Good Morning, World! What's for Breakfast?

We've been told countless times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and yet most of us don't really make any effort to make this meal special. Some people don't even eat breakfast at all while others overdo it by eating large portions that are enough to feed a small family. Some are already satisfied with a cup of coffee, but you see coffee is not even a complete breakfast. It's just that part of breakfast that gives us a good jolt to start off our day. If people are starting to skip breakfast then perhaps one day it's going to be a thing of the past. If and when that happens, maybe we should start looking at the kinds of food we are going to be missing out on.

Let's go beyond breakfast cereals and see what other countries are eating for breakfast.

AUSTRALIA
Australians start their day with toast, eggs, sausages or bacons and baked beans. Of course there are some variations, which may or may not include the vile spread called Vegemite.

BELGIUM
Contrary to popular belief, Belgians don't eat their Belgian Waffles for breakfast. They are reserved for snack time. Don't be too disappointed because Belgians eat their bread with Nutella or jams and marmalades. Sometimes, they are happy to eat a bar of chocolate.

BULGARIA
The typical Bulgarian breakfast is Banitsa which is made up of flour, eggs, and cheese layered in filo pastry and then baked. Filo pastry is like the eighth wonder of the kitchen world, so anything with Filo ought to be good. Bulgarians wash it down with a drink made from wheat or millet. It has a low alcohol content so you shouldn't be worried about going to work tipsy.

EGYPT
A typical breakfast in Egypt consists of fava beans with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. This is probably the healthiest breakfast in the Middle East region. Thank god it's not eaten with liver and a nice Chianti.

ICELAND
Pickled fish may not be something you want to eat very early in the morning but if your country is surrounded by water then you have to make use of its resources. Not convinced? Fine. Have a pancake. They eat it too.

INDONESIA
Indonesians love their Nasi Goreng for breakfast. I call it fried rice with the works! I stayed in Indonesia for some time and I've come to love their Nasi Goreng and the many possible add-ons which may include egg, chicken, fish crackers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. You can eat it anytime but why wait for lunch to have it?

JAPAN
Eating breakfast in Japan is like aritual. You will be served with a tray of strange looking food. To the trained eye, it's actually a meal of rice, seafood, miso, raw egg and pickled vegetable. It's a rather odd combination but you'd be glad to know that green tea and coffee are served.

KOREA
Korean breakfast consists of fermented pickled vegetable calle Kimchi eaten with rice, soup, various vegetables, and grilled meat or fish. If for some reason you missed breakfast, don't fret, Koreans usually serve the same on lunch and dinner.

PHILIPPINES
Pan de sal which is the Filipino version of the dinner roll (only it's for breakfast) is usually eaten with eggs, butter, peanut butter, margarine, jam, and cheese. The Pan de sal is also dunked in coffee, pretty much the same way as dunking oreo in milk. Middle class families or those that have the time to cook, usually prepare a traditional breakfast consisting of fried rice served with eggs and a choice of tocino (pork), beef tapa, tuyo (dried salted fish), sardines, and corned beef,

RUSSIA
Blini or Blintz is usually eaten at breakfast. Despite the fancy name, it's actually a thin pancake very similar to crepe. Though Russian are known to be heavy drinkers, they do prefer strong hot tea over whiskey during breakfast.

SINGAPORE
Roti Prata is a popular breakfast in Singapore and I understand why. It just tastes so damn good. It's similar to pancake but thinner and more elastic. It is served with curry, or sugar or condensed milk on the side. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, then try it with a durian flavor. Other breakfast goodies include Toast with Kaya (coconut egg jam), Noodles, and boiled eggs.

SPAIN
In Spain, the traditional breakfast consists of hot chocolate and Churros. They dunk the Churros in a very sweet and very thick hot chocolate drink. For this reason alone, I want to live in Spain.

There are a lot more countries to cover but it's almost time for breakfast and I want to rekindle my love affair with breakfast food over a cup of coffee. Maybe you should too.