Breakfast

For other uses, see Breakfast (disambiguation).

"Ham and eggs" redirects here. For the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, see Ham and Eggs.

Breakfast (literally meaning to break the fasting period of the prior night; in Old English the term was morgenmete meaning "morning meal") is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work. Among English speakers, "breakfast" can be used to refer to this meal or to refer to a meal composed of traditional breakfast foods (such as eggs, oatmeal and sausage) served at any time of day.

Breakfast foods vary widely from place to place, but often include a carbohydrate such as grains or cereals, fruit and/or vegetables, a protein food such as eggs, meat or fish, and a beverage such as tea, coffee or fruit juice. Coffee, tea, juice, breakfast cereals, pancakes, sausages, bacon, sweet breads, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, muffins, crumpets and toast with butter or margarine and/or jam or marmalade are common examples of breakfast foods, though a large range of preparations and ingredients are associated with breakfast globally.

Nutritional experts have referred to breakfast as the most important meal of the day, citing studies that find that people who skip breakfast are disproportionately likely to have problems with concentration, metabolism, and weight. The nutritionist Monica Reinagel has argued the metabolic benefits have been exaggerated, noting the improvement in cognition has been found among children, but is much less significant among adults. Reinagel also explains that the link between skipping breakfast and increased weight is likely behavioral—compensating with snacks and/or eating more later—and therefore not inevitable.

Africa

Breakfast in Africa varies greatly from region to region.

Nigeria

Acarajé

Moi moi

Nigeria has over 250 different ethnic groups, with a corresponding variety of cuisines. For the Hausa of northern Nigeria, a typical breakfast consists of kosai (cakes made from ground beans which are then fried) or funkaso (wheat flour soaked for a day then fried and served with sugar). Both of these cakes can be served with porridge and sugar known as koko. For the south western Yoruba people (Ilé Yorùbá) one of the most common breakfasts is Ògì— a porridge made from corn, usually served with evaporated milk. Ògì is eaten with Acarajé (akara) or Moi moi. Both are made from ground bean paste; akara is fried in oil, and moi moi is wrapped in leaves or foil and then steamed. Ògì can also be steamed in leaves to harden it and eaten with akara or moi moi for breakfast. English tea or malta is served as a breakfast drink. Another popular option in southwest Nigeria is Gari, which is eaten like a cereal. Gari, known in Brazil as farofa, is made from the root of cassava. For breakfast, it is soaked in water and sweetened with sugar.

Senegal

Breakfast typically consists of café Touba, spiced coffee with abundant sugar sometimes consumed with dried milk, or kinkeliba tea, accompanied by baguette with various spreads: Chocoleca, a Nutella equivalent made from peanuts; butter; or processed mild cheese. Fresh fruit, including mangoes and bananas, is often part of a simple breakfast.

Asia

Burma

htamin jaw - leftover or cold rice fried with onions and boiled peas from a streethawker is quick and popular.

In Burma, the traditional breakfast is htamin jaw, fried rice with boiled peas (pè byouk), and yei nway jan (green tea) especially among the poor.

Glutinous rice or kao hnyin is steamed and wrapped in banana leaf often served with peas as kao hnyin baung with a sprinkle of crushed and salted toasted sesame. Equally popular is the purple variety of rice known as nga cheik which is cooked the same way and called nga cheik paung. Si damin is sticky rice cooked with turmeric and onions in peanut oil and served with crushed and salted toasted sesame and crisp fried onions. Assorted fritters such as baya jaw (urad dal)is often served as a compliment.

Nan bya or naan (Indian-style flatbreads) again with pè byouk or simply buttered, is served with Indian tea or coffee. It goes well with hseiksoup (mutton soup).

Fried chapati, blistered like nan bya but crispy, with pè byouk and crispy fried onions is a popular alternative.

Htat ta ya, lit. "a hundred layers", is flaky multi-layered fried paratha served with either pè byouk or a sprinkle of sugar.

Eeja gway (Chinese-style fried breadsticks or youtiao) with Indian tea or coffee is another favourite.

Mohinga, perhaps the most popular of all, now available as an "all-day breakfast" in many towns and cities, is rice vermicelli in fish broth kept on the boil with chickpea flour and/or crushed toasted rice, lemon grass, sliced banana stem, onions, garlic, ginger, pepper and fish paste and served with crispy fried onions, crushed dried chilli, coriander, fish sauce and lime. Add fritters such as split chickpea (pè jan jaw), urad dal (baya jaw) or gourd (bu jaw), boiled egg and fried fish cake (nga hpè jaw).

Another dish, popular because of its healthier composite and economic friendliness, is the Rakhine Mont-de, a variant of Mohinga, but lighter. It consists of thin rice noodles eaten with clear soup, made from boiled ngapi and lemon grass. Toasted fish flakes, from snakefish and green and red chili paste are also added, with seasoning. Rakhine Mont-de is also called ar-pu-shar-pu (literally "hot throat" or "hot tongue") because of its heavy use of spicy ingredients. A salad version also exists.

China

As China is made up of many distinct provinces each with their own unique cuisine, breakfast in China can vary significantly from province to province. In general, basic choices include sweet or salty pancakes, soup, deep fried bread sticks or doughnuts (youtiao), buns (mantou), porridge (congee), and fried or soup-based noodles. These options are often accompanied by tea or sweetened soy bean milk. However, condiments for porridge and the soup base tends to vary between provinces and regions. The types of teas that are served and spices that are used can also differ significantly between the provinces.

In Guangdong and Hong Kong, breakfast can include dim sum, which are delicate little snacks that can be steamed, deep fried, and boiled. Due to the difficulty and skill involved in preparation, they are often only prepared at restaurants. Similar to Spanish tapas, dim sum involve countless different ingredients and are prepared in numerous different forms from delicately wrapped baby shrimp steamed dumplings to sweet water chestnut cake. Each dish is designed to be sampled and diners can go through a large selection of dim sum quickly accompanied by a generous amount of good tea. Iron Buddha tea is the most common accompaniment, but other teas such as pu'er and oolong are also common. Fried and rice-based noodles and cakes are generally more popular in this region than in other parts of China.

Japan

A complete traditional Japanese kaiseki breakfast at a ryokan in Kyoto.

Breakfast in modern Japanese households comes in two major variations; Japanese style and Western style. Japanese style breakfasts are eaten widely in Japan, but are confined to weekends and non-working days. Modern Japanese households with younger couples prefer Western-style breakfasts because they are generally less time-consuming.

The normative Japanese breakfast consists of steamed white rice, a bowl of miso soup, and Japanese styled pickles (like takuan or umeboshi). A raw egg and nori are often served; the raw egg is beaten in a small bowl and poured on the hot rice to make golden colored tamago kake gohan, whilst the nori (sheets of dried seaweed) is used to wrap rice. Grilled fish and Japanese green tea is often served as well.

Western styled breakfasts in Japanese households are similar to those in the US. Japanese children often eat cornflakes and drink milk, hot chocolate or fruit juice. Japanese adults (especially younger ones) tend to have toast with butter or jam, eggs, and slices of vegetables. They often drink coffee or orange juice.

Traditional Japanese inns (like ryokan) serve complete traditional breakfast. Western styled hotels and restaurants in Japan generally offer a mix of Western and Japanese style.

India

There is no standard Indian breakfast menu as almost each state in India has different specialties. However, one can broadly classify breakfast varieties in India into 2 types; North Indian and South Indian. The eastern and western parts of India also have individual breakfast items unique to their culture or state.

A typical south Indian breakfast consists of idli, vada and/or dosa coupled with chutney and sambar. Many variations of these dishes exist such as Rava idli, Dahi Vada and Masala Dosa. Other popular south Indian breakfast items are Bisibelebath, Upma, Lemon Rice and Poori. The state of Kerala has some special breakfast items such as appam, idiyappam, palappam .

A typical north Indian breakfast may either be a type of Paratha or Roti served with a vegetable curry, curd and pickles. There are several varieties of parathas available depending on the type of stuffing such as Aloo (potato) Paratha, Paneer (cottage cheese) Paratha, Mooli (radish) Paratha etc. Other popular breakfast items in the north are Poori Bhaji, Poha and Bhindi Bhujia

In Western India, a Gujarati household may serve Dhoklas, Khakhras or Theplas for breakfast, the most popular of which being Methi Thepla.

In Eastern India, especially in West Bengal and Odisha, luchi-sabji, porota, muri, or even rice is eaten as a breakfast.

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  A south Indian breakfast with idlis and a vada, served with chutney and sambar.
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  Aloo Paratha
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  Dhoklas being sold in the market

Europe

A continental breakfast

As a general rule, traditional breakfasts are less substantial and less elaborate in the warmer, more southern countries bordering the Mediterranean, while breakfasts are traditionally larger, with a greater variety of dishes and greater prevalence of hot dishes in the cooler northern and central European countries.

Hotels and other types of lodging in Europe typically include breakfast in their rates, and in many cases, especially in larger hotels, it is served as a buffet. The term continental breakfast should not be understood to mean that there are no differences in breakfast habits among continental European countries.

Specific items will vary from country to country, depending on local breakfast tastes and habits. In Switzerland, for example, cold cuts (luncheon meats), cheese, yogurt, prepared fruit, butter, croissants, breads, and rolls are served. Sometimes foods belonging to the British breakfast (eggs, sausages, tomatoes (fresh, grilled or canned), bacon) can occasionally be found as part of the buffet. For example, French breakfast is usually a light meal composed of just white bread, butter and jam. Much to the contrary, German breakfast is a full meal with dark bread, various kinds of cheese and meat, and often fried or boiled eggs, thus tending towards the English breakfast. Continental breakfast is an institutional meal plan based on lighter Mediterranean breakfast traditions. It is a light meal meant to satisfy one until lunch.

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 The Netherlands and those in Scandinavia, add a bit of fruit and cheese to the bread menu, occasionally even a boiled egg or a little salami.

The Continental Breakfast concept is not limited to Europe, as evidenced by the numerous hotel chains that offer this service worldwide.

Belgium

A typical Belgian breakfast is similar to that of its northern neighbor, the Netherlands. Belgium's most famous food, waffles, are traditionally sold in tourist areas of large cities, but are more of a snack than a breakfast item. Breakfast in Belgium consists of breads (toasted or untoasted) with assorted marmalades, jams or 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 usually not eaten on weekdays. Belgians often enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, or fresh juice with breakfast.

Croatia

In Croatia the base is a continental breakfast with a variety of pastries with or without fillings (marmalade, chocolate, cheese, ham, nuts, poppy) and fermented milk products (yogurt, soured milk, soured cream). Cold cuts, such as prosciutto, ham, salami, kulen, bacon, and various cheeses, are also favored. Fried eggs or omelet and Vienna sausage with mayonnaise, mustard or ajvar are very often consumed. In continental parts sir i vrhnje (cottage cheese with soured cream and some spices) is traditional. Coffee is much preferred over tea (mostly herbal tea).

Denmark

A typical breakfast in Denmark consists of breakfast cereals such as oatmeal, corn flakes, youghurt being popular options. Bread or bread rolls (rundstykker) with different kind of cheeses and jams, usually made from berries or citrus fruits, and other toppings, accompanied by coffee, skimmed milk or tea. Weekends or festive occasions may call for Danish pastries (wienerbrød) or a bitters, such as Gammel Dansk.

Finland

Breakfast usually consists of open sandwiches. The sandwich is often buttered (with margarine), with toppings such as hard cheese or cold cuts. Finns usually do not have sweets on their breads such as jam, or chocolate. Sour milk products such as yogurt or viili are also common breakfast foods, usually served in a bowl with cereals such as corn flakes, muesli, and sometimes with sugar, fruit or jam. A third breakfast food is porridge (puuro), often made of rolled oats, and eaten with a pat of butter (voisilmä, lit. "butter eye") and/or with milk, or fruit or jam, especially the sort made of raspberries or strawberries (sometimes lingonberries). Drinks are milk, juice, tea, or coffee.

France

In France a typical domestic breakfast will consist of cups of coffee, often café au lait, or hot chocolate, usually served in big bowls, sometimes accompanied by a glass of orange or grapefruit juice. The main food consists of sweet products such as tartines (slices of baguette or other breads spread with butter, jam or chocolate paste), sometimes dunked in the hot drink. Brioches and other pastries such as croissants, pains au chocolat and pains aux raisins are also traditional, but more of a weekend special treat. Other products such as breakfast cereals, fruit compote, fromage blanc, and yogurt are becoming increasingly common as part of the meal. A traditional French breakfast does not include any savory product, but breakfast buffets in hotels often include ham, cheese and eggs.

Germanic countries

German breakfast foods

Germany & Austria. The typical German breakfast consists of bread rolls, butter, jam, ham, sausages, soft-boiled eggs and coffee. Cereals have become popular, and regional variation is significant. Cheeses, cold cuts, meat spreads, yogurt, granola and fruit (fresh or stewed) may appear, as well as eggs cooked to order (usually at smaller hotels or bed-and-breakfasts). A second breakfast is traditional in parts of Germany, notably Bavaria where it is called Brotzeit (literally "bread time").

Greece

Home breakfasts in Greece include bread with butter, honey or marmalade with coffee or milk. Breakfast cereals are also eaten. Children also eat nutella type cream on bread. No breakfast at all is common. Various kinds of savoury pastry (Tyropita, spanakopita, and bougatsa) are eaten for breakfast in some areas of Northern Greece, also by those eating out, usually accompanied with Greek coffee or Frappé coffee Traditional Greek breakfast (hot milk, fresh bread, butter and honey, or yogurt) was also available in special "milk shops" (in Greek Galaktopoleia – Γαλακτοπωλεία γαλακτοπωλείο). Milk shops were phased out between 1970 and 1990 – there are very few left, one is in Athens and some in small towns.

Hungary

In Hungary people usually have a large breakfast. Hungarian breakfast generally is an open sandwich with fresh bread or a toast, butter, cheese or different cream cheeses, túró cheese or körözött (Liptauer cheese spread), cold cuts such as ham, véres hurka (similar to black pudding), liver pâté (called májkrém or kenőmájas), bacon, salami, beef tongue, mortadella, disznósajt (head cheese), sausages like kabanos, beerwurst or different Hungarian sausages or kolbász. Even eggs, (fried, scrambled or boiled), French toast called bundáskenyér and vegetables (like peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, radish, scallion and cucumber) are part of the Hungarian breakfast. Sometimes breakfast is a cup of milk, tea or coffee with pastries, bread rolls or crescent-shaped bread (kifli), toast, pastries with different fillings (sweet and salty as well), butter, jam or honey and a bun or a strudel Hungarian cuisine, or cereal like muesli and perhaps fruit. Fruit juice in the morning is not that usual, hot drinks are more common. Hungarians sometimes have rice pudding called (tejberizs) or cream of wheat (tejbegriz), usually eaten with cocoa powder or cinnamon sugar. "Lecsó" made from tomatoes and green pepper can sometimes be a breakfast meal as well, mainly in the summer.

Italy

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. Children drink hot chocolate, plain milk, or hot milk with very little coffee. If breakfast is eaten in a bar (coffee shop), it is composed of cappuccino e brioche (frothed hot milk with coffee, and a pastry). It is very common for Italians to have a quick breakfast snack during the morning (typically a panino, or bread roll).

Latvia

Typical Latvian breakfast usually consists of open sandwiches with toppings made of vegetables, fish, eggs or cheese. Same as in Finland it is often buttered with margarine. Curd mixed with vegetables and salt as well as other sour milk products are very popular as well. Very often light oat porridge is eaten too. In general light, sour and salty tasting food is common for morning meal. Latvians usually drink coffee for breakfast. The Latvian language word for breakfast is "brokastis".

Malta

On the island of Malta, breakfast integrates both British and continental elements. Usually the Maltese start their day with a bowl of cereal mixed with milk, sometimes with a cup of coffee or tea. Marmalade/jams or even chocolate spreads are also common on bread or toast. Today cereal bars are also becoming a common type of breakfast on the island. The traditional English breakfast of eggs, sausages and fried bacon is also popular among the Maltese, especially on Sundays, due to the strong British influence on the island. Hotels usually serve both a continental as well as a full English breakfast. Prayers are often said before breakfast in order to bless the meal).

Netherlands

The Dutch typically eat sliced bread with or without butter/margerine and three choices of toppings: dairy products (numerous variations of cheese), a variety of cured and sliced meats, or sweet or semi-sweet products such as jam, syrup (from sugar beets or fruit), honey, Kokosbrood (a coconut product that is served thinly sliced like sliced cheese; also known as Cocosbread) or peanut butter. Another type of sweet toppings are the chocolate toppings; the Dutch have chocolate toppings in all variations: hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles), chocoladevlokken (chocolate flakes) (both typically Dutch), and chocoladepasta(chocolate spread). Tea, dripolator coffee, milk, and juice are the most popular breakfast beverages. Breakfast may also include raisin bread. On special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, Mother's Day etc., breakfast is usually the same, but with a wider range of choices (i.e. premium cheeses, special ham from Italy, hot buns, croissants etc.) Comparable to a 'continental breakfast' served in hotels. The Dutch word for breakfast is 'ontbijt'.

Norway

80% of Norwegians eat breakfast daily, mostly at home. The most common breakfast is open sandwiches, often whole wheat bread, with cheese like brunost and Norvegia, cold cuts, leverpostei, jam etc. Common drinks are water, coffee, milk and juice. Another common breakfast is breakfast cereals like corn flakes eaten with milk, kulturmelk or yogurt. Whole-grain porridges with regular milk or butter are popular. More ample breakfasts may include fish, cheese, eggs, bacon, breads, hot and cold cereals eaten in various combinations

Poland

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, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, and sliced pickles. Twaróg, a Polish cheese, is the breakfast classic and comes in many forms. Twaróg can be eaten plain, with salt, sugar, or honey, or it can be mixed with chives into a cream cheese-like spread. Eggs are served often as the main breakfast item, mostly soft-boiled or scrambled. For a quick winter breakfast, hot oatmeal, to which cocoa is sometimes added, is often served. Jam spreads are popular for a quick breakfast, including plum, raspberry, and black or red currant spreads. Breakfast drinks include coffee, milk (some areas may serve fresh milk from the cow), hot cocoa, or tea. Traditionally, the Poles avoid heavy-cooked foods for breakfast. For the most part, one will not see fried meats or potatoes in a classic Polish breakfast. Emphasis is placed on a large variety of foods to satisfy everyone at the breakfast table.

Portugal

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.

Russia

Traditional Russian breakfast foods include pancakes or oladushki. Oladushki are made from flour and rise on yeast. Blini, or crepes, are also popular for breakfast and are also made with flour, but without the yeast. Sirniki, is a cheese form of pancake. Sirniki are made of tvorog (quark cheese), which can be eaten separately with honey for breakfast. Also, a popular dish is buterbrod, open sandwiches with cold cuts and cheeses.

Serbia

In Serbia domestic breakfast may include: eggs in different forms (e.g. omelet with bacon, onion and feta cheese), canned fish or opened sandwiches with prosciutto or ham, feta cheese and salad (e.g. pickles). Different types of pies and pastry with various filings (e.g. Proja, Gibanica, Burek) are also served as the main dish. Yogurt and coffee are preferred breakfast drinks. In the past it was a custom to drink Sljivovica before breakfast and after that Slatko with water. One of the traditional breakfasts consists of Proja, bacon, Sljivovica and garlic.

Slavic countries

Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, parts of Croatia. Breakfast usually consists of various kinds of savory or sweet pastry, with cheese, meat or jam filling. The most typical breakfast consists of two slices of burek and a glass of yogurt . Breakfast also often consists of open sandwiches. The sandwich is buttered (with margarine), with toppings such as prosciutto and yellow cheese.

Spain

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. The chocolate drink is made very thick and sweet. In Madrid, churros are somewhat smaller and shaped like a charity ribbon. This meal is normally served in cafeterias. In the North, East and West it is more common to have a cup of coffee (usually with milk) and a toast with a choice of olive oil and salt, tomato and olive oil, butter, jam, pâté, jamón serrano (cured ham), and other options like sobrasada (a raw cured spiced sausage that is easy to spread), and in Andalucia, pringá. Freshly squeezed orange juice is widely available in most places as an alternative for coffee. The breakfast is not often larger than these two items, because usually in late morning there is a break known as almuerzo when there is a snack. Sometimes, toast is replaced with galletas (a type of cookies made with flour, sugar, oil and vanilla flavour), magdalenas (a Spanish version of the French madeleine made with oil instead of butter) or buns.

Sweden

Breakfast in Sweden is generally a sandwich made of a large amount of different types of soft bread or crisp bread, cold cuts, caviar, cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, scrambled or boiled, pâté (leverpastej) with pickled cucumber, tomatoes or cucumber, or a toast with marmalade or maybe honey, juices, coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Breakfast cereals or muesli with milk, yogurt or filmjölk, currants and fruits are popular or warm whole-grain porridge with milk and jam, (for example lingonberry jam). Blueberry-soup (blåbärssoppa) and rose hip soup are also possible breakfast alternatives.

Switzerland

Swiss breakfasts are often similar to those eaten in neighboring countries. A notable breakfast food of Swiss origin, now found throughout Europe, is muesli (Birchermüesli in Swiss German), introduced in 1900 by Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital.

Turkey

A traditional Turkish breakfast, called "Van breakfast".

In Turkish cuisine, a typical breakfast consists of bread, cheese (beyaz peynir, kaşar etc.), butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and kaymak. Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage), pastırma, börek, simit, poğaça and soups are eaten as a morning meal in Turkey. A common Turkish speciality for breakfast is called menemen, which is prepared with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, olive oil and eggs. Invariably, Turkish tea is served at breakfast. The Turkish word for breakfast, kahvaltı, means "before coffee" (kahve, 'coffee'; altı, 'under').

United Kingdom

Further information: Full breakfast

In the United Kingdom, the classic breakfast has been the "full English breakfast", which involves fried egg, scrambled egg or poached egg with bacon and sausages, usually with mushrooms, tomatoes, fried bread, black and/or white pudding, and toast. However in present times this is more often reserved for weekends, holidays, or eaten away from home in so-called 'greasy spoon' venues due to the time required to prepare all the ingredients. The "full Scottish breakfast" tends to omit pork sausages and have beef sausages instead. At its most extensive it consists of eggs, square sausage, fried dumpling, potato scone, tomato, mushrooms, bacon beef links and fried bread. The other traditional Scottish breakfast consists of porridge. Increasingly, porridge is made with milk and some sugary addition. Some traditional consumers of Scots porridge make it with water, adding milk and a little salt while others have shifted to modern instant flavoured varieties of porridge. Toast with marmalade, jam (fruit conserves) or the savoury spread Marmite, or breakfast cereals with milk are now much more common daily breakfasts, with yogurt and muesli also popular. Before the arrival of American-style breakfast cereals, dried bread soaked in hot milk or tea and porridge (boiled oats) was the common daily breakfast, while leftover vegetables (namely cabbage) and potatoes that hadn't been eaten the night before were often served re-fried; which became 'bubble-and-squeak'. Traditionally, breakfast would be served with a small amount of fruit, such as a slice of orange, believed to prevent the onset of scurvy. Also traditional, but now less popular breakfasts included fish in the form of kippers (smoked herring) with poached egg and toast, and kedgeree ( a Scoto-Indian smoked haddock, egg and rice dish originating in Colonial India). Most British breakfasts are consumed with tea, coffee or fruit juice.

Continental breakfast in the United Kingdom

A continental breakfast normally consists of slices of cheese and cold meat, cereal, fruit and drinks like coffee, tea or fruit juices. Although this is the traditional breakfast of continental Europe, these breakfasts are popular in the United Kingdom. Continental breakfasts may feature other starchy foods, such as pastries. The continental breakfast frequently features a croissant.

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  A continental breakfast of pastries, fruit, slices of cheese and meat

Latin America

Cuba

Cuban bread

Breakfast in urban areas traditionally consisted of café con leche that was sweetened and included a pinch of salt. Toasted buttered Cuban bread, cut into lengths, was dunked in the coffee. In rural Cuba, farmers ate roasted pork, beans and white rice, café con leche and cuajada sweetened with caramel.

Brazil

A traditional Brazilian breakfast

The typical Brazilian breakfast consists of coffee with milk or hot chocolate and bread filled with butter, or pão de queijo, and sometimes biscuits, corn flakes and orange juice. Many Brazilians also eat fruits such as papayas or pineapples. The Café Colonial is very popular in the southern and southeastern states with strong European immigration.

Mexico

In Mexico breakfast is the lightest meal of the day, therefore three courses are commonplace. The first course may include fruit with or without yogurt, nuts, honey and/or a fresh juice. The main dish should include one or two eggs cooked either with hot sauce or vegetables, and a corn-tortilla based stew (e.g. chilaquiles). The side dishes may include beans, guacamole or seasoned salty bread. Third course consists of a sweet bread with milk, chocolate milk or coffee.

Oceania

Australia

Cornflakes with milk

Toast with vegemite

Prior to the Second World War and the widespread adoption of household refrigerators, the traditional Australian breakfast consisted of grilled steaks and fried eggs, mainly because of the ready availability of beefsteak during that period. While very few Australians today would recall this breakfast format, the steak-and-eggs breakfast has survived as the customary pre-landing breakfast of the United States Marine Corps, due to the Marines having copied it from Australian soldiers when the two countries campaigned together during the Pacific War.

The majority of urban Australians eat cold commercially prepared cereal with pasteurised milk or yogurt and/or toast with preserves such as marmalade or vegemite for breakfast. Two of the most common cereals are cornflakes and a type of biscuit made from wheat, called Weet-bix. Fruit is also common at breakfast, either on the cereal or eaten separately. This weekday morning meal is often eaten "on the run" which means either in the kitchen or while getting ready for the day's activities, and children often skip breakfast. While not unusual, a cooked breakfast is more likely to be eaten in the weekends or on special occasions either at home or at a cafe. A cooked breakfast is usually egg based, but may also include sausage, bacon, breakfast steaks, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and pancakes, similar to the British cooked breakfast but perhaps more like the American. Breakfast habits differ more between age groups than between cities. Black tea prepared with milk is a typical drink served with the Australian "brekkie" or freshly brewed coffee rather than instant as in the UK, but other beverages are common too, such as juice.

New Zealand

Porridge with milk

Breakfast in New Zealand is very similar to the Australian breakfast. The range of processed breakfast cereals is vast and children are more likely to eat those that contain added sugar. New Zealanders, particularly in winter, are likely to eat a hot oat cereal called "porridge". Porridge is typically served with milk, brown sugar, fruit and/or yogurt. Sliced bread which has been toasted and topped with preserves or spreads is a common alternative breakfast. Eating breakfast at a restaurant was unheard of until the 1990s, however cafes which serve breakfast until midday or all day are now common. The Big Breakfast is the main item at cafes, which is similar to the British cooked breakfast, except that it seldom includes black pudding. Other common menu items are: eggs done how you like, eggs benedict, beans on toast, pancakes, cereal and yogurt, and smoothies. Breakfast nearly always includes coffee, tea or both, with children drinking milk either on their cereal, in a glass or hot milo. Recent concern has been raised about the cost of milk and some families being unable to afford it.

New Zealand chains of the fast food franchise McDonald's offer a "kiwi big breakfast" which includes two sausages, hash brown, scrambled eggs, toasted muffin and choice of a small Filter coffee, Hot chocolate or tea. Since 2007, the New Zealand Red Cross has offered breakfast to underclass primary school children. Survey results released in 2013 claim that nearly half of all New Zealanders skip breakfast at least once a week with almost a third of those skipping breakfast, up to three times a week.

United States and Canada

Scrambled eggs and pre-made pastries

An example of a country breakfast in U.S. This includes waffles with fruit and sausage patties.

Breakfast will often consist of either a cereal-based dish or an egg-based dish. Coffee is the most common breakfast beverage amongst adults, but is not popular with children. Tea is also widely consumed in Canada during breakfast. Orange juice and, to a lesser extent, pineapple or apple juice, are drunk by people of all ages. In the United States, 65% of coffee is drunk during breakfast hours.

The way in which breakfast eggs are prepared ranges from the simple, such as scrambled or fried, to the slightly more complex, such as eggs benedict. Breakfast omelettes are also very popular, especially the Western or Denver omelette, which contains ham, peppers, and onions. Steak is a popular accompaniment to eggs outside of the northeast, where it is relatively rare. Bacon, hash browns, toast, and sausage links are all very commonly served alongside eggs.

Grain-based dishes include waffles, pancakes, French toast, crepes in Canada, and cereal with milk. Porridge, such as Red River Cereal is quite popular in Canada, and may be consumed with maple syrup, nuts, dried fruit, or brown sugar.

In Canada, the traditional Full English Breakfast is popular and is known as a 'Lumberjack's breakfast.' Additionally, in Canada Maple Syrup may be served with most breakfast dishes including oatmeal, French toast, waffles, pancakes, and even ham.

In the Southern United States, grits are popularly eaten at breakfast.

Foods typically considered to be breakfast foods are often available all day at diners, leading to them being consumed at novel times, which is likely responsible for the term "breakfast for dinner" or "brinner."

Gallery

• 
  A full English breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, black pudding, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, and half a tomato
• 
  A traditional Japanese breakfast for a tourist at buddist temple Chion-in. Rice, Japanese pickles (umeboshi and takuan), a slice of grilled salmon, egg, nori, some vegetable (perhaps a kind of いんげん (Phaseolus vulgaris）with sesame powder
• 
  A breakfast consisting of a novelty-stamped waffle, cantaloupe melon slices, grapes, and butter. Photo taken in Currier House of Harvard College
• 
  Pancake in Japan, topped with butter and honey
• 
  idli and sambar - a south indian breakfast

See also

• Breakfast television
• Brunch
• List of breakfast beverages
• List of breakfast foods
• List of breakfast topics
• Midnight breakfast
• Wedding breakfast

Further reading

Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD (2005). "Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents". J Am Diet Assoc. 105 (5): 743–60, quiz 761–2. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.02.007. PMID 15883552. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

• Wikibooks Cookbook
• Round up of breakfast related research by Mr Breakfast