The Best Breakfasts From Around the World

Feb 1911 min read

I have always been more of a dinner person than a breakfast person but over the past couple of years I have had the opportunity to have some incredible breakfast food from around the world. This inspired me to share these delicious breakfast dishes so that hopefully more people can try them or make them at home! In this post I am mostly going to include dishes that I have tried so that I can provide some more personal insight, but send me a message on social media if there is a breakfast I miss that you think is a must try! For now, here are what I think are the best breakfasts from around the world!

Central and South American Breakfasts

Trinidad & Tobago

Doubles

When I moved to Montreal and visited Toronto I had the opportunity to try a lot of Caribbean food. This really opened by eyes to the incredible host of dishes that can be found in this region, including doubles. This dish often isn't available at Caribbean restaurants in Canada but of you see it you should absolutely give it a try.

Adapted from the South Asian dishes puri /bhature (a type of bread) and channa (chickpeas), this dish consists of two pieces of small flatbread bread (called bara) with curried channa in between. The bara bread has this incredible pull-apart texture and the curried channa combines Caribbean and South Asian flavours to make a rich and delicious vegetarian dish. I have never tried to make this dish at home but it is absolutely on my bucket list!

Jamaica

Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica and while I have only tried once, I remember quite enjoying it! The first component of the dish is ackee, which is a fruit that is a member of the lychee family. This fruit was brought over to the Caribbean from Ghana and, interestingly, isn't very commonly used for food in Ghana. The use of fruits in savory dishes in the Caribbean is one of my favorite parts of the cuisine in this region, the hints of sweet and sour flavours that you get from fruits like ackee, jackfruit, plantains, breadfruit, etc., make for an incredible flavour profile.

The other component of this dish is saltfish which is salt cured cod. If you are familiar with what regions of the world cod is native to, this may come as a bit of surprise as cod is generally found in cold northern bodies of water. The reason why saltfish became common in Jamaica in the 17th century is because slave owners brought the cod from Canada / Norther USA as an inexpensive meal for slaves, and had to preserve the cod through curing for transport. Following the abolishment of slavery in Jamaica, saltfish continued being an integral part of the Jamaican diet due to its affordability for former slaves and indentured workers that started coming over from Asia.

I don't have much to say about the flavour of this dish since I have only tried it once but I always love reading about and sharing knowledge on dishes with such a rich history because I feel like it makes you that much more connected to the food that you are eating!

Mexico

Chilaquiles

Mexican cuisine is one of my favourite cuisines in the world and Mexico is undoubtedly one of the countries at the top of my list that I want to travel to specifically for the food. Prior to moving to Montreal for university, I hadn't tried many Mexican dishes, but luckily I had the opportunity to try some incredible Mexican food in Montreal and while visiting New York City! One of these dishes is chilaquiles which I instantly fell in love with.

Chilaquiles is a dish consisting of leftover tortilla that is cut into pieces and then cooked in a pan with sauce. The tortilla may be fried to remain crispy or cooked in the sauce for a softer texture, and the sauce is typically a red or green salsa. This can then be topped with any number of things such as cheese, onions, meat, etc. While this sounds pretty simple it ends up being a really well-rounded and flavourful breakfast! This is a breakfast dish that I definitely want to make more at home and would be a perfect use of leftover tortillas after a taco night.

Bolivia

Salteñas

Variations of empanadas are found throughout the Spanish speaking world, but every country does it a little bit differently. I have had the pleasure of trying many different types of empanadas and perhaps my favourite is salteñas. For those who do not know what empanadas are, they consist of some mix of vegetables and/or meat stuffed inside of dough that is then fried or baked. Compared to other empanadas I have had, salteñas stand out to me for the perfect texture and sweetness of the dough and also the plump shape that seems to allow for a higher ratio of filling to dough. They are also usually filled with beef/chicken and hearty vegetables which makes them filling and flavourful. Additionally, they are often served with llajua which is a Bolivian chili sauce. I have never tried this chili sauce before so having salteñas with llajua is definitely on my foodie bucketlist!

Venezuela

Arepas

Arepas are one of those dishes where even if you have one that isn't amazing you are still going to immensely enjoy it. This dish is a flatbread made out of corn flour that is then stuffed with any number of tasty ingredients. I am so shocked at how uncommon arepas are in Canada because I think it is the kind of dish that has incredible widespread appeal.

I have had many different types of arepas and luckily one of my closest friend's is from Venezuela so he gave me some extra insight into arepas as a breakfast food. While arepas can be eaten in the morning they can also be eaten any time of day and apparently in Venezuela there are areperas (shops that sell arepas) open 24/7 which sounds like an absolute dream to me! For breakast though, common fillings include la reina pepiada (avocado, mayonaise, lime juice, shredded chicken, onion), la catira (shredded chicken and cheese), and la pelua (shredded beef and cheese).

I feel like arepas strike a perfect balance of macronutrients and flavour for the morning, so if you are someone who wants something that is nutritious, filling and super tasty I think an arepa is exactly what you need. I have also tried making them at home and while it is possible, cooking them can be a bit finicky and, as my friend also attested to, the arepas can destroy your pans during the cooking process if you aren't careful! I must say though, if you cannot try arepas from a restaurant near you then you need to take the risk and make it at home because it is beyond worth it!

European Breakfasts

Spain

Churros con Chocolate

I am personally not a very big fan of having sweet dishes for breakfast, so I was a bit skeptical when I tried churros con chocolate for the first time because it is, as the name suggests, churros with chocolate. This dish far exceeded my expectations though, and I ended up having it pretty much everyday during my time in Spain!

What makes churros con chocolate in Spain so good is the fact that neither the churros nor the chocolate are very sweet. The churros are thin and quite crispy compared to the Mexican churros we are accustomed to in Canada, and they generally weren't served with sugar on top, being in fact slightly salty. The chocolate also wasn't very sweet at all! It is more thick, creamy, and slightly bitter, with the perfect balance of sugar to offset any unpleasant bitterness. This was my favourite dish that I tried in Spain and I have never even tried to make it at home because I can't imagine making a chocolate sauce as perfect as the ones in Spain. I guess I will just have to go back to Spain to have it again sometime soon!

Serbia

Burek

Burek is a dish that originates in Turkey but was introduced to the Balkans hundreds of years ago. It consists of tubes of phyllo pastry stuffed with fillings such as meat, cheese, or potatoes, although in the Balkans some may suggest that burek explicitly refers to the meat variety. I actually tried this dish prior to visiting Serbia because I have some Serbian friends and I instantly fell in love with it because I am a huge fan of savory pastries.

In Serbia it was obviously on another level compared to the burek that I had tried in Canada, and I found myself eating it regularly during my time there. I also love yogurt which is very commonly consumed in Serbia during breakfast time, including with burek. Considering how amazing the burek was in Serbia, I cannot wait to visit other countries in the Balkans to try their versions of this delicious breakfast.

Italy

Lampredotto

Many parts of Europe do not have very significant meals for breakfast, often opting for coffee and pastries as their morning meal. This includes Italy to a certain extent so this entry is a bit of a cop-out, but during my time in Florence it seemed that most of the lampredotto shops were only open from morning to late afternoon so I decided to include it here.

Lampredotto is a tripe sandwich made out of the fourth stomach of the cattle. The tripe is slowly stewed in a broth and then simply served between bread, which is then usually given an extra dip in the broth to make for an extra juicy sandwich. I am pretty comfortable eating organ meats but always remain skeptical at home "organy" the flavour will be. Suffice to say, the flavour of the lampredottos I had in Florence were incredible and this dish actually made it into my favourite dishes from my trip to Italy. The tripe has an incredible savoury flavour and the bread stays pretty firm despite being saturated with the delicious broth. I am not sure how confident I would feel about preparing tripe at home but trying this dish in Italy just might motivate me to do so!

Asian & Middle Eastern Breakfasts

Lebanon

Manaeesh, Fatteh and Ful

I have never visited Lebanon, but of all the breakfasts that I have tried I think that Lebanese breakfast is currently far and away my favourite in the world! Aside from the incredible pita and accompanying dips, there are three key Lebanese breakfast dishes I can't get enough of, manaeesh, fatteh, and ful. Manaeesh (singular "manoushe") is a flatbread that is usually topped with meat, kashk (a type of fermented yogurt), zaatar (Lebanese thyme + potentially other accompanying spices), and/or cheese. My personal favourite is a zaatar manaeesh and I have even started making it at home! It is not very difficult and all you really need is to go out and buy a good zaatar from a Middle Eastern grocery store. While the flatbread is technically all you need for manaeesh, it is often served with toppings like mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and/or pickled turnips on the side which you can then add on top and make a sort of wrap.

Fatteh and ful are two other Lebanese breakfast meals that are rich and flavourful. Fatteh is a dish consisting of fried flatbread, chickpeas, yogurt, and additional toppings like nuts or even meat. Ful is fava beans which are cooked down and crushed to a certain degree while being combined with spices and lemon juice to make a thick bean stew which is then optionally topped with ingredients like tomatoes and parsley. I have had ful on a number of occasions and as someone who is a big fan of beans I pretty much always absolutely love this dish. Fatteh is a dish I was introduced to more recently so I haven't had it as much but the best fatteh I have had was absolutely mind-blowing. You can find all these dishes at this restaurant in Montreal which I highly recommend for an authentic Lebanese breakfast experience!

folded over zaatar manoushe — Folded Over Zaatar Manoushe

Pakistan

Halwa Puri and Paya

Pakistan is my home country so I have had a lot of different breakfasts in Pakistan but perhaps the most famous one globally is halwa puri. Halwa puri has two main components, the first being halwa, which is a sweet semolina pudding. The second is the puri which is a fried flatbread. As with all South Asian meals involving bread, you use the puri to scoop up the halwa and eat it with your hands. Generally a full breakfast with halwa puri also includes a channa (chickpea) dish and oftentimes another dish as well. This allows you to have a combination of sweet and savoury dishes which makes for a very tasty and diverse meal, while being entirely vegetarian!

Now for the actual best Pakistani breakfast dish that not as many people know about, Paya. This dish literally means trotters (animal feet), referring to the cow trotters used to make the dish. This may sound a bit strange if you have never tried animal feet before but this dish has such a rich flavour and the trotters have a slightly gelatinous yet melt in your mouth texture that is indescribable. Despite being a bit unique from the perspective of a Canadian/American palette, I highly recommend giving this dish a chance because the flavour will blow you away!

halwa puri and chai — Halwa Puri and Chai

Malaysia

Nasi Lemak

Malaysia has many incredible breakfast dishes, but I decided to mention the mouth-watering national dish of Malaysia, Nasi Lemak. This dish is a common breakfast in Malaysia consisting of rice (nasi) cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in a banana leaf, which is accompanied by various side dishes. These side dishes may include, but are not limited to;

Crispy ikan bilis (anchovies) and roasted peanuts, which add crunch and a savory depth.
Hard-boiled or fried eggs, providing richness.
Sliced cucumbers, which offer a refreshing contrast to the heavier elements.
Sambal tumis, a spicy and slightly sweet chili paste that ties everything together.

Nasi Lemak may also be served with more substantial dishes like fried chicken or rendang (a beef stew). This range can be seen from inexpensive street food vendors serving the dish at its simplest to more elaborate presentations at restaurants. In any case, although I haven't had much experience with Nasi Lemak it has been delicious when I have tried it, and I think the concept of having rich rice with a variety of tasty side dishes is a phenomenal concept for breakfast!

Vietnam

Banh Cuon

Out of all of the countries I have visited, Vietnam may have the most compelling breakfast culture. It seems that people are generally up and about quite early and when I went on a food tour in Hanoi the guide was talking about how vast the variety of primarily breakfast dishes is. While I could've also included a section for pho, this is a dish that everyone knows and nowadays is eaten pretty much anytime of day. Instead, a dish that is somewhat less known that I absolutely loved in Vietnam is banh cuon.

Banh cuon is a Vietnamese steamed rice roll that is traditionally filled with pork, wood ear mushrooms and onions. Luckily, in Vietnam there was a much greater variety of options including seafood and vegetarian options which were always delicious. I think that this dish is a great representation of everything that Vietnam is doing right when it comes to breakfast, it is light in both flavour and calories yet filling enough to get you through the morning, and can include or be accompanied by a variety of herbs/vegetables.

Japan

Onigiri

Finally, I have to finish off with one of my favourite Japanese dishes, onigiri. Onigiri are simply rice balls with some sort of filling inside. I pretty much has onigiri every single day during my trip to Japan and I do not regret it whatsoever. Common fillings include tuna, salmon, pickled plums, and roe. While most of the onigiri I had came from the Japanese convenience stores, I also had the opportunity to have a traditional Japanese breakfast at one of the hotels I was staying at which featured very large onigiri that were so tasty. If you ever get the chance to try onigiri in a restaurant or onigiri specialty shop I highly recommend it because the fillings taste that much better and the texture of the rice holds its shape while still being melt in your mouth. An onigiri paired with some miso soup for breakfast is another example of a really light yet savoury and delicious breakfast!