Breakfast Around The World

On one of our many walks through the hutongs of Beijing I struck up a conversation with Mom on all the different breakfasts we’ve had in all the different countries we’ve been to. Which automatically led to a blog topic… two blog topics to be exact.  And, aside from the fact that you can’t have a conversation with Mom without being in danger of it turning into your next blog post, we both agreed that the whole thing was quite interesting to look back on and compare.

Italy: Can’t go wrong here. We quickly managed to find all the best stores so we could go grocery shopping to the super cool local bakery, fruit stand, and cheese / meat shop every day on the way home. The first breakfasts of the trip consisted of bread, butter, jam, salami, cheese, fresh melon, pears, yoghurt, Nutella (of course), and a good cup of  Italian coffee.

Greece: Breakfast with a view, that’s for sure. Greek yoghurt and honey in Greece is everything you could imagine and more. Amazing. We also brought some Italy with us, dining on bread, cheese, fresh fruit, salami, and other pastries we accumulated on our visit to probably the best bakery ever. You have to be there super early to get the best loaf of bread, which, thanks to Wescott, we successfully accomplished each morning.

Spain: I’ll never be able to get the taste of Iberian ham out of my mouth. With complete luck we thankfully found a great breakfast joint. Croissant sandwiches with ham in the middle and covered with tomato paste proved to be simple yet so delicious. And only five giant steps away from our apartment you’d be sure to see us there every morning! What could be better than a glass of orange juice and iberico jamon to start off the day?

Portugal: Though the food is to die for, I have to say that the morning walks were just as fulfilling. Up the hilly streets to go and fetch breakfast for everyone before our daily surfing, I would lead Wescott and his poor sense of direction to the part of town that held all the little cafes, fruit stands, bakeries, and what not. There he would take over, scouting out the best stores worth going to. So, in the end, like every good European breakfast we had tons of fruit and bread, along with fresh squeezed carrot and ginger juice that we bought at this hip juice / breakfast place

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Morocco: Carb overload. But, oh it’s so good. Thin, spongy pancakes? Okay. French baguettes? Yes. Pita bread? Maybe, though it tastes good whatever it is. Muffins? Why not. And of course you need to have something to put on your breads so our amazing cook, Raja, also put out different types of jam, butter, and honey. But, need I not forget, the super delicious yoghurt fresh every morning and straight from the goat, that I still wish for on most mornings.

Tanzania: With pure white sand beneath your feet and a view of the bluest water, breakfast was sure to be a good one. Luckily we arrived in Zanzibar when all the fruits were in season, so that had to mean only one thing….bananas, watermelon, pineapples, mangos, papayas, passion fruit and a side of what had to be crepes… we think. Also, your choice between Africafé or tea and to top it off, malaria pills.

 

Vietnam: It is good to be back! Phó is essential in Vietnam when it comes to the most important meal of the day. But, if you’re not quite up to having the big bowl of fresh veggies, rice noodles, and outstanding broth, then our wonderful hosts can be sure to jump right to your needs. Scrambled eggs or omelette coming right up. Also, thank you to the French for coming and bringing your baguettes because, along with Morocco, you can be sure to find a good loaf in your breakfast setup.

Myanmar: Love the country… not so sure about the food. We never truly got a sense of what the Burmese diet consisted of. It seemed to be a mix of everything, from curry, to beans and rice, to all other sorts of Asian dishes. So, you could predict that this buffet was going to be quite large considering the wide variety. And it was exactly that, but I can definitely say that breakfast wasn’t one of things we will forever remember about Myanmar.

Thailand: If you haven’t already heard, Chiang Mai is all about the nightlife, which doesn’t really help when it comes to your morning meal. And our hotel didn’t include breakfast, so we were left to our own devices trying to find good places to eat. Luckily, with the help of TripAdvisor we found some very yummy restaurants and cafe’s to pig out at.

China: We weren’t sure what to expect at Fun Sam’s. I mean, who could guess that Sam’s Mom would make the best noddles, probably in all of Yangshuo? Though she tried to give us the whole carb only breakfast (because it seems that’s what most westerners prefer when they come) we insisted that we absolutely love what the locals ate –noodles—thicker than phó noodles—with beef, egg, mushrooms, veggies, and choice toppings such as peanuts, pickled green beans, and some spicy sauce. And you could always count on Sam’s Dad to pour you tea each morning as well.

Bali: We’ve all learned quickly that you have to try very hard to eat unhealthily here. And just like Barcelona, we are located in central coolness so which ever direction we choose to walk, we’ll undoubtedly come across an amazing café. On mornings where we feel like not going out, we strategically bought a blender so we could try all kinds of crazy tasty smoothies and test out new recipes.