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What people around the world are eating for breakfast

By Zarina Patel
Tue, 04, 18

It consists of fried eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, marmalade, and fried bread....

food

  • England

It consists of fried eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, marmalade, and fried bread. It comes with tea or coffee and buttered toast. Breakfast may also include other items such as baked beans and hash browns (pan-fried potatoes).

  • India

Indian breakfast comprises of variety of dishes, differ from region to region. The most popular are Masala paratha (flavourful flat bread). This paratha is a combination of whole-wheat flour and besan (gram flour) with a mix of delicious spices. In south India, idli, dosa, upma, puri, vada are some of the most commonly eaten foods while in North India parathas, cheela and puri are most commonly eaten.


  • Egypt

Egyptian breakfast have special full medames. It is made with Mashed Fava beans (broad beans). Traditionally eaten with pita bread and onions with some pickled vegetables and fresh rocket leaves on the side.

  • Italy

Italian breakfasts vary by region and by season. The traditional Italian breakfast mainly includes pastries and a cappuccino or espresso. It consists of caffe latte (hot coffee with milk) or coffee with bread or rolls, butter and jam. Many Italians like a cookie-like rusk hard bread, called fette biscottate in breakfast. Children love to drink hot chocolate, plain milk, or hot milk with very little coffee.

  • Singapore

The traditional Singaporean breakfast consists of ‘Kaya’ toast with some runny yolked eggs topped with white pepper and dark soya sauce. Kaya is a custard jam made from egg, coconut, and the vanilla-like herb pandan. The kaya is spread on toasted or charcoal-grilled bread, usually a spongy brown or white loaf, and topped with a square of salty butter or margarine. Noodles both stir fried and in broth, are common breakfast options.

  • Malaysia

Nasi Lemak is one of the most popular breakfast options in Malaysia. It is a rice delicacy combined with coconut milk, nuts, egg and chicken. Also, Thosai is a popular Malaysian breakfast dish. It can be best described as a pancake made of lentil batter and served with coconut chutney and sambar. Lentils lower blood sugar levels and their dietary fibres help maintain a good digestive health.

  • Turkey

Breakfast in Turkey is a unique way of starting an active day. A classic Turkish breakfast consists of fresh cheeses, black and green olives, fresh-baked white bread, fruit preserves, honey, sweet butter and plenty of brewed black tea served in Turkish tea glasses.

Another great breakfast classic with eggs is called ‘menemen’. It is a juicy, spicy version of scrambled eggs with onions, red and green peppers, and tomatoes. Soup is also a common staple for breakfast in many homes, especially during the winter months.

  • China

The traditional breakfasts vary by region. Chinese people usually eat soybean milk and deep-fried dough sticks, steamed buns stuffed with meat, tofu pudding, wheat noodles, or rice noodles for breakfast.

Steamed buns are available in salty and sugary flavours. Salty flavoured buns are stuffed with ground meat, eggplant, eggs, and vegetables, while Sweet flavoured buns are stuffed with bean paste, creamy custard, sesame seeds, and sugar.


  • Korea

A Korean breakfast is similar to a Korean dinner. It comprises of rice, soup, the radish strip kimchi, meat (beef or fish), and other leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Other side dishes are spicy seafood salad, bean sprout rice, spicy stewed fish, cold cucumber soup.

  • Japan

A traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and different types of side dishes. Side dishes may include tsukemono (Japanese pickles), nori (dried seasoned seaweed), natto (fermented soybeans), kobachi (small side dishes which usually consist of vegetables), and a green salad.


  • Iran

The basic traditional Iranian breakfast consists of a variety of flat breads, butter, Tabrizi white cheese, feta cheese, whipped heavy cream (sarshir, often sweetened), red oranges, radish, cucumber, a variety of fruit jams, and lebneh. In addition, soft creamy lebneh yogurt spread is a popular choice for the breakfast.

  • Oman

Here the breakfast tea is a thick, sweet mixture of black tea, condensed milk, sugar, and spices, ranging from za’atar (a mix including thyme) to mixed masala and saffron. Khabeesa is also a popular breakfast food which is semolina or cream of wheat cooked into porridge like consistency, flavoured with saffron, rosewater and cardamom. Khubz ragtag, a paper-thin Omani bread, which is covered with spreadable white cheese, quick-cooked egg and crushed, chili-flavoured ‘Chips Oman’ potato chips.

  • Pakistan

Traditional breakfast consists of eggs (boiled/scrambled/fried/omelettes), a slice of loaf bread or roti, parathas, sheermal with tea or lassi, kulcha with chole (chickpeas), qeema (minced meat), fresh seasonal fruits (mangoes, apples, melons, bananas, etc.), milk, honey, butter, jam, shami kebab or nuts.

Sometimes breakfast includes baked goods like bakarkhani and rusks. During holidays and weekends, halwa-puri and chickpeas are favourite breakfast menu.

In Punjab villages, sarson ka saag (mustard leaves) and maakai ki roti (cornbread) is a local favourite.

During winter season, a traditional Sunday breakfast might be Siri-Payay (the head and feet of lamb or cow) or Nihari (a dish that is cooked overnight to get the meat extremely tender with spicy curry).