Breakfast. One of the most undervalued meals of the day, but one of my absolute favourites! Today we will look at breakfasts around the world, and the history of breakfast.
Wikipedia says:
The Old English word for dinner, disner, means to break a fast, and was the first meal eaten in the day until its meaning shifted in the mid-13th century. It was not until the 15th century that “breakfast” came into use in written English to describe a morning meal, which literally means to break the fasting period of the prior night; in Old English the term was morgenmete meaning "morning meal."
Throughout ancient times, grains and cereal formed an important part of breakfast, and in Greece and Rome, bread, cheese and wine were consumed.
In Medieval times, breakfast was touted as gluttonous by the Catholic Church, and only working men (the poor), children, women and the sickly ate breakfast. Of course, being the middle ages, there were a few exceptions to this rule, for example aristocratic travellers were excluded while on their journeys.
This was soon overcome by a simple breakfast of bread and cheese from around the 1400's,and from the 1500's that magical essence of coffee was added to the equation
Now, let's take a trip around the world, and explore what different cultures around the world eat for breakfast.
ASIA
China has some of the most interesting breakfasts I have ever seen. Completely different from Western culture, and I want to try them all!
Steamed buns, called baozi, and a thin rice pudding, congee are the main breakfasts eaten, but depending on where you are in the country, noodles, soups and teas are also eaten.
While most baozi look like this, some are also made in different colours and characters, like these adorable panda bear baozi:
In Malaysia noodle dishes and steamed buns are also popular, but a common dish due to their mixed heritage of Indian, Chinese and Malay culture, is the Indian Roti Canai, a combination of curries with a fluffy roti.
In Japan, breakfast is a combination of what is, for us Westerners, a strange combination. Breakfast in Japan is usually a tray of delicious miso soup, steamed rice, some sort of fatty rich fish, like salmon or tuna, and other Japanese specialities like nori, tsukemono (a sort of Japanese pickle), and other small plates.
AFRICA
Breakfast throughout Northern Africa, is many variations of flatbread. In Egypt, they serve their bread with tahini, and in Israel, baba ganoush.
In Morocco, harcha, a flatbread made from Semolina flour is very popular, served usually with onion, olives, and Za'atar.
My absolute favourite North African breakfast is the aromatic Shakshuka, which is baked eggs in a tomatoey sauce, has its roots in Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt.
EUROPE
Europe is a very diverse country, with many cultures and influences. I thought it would be fun to share some of the lesser known cultures and what they eat for breakfast
In Russia they have wonderful variations of pancakes, which they call blinis. They are served sweet or savoury, with combinations such as sour cream and caramelised fruit, and caviar with sour cream. Sounds nice! Other forms of breakfast consist of Buterbrody (sandwiches with butter and sausages), Kashas, a type of buckwheat cereal and Tvorog, a dairy based breakfast similar to cottage cheese, served with fruit.
A little further South, in Spain, breakfast is eaten pretty late, around 10 or 11 am. The Spaniards have some of the most delicious looking breakfasts I have ever seen, okay, okay, I'll admit, I was romanced by the churros con chocolat, which is literally fried dough with a sugar coating, dipped in chocolate. 😍Drools.
Also popular in Spain are the tortillas, which are a type of potato omelette. You can have any kind of filling with your tortilla, ham, cheese, onions etc.
THE AMERICAS
In Mexico Huevos Rancheros are a popular dish, with hot tortillas topped with a spicy tomato sauce, and of course, eggs. Usually served with avocado, this has become a staple in American homes too.
Another popular Mexican breakfast is Chilaquiles, which is a fried corn tortilla, topped with a spicy sauce, cheese and sour cream. Often served with beans, eggs or some sort of meat, I think I want to make this on the weekend!
North America. How can we even talk about breakfast, without mentioning the great U.S. of A? A smorgasbord of cultures, the States have so much on offer when it comes to breaking the fast. When I think American breakfast, I instantly think PANCAKES!
ENGLAND
For me, as a South African, our history and culture is strongly tied to Great Britain. Baked beans and eggs, a proper English Breakfast, the Brits are known for their grease laden fry ups. I absolutely love a spicy bowl of beans with softly boiled eggs and some crunchy toast. MMmmm
I hope you enjoyed our trip around the world, sampling all the magical breakfasts. Look out for the next post in this series, where I will explore LUNCH!
Let me know in the comments where you are from, and what you eat for breakfast in your country
