malaysia
Malaysia offers the national dish, nasi lemak, at breakfast time. This includes coconut rice with cucumbers, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, peanuts, and a Malaysian hot sauce, which is sure to tingle a few tastebuds! This dish is usually wrapped within a banana leaf, making it a great option to consume whilst on the go as well as in the comfort of your own home.
Kenya
In this country, a mug of chai is typically served with either Uji or mandazi. Uzi can be described as a porridge constructed of millet or sorghum, usually eaten in a calabash. On the other hand, mandazi refers to fried East African doughnuts, which can operate as a substantial snack stuffed with the energy one requires to tackle mornings head-on.
China
In the late mornings, Chinese people typically consume its all-famous traditional dish, dim sum. This dish consists of classic steamed buns, congees, sticky chicken, vegetables, noodle soups, dumplings, and rice noodle rolls. This inviting banquet is enough to get mornings off to a great start, although you can often purchase dim sum at any time of the day in restaurants and takeaways alike.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: this is what breakfast looks like around the globe! As you can probably tell, the first meal of the day can vary quite drastically depending on where you are in the world. However, the fact remains that we should certainly not underestimate the impact of breakfast. As arguably the most crucial meal of the day, breakfast dishes supply us with the energy we need to kick our days off correctly.