Often touted as the most important meal of the day, breakfast is required to be wholesome, filling and nutritious. From crisp dosa or fluffy idli to steaming hot congee, there’s great diversity in what different countries around the world eat in the morning. Some countries include meat in their breakfast, while others prefer vegetarian food. Either way, the breakfast eaten in each country is symbolic of its culture. Here's what seven countries traditionally eat for breakfast:
China
One of the most popular breakfast foods in China is congee or savoury rice porridge. It is usually served with bits of pork and fermented egg, garnished with chopped scallions. Another food that is commonly eaten for breakfast in China is sticks of fried dough. These are best enjoyed accompanied by soy milk, which they are meant to be dipped into.
India
Breakfast in India depends on the region or cultural background of those eating. While idli and dosa with sambar and chutney are common in the South, chhole-puri or aloo-puri are eaten in the North. Parsis like to eat akoori (or desi scrambled eggs) with buttered toast and Gujaratis eat theplas. While egg is common in a few communities, meat is usually reserved for lunch and dinner.
Iran
Flatbreads are a staple when it comes to breakfast in Iran: noon-e tâftoon and noon-e sangak are eaten with honey or jam. Haleem and kaleh pâcheh (a soup made with the head and hoof of lamb) are common. Iranians also like to eat omelettes and all breakfast dishes are accompanied by chai shirin (black tea with sugar).
Ukraine
Ukranians love their syrniki or cheese pancakes for breakfast. These are made with a cheese called tvorog, and are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. They may be topped with fresh fruit, compote or powdered sugar. When served with sour cream, they become savoury.
Israel
Israel loves its shakshuka, or eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce. In Maghrebi Arabic, ‘shakshuka’ means ‘mixture’. The dish has North African origins. Although its popularity as a breakfast dish is recent, it was also a part of Sephardic cuisine and reached Israel with Jewish immigrants from Libya and Tunisia in the 50s and 60s.
Japan
Traditionally, Japanese breakfast involves a variety of small dishes that come together to form one meal. These may include miso soup, rice, grilled fish, omelette, nori and pickled vegetables. Japan also likes its tofu, usually served with fish, rice and soy sauce in the morning. Japanese breakfast is often considered lunch or dinner by those who live in Western countries.
Morocco
Breads made with semolina are a traditional Moroccan breakfast. Baghrir are spongy pancakes made with semolina and are called "thousand-hole pancakes" or "thousand-hole crepes” because of their appearance. Harcha, on the other hand, are griddled, biscuit-like flatbreads served with butter, honey or jam.
