Breakfasts round the world: EUROPE

Take a seat at the breakfast table, because we are going to travel through the flavors of Europe. In this Part two, we will visit countries that were colonized or belong to the United Kingdom and how they differentiate when it comes to the first meal of the day. And we will also discover morning meals from Latin, Scandinavian and non-Eastern European countries. Bon appétit, my friends!

Ireland

The dish contains ingredients such as slices of bread, bacon, fried or grilled sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, baked beans with tomato sauce, grilled tomatoes, hash browns and mushrooms. For drinking, tea or coffee. The Irish say that the meal can help when you’ve overdone the drink the night before and you’re hungover… Is that it?

England

Full English breakfast needs to have beans, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and toasted bread. Of course it needs to be properly accompanied by a cup of tea (with milk!). If you are very hungry, it is worth adding the black pudding. Different from what the name suggests, the typical English dish is nothing sweet and is a black pork sausage. For vegetarians, several pubs offer the option of the vegetarian English breakfast.

Wales

The Welsh rarebit is basically toast topped with melted cheese and butter. Not exactly healthy. The best cheese in this country is the Caerphilly, however many other types exist, including Y Fenni, Tintern and Pantysgawn. The meal is accompanied by a beautiful green salad.

Scotland

The breakfast there is very similar to that of England and Ireland, but it has an odd extra addition: the haggis. A portion of mutton and giblets – wrapped in oats, onions and seasonings – in the morning.

Poland

Known locally as Jajecznica, the traditional Polish breakfast consists of scrambled eggs topped with slices of homemade kielbasa (a type of sausage) accompanied by two potato pancakes.

Russia

Oladi is one of the most famous items of Russian coffee. They are basically pancakes, served hot, just after being fried, super soft inside and crunchy on the outside. They are usually served with sour cream, honey, jelly and fruits such as blackberry, raspberry and strawberry.

Sweden

Swedes usually include the Swedish pancake, known as Pannkakor. It is very thin, made from liquid and fried batter on both sides – almost like a crepe. Usually served with a sweet filling and fruit.

Iceland

The way there is to call for a hot meal to face the dark, icy mornings. Hafragrautur, or local oatmeal, comes sprinkled with brown sugar with some raisins or nuts.

Portugal

The Portuguese breakfast is called “small-lunch”. The most typical combination is a cup of milk with toasted buttered bread. Depending on the hunger, it can also be a stuffed croissant, a cream cake or a god’s bread with cheese and ham.

Italy

Italy is known to be one of the countries with the most incredible food in the world. In every corner you find the best pizzas, pastas, ice creams and everything you can imagine. Italians start the day with a delicious cappuccino or ristretto accompanied by a croissant.

France

Ah, “le croissant, le croissant…” how not to love them? Pure, buttered or stuffed with chocolate, cream, raisins, almonds and so on. Whatever the taste, and accompanied by a coffee on the spot, your day already starts well in any part of France.

Spain

“Pan a la Catalana” or “Pan con Tomate” is the simplest and most delicious to eat in Spain in the morning. Simply open the ripe tomatoes and spread the juice well on the bread, mixed with a little garlic. Above, add salt and olive oil. Perfect! To make it even better, cover with cheese, ham or sausages.

Germany

The Germans like plenty. Cheeses, fresh breads and infallible würste (a type of local sausage) are part of the Germans’ basic breakfast. All accompanied by good coffee, of course.

Hungary

You’ll always have a Pogácsa. During the year, they even have festivals dedicated to it, and the recipes vary from region to region. Basically they are well stuffed dough buns, whether with cheese, pork, onion, garlic, bell peppers or various seeds.

Greece

The basic ingredients for a Greek breakfast are bread, jams and marmalade, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, yogurt, honey and pastries, cheese and pita, but each region of Greece is famous for its own traditional products and recipes.

Next week, our destination is Asia. You will relish the strong spice flavors. Soups, fish and vegetables are the flagship of morning meals. I’ll meet you then.

By Rodrigo Valadares