As back-to-school season draws near and the lazy breakfasts of summer begin to seem like a distant memory, draw inspiration from the morning repast of cultures around the world. This isn’t the elaborate weekend brunch. We chronicle here the weekday breakfast options of the world, because we may have our differences, but rushing mornings are a constant for many. Some of these breakfasts are more involved than others, but similar themes emerge: some kind of bread with some kind of topping, eggs of all variations, and porridge options galore.
A Tour of Breakfast Around the World
Bread Toppings: Denmark, Australia, and Norway
In the States we may be most likely to have our Wonder bread sliced, toasted, and buttered for weekday breakfast. Danish Smørrebrød, however, is a feast of toppings. A thickly buttered slice of seedy rye bread plays host to a pile of smoked fish, herbs and seasonal vegetables; smoked salmon with Crème Fraîche and lemon, perhaps. Or, sliced cucumber, hard-boiled egg and radish. In Copenhagen, I had that same rustic bread spread with butter and dipped in the golden crevasse of a soft-boiled egg, sprinkled with flaky sea salt.
The Australians top their white bread with butter and the mysterious Vegemite, creamy smashed avocado, sliced tomatoes and maybe a poached egg, served with a glass of Milo. In Spain, the warm, garlic-rubbed ciabatta plays host to salty grated tomato, glistening in a drizzle of spicy olive oil.
Norway prescribes whole grain bread, buttered with a thick slice of gouda or a smear of liver paté, alongside a glass of refrigerator-cold whole milk. In the Netherlands, chocolate sprinkles replaces gouda. (Be careful about revealing this one to sugar-fiending kids).
Toast: Great Britain, Singapore, and Morocco
The Brits, when not having a full English breakfast, toast crumpets and smear them with salty, half melted butter and a drizzle of honey, which drips through the holes without reaching the plate below. In Iran, salty feta cheese pairs with sweet, sesame-flavored Halva, walnuts and a sprig of mint in a pillow of pita bread.
Jam and butter variations abound. In Singapore, golden-brown toast is spread with a rich, velvety coconut Kaya jam, made richer with pats of creamy butter and often served with soft-boiled eggs. Or, as in Turkey, top pita bread with sweet and sour cherry jam and a thick cut of salty feta cheese. Moroccans dip bread in an almond, argan oil and honey mixture or top it with goat cheese and jam, always served with a side of mint tea.
Egg-cellent Ideas: Venezuela, Turkey, Finland, Japan
Eggs for a weekday breakfast is no new concept. But topping a soft-boiled egg with white pepper and sweet soy sauce, as they do in Singapore, probably is. The Japanese, on the other hand, set a glowing, raw yolk on steaming rice, which cooks slightly as its mixed. A drop of soy sauce and the addition of strongly fermented soybeans is served alongside miso soup, meant to be slurped right out of the bowl.
Finnish Munavoi, meanwhile, calls for the boiled eggs to be smashed, salted, mixed with butter and spread on toast in a quasi-egg sandwich.
Eggs cooked with tomatoes are a theme across cultures. For many Middle Eastern countries, that means poaching them in a thick, flavorful tomato sauce to make Shakshuka. Turkey scrambles eggs alongside tomatoes and bell peppers: Menemen. Venezuela’s version of the scramble is Perico (meaning parakeet). It is the same thing, minus the Turkish spices, and is served alongside arepas. Spanish Piperade adds a sharp shake of paprika to the mix.
Double the Egg Fun: Austria, France, and Thailand
Austrian scrambled eggs add shallots, ham and the nutty flavor of toasted pumpkin seeds to a weekday breakfast. The Ashkenazi Passover classic matzo brei calls for the addition of matzo, crisped in butter and made sweet or savory to taste. Akuri, a Parsi scrambled egg dish, features the unmissable flavors of turmeric, cumin, garlic, cilantro and green chilies.
The French omelette is a joy of runny egg in a fluffy, perfectly salted exterior with a sprinkle of herbs. In Thailand, a tablespoon of cornstarch or rice flour makes their version of an omelette, Khai Jiao. This technique creates crispy edges. The additions of fish sauce and lime juice add delicious savory touches.
Eggs need not only be a stovetop endeavor for weekday breakfast. Shirred eggs are the almost soufflé-like, gently-cooked French specialty, baked with cream and topped with a sprinkle of chives. They are served alongside warm, crusty baguette used to mop up the pudding-like mixture. Or, get creative with toppings; add ribbons of creamy Boursin cheese or spinach and mushrooms.
Cereal: South Africa, Canada, Bulgaria, Sweden, Greece, and Taiwan
And the porridge options abound for weekday breakfast. Classic Southern grits become the finer-milled, airer South African “miellepap”. They top it with warm milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
In Kenya, they serve Uji porridge made of sorghum or millet, a thick mixture. The Russians have aggressively savory buckwheat porridge, a taste that is delicious once acquired.
Moroccan Hrbil, which people often eat during Eid, is a wheat berry porridge topped with olive oil, honey and butter. A blend of all the grains, Canadians top Red River cereal with a drizzle of real maple syrup.
In Bulgarian Popara, chunks of yesterday’s bread come back to life with warm tea or milk, along with with fresh, farmer-style cheese, butter and sugar. For a syrniki, Ukrainians cook fresh farmer’s cheese into a pancake batter. Then, it goes into hot oil until it’s crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside.
The Swedes top yogurt with nutty, oat-based muesli that bursts with shocks of dried fruit, while the Greeks add crunchy nuts and a drizzle of local honey to decadently thick yogurt. Taiwan serves warm, silky soy with a hint of tangy vinegar and served with lightly fried You Tiao.
Some of these weekday breakfast ideas may seem familiar. Some may be completely out of your comfort zone. But most of the ingredients are not hard to find, and the flavor combinations promise to impress. So, next time you’re at a loss for what to have for breakfast, refer back to this journey. See where it takes you. Maybe even make your own “something on toast” concoction.
Story by Mitra Nourbakhsh / Photo by Hari Kundanamar
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.