Breakfasts Around the World: What to Eat and Drink

Breakfast isn't just a meal; it's a celebration of each region or country’s unique ingredients, culinary techniques, and cultural heritage. From the hearty and savory to the sweet and indulgent, breakfast foods around the world vary as widely as the landscapes and communities they originate from.

Having breakfast in different countries can be an unforgettable culinary experience for those who love exploring new flavors. Here are some mouthwatering breakfasts around the world that you shouldn’t miss when travelling.

You can’t skip Italy when talking about traditional breakfast around the world. Italian food is famous worldwide. When someone mentions Italian food, the first things that come to your mind will probably be pizza and pasta, but the Italian breakfast also includes numerous delicious foods such as pastries and drinks such as coffee.

When visiting Italy and staying in a place serving homemade breakfast, you’ll find bread with butter and jam. Of course, you can enjoy them with warm coffee or hot chocolate. Besides bread, having biscuits and cereals for breakfast is common as well. 

If you’re staying in a hotel, you’ll likely find a more extensive choice. The breakfast buffet will include cereal, various bread options, and cakes such as crostata, ciambellone and croissants. 

The buffet often provides savory options too, like sliced cold cuts and charcuteries. Most authentic breakfasts in Italy are cold dishes, but some serve eggs, which you can order according to your preferences. 

Compared to Italy, Australian authentic dishes aren’t as well-known. The country has a mixture of cultures, so you’ll find several different breakfasts around the world in Australia. If there’s a common belief about what Australians eat for breakfast, most would say toast and vegemite, but that isn’t true. 

The most widely consumed breakfast in Australia is The Big Fry, which is similar to American and UK breakfasts. The plate will include fried eggs, smoked bacon, mushrooms, and grilled tomatoes. Another popular dish is avocado on toast, which is a typical breakfast choice that you’ll find in cafeterias that is usually served with a poached egg on top.

For the sweet option, toasted banana bread is the most popular choice. It’s a common breakfast, especially among Australians who want to have coffee along with their first meal.

The whole world likely knows what an English Breakfast is, as it’s a typical breakfast around the world. Just reading the name alone has probably made you imagine a plate with golden fried eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans, and toast. It’s the classic choice, but not a practical one to have each morning for both time and health reasons. 

This is why most Brits prefer to start their day with something simpler. Beans on toast is a staple which many Brits love. They’ll heat a can of baked beans and put a scoop on crispy toast. Some also like sprinkling cheese on the beans for more savoriness. 

We can’t miss tea when talking about the UK, and Brits who love to drink warm tea in the morning often have it with biscuits  or crumpets. This is the most common choice for people with busy mornings or who love having a hot coffee to start their day. 

The American breakfast menu isn’t a mystery to many. You can imagine a similar-looking plate to the English Breakfast, with a slight difference. The most common American breakfasts include ham, sausages, bacon, and eggs. 

Americans who prefer sweet breakfast would eat muffins with their hot cup of coffee or cold fruit juice. Another popular sweet choice is the American signature waffles and pancakes. Since the Spanish flu epidemic, orange juice has become a staple due to its health benefits, so many Americans drink it for breakfast. 

Italy isn’t the only country taking pride in their baked goods. For Germans, bread with butter, jams or local honey is the most common breakfast choice. Many also add thinly sliced meat and cheese, and some like to put leberwurst (liver sausage) on their bread.  

These are good choices for Germans who can’t skip coffee when starting their day. However, some prefer to eat their breakfast with juice. Those who need a quick breakfast often choose simple muesli and a boiled egg.