Breakfast around the world: How different places start the day

 

When it comes to breakfast foods around the world, there are as many ways to enjoy the first meal of the day as there are to say "good morning."

From creamy cornbread cake in Brazil and savory Tunisian chickpea soup to fluffy Ukrainian pancakes and sweet coconut jam toasts in Singapore, these 20 international specialties offer a food option for every palate.

And even if the flavors in some of these dishes might be unexpected based on your typical choices, the presentations are likely familiar. Read through CNN Travel's list -- in no particular order -- and learn about the delicious diversity of our world's breakfast cultures. Maybe you'll even find some inspiration for your next meal.

Switzerland

On weekdays, the Swiss frequently stick to quick but filling breakfasts such as the traditional birchermüesli, the granola-style blend of oats with fruit and nuts that's usually served over thick yogurt.

But on weekends, it's time for Swiss brunch. Along with roesti (potato pancakes), cheeses and cold cuts, the centerpiece of the brunch table is zopf. This braided egg bread is similar to challah or brioche, and served with honey, butter and jam.

Ethiopia

When you're having qurs (that's "breakfast" in Amharic, Ethiopia's official language), chances are you'll be eating porridge. While there are many varieties and names for hot grain cereals served throughout the country, savory genfo is one of the most popular.

Genfo is made by mixing barley flour with boiling water until a thick, sticky dough forms, then shaped into a mound with a well in the center. The well is then filled with clarified butter blended with berbere, the complex spice blend, and dollops of yogurt are often spooned around the edges of the genfo.

Japan

Japanese breakfasts fall squarely on the savory side of the food spectrum: In fact, much of what you can eat for breakfast in Japan wouldn't be out of place at any other meal of the day.

Many morning repasts consist of a selection of small plates, each with a few bites of a traditional Japanese dish.

Fish such as salmon or mackerel, miso soup, pickled vegetables and rice are all represented. There's also tamagoyaki, a slightly sweet rolled omelet made from thin layers of egg in a rectangular pan that gives it its signature shape.

Iceland

Start your day in Iceland with a jolt of life-giving lysi: cod liver oil, a plentiful source of omega-3 fatty acids and one of the byproducts of the country's fish industry. Though it's been said to combat seasonal affective disorder, among other health benefits, it's not the only breakfast option.

For a more palatable morning meal, have a bowl of hafragrautur, a thick oatmeal. Top it with nuts, raisins and sugar, or add a helping of skyr, the thick yogurt-like cultured dairy product that's actually a fresh cheese.

Singapore

The multitude of dishes served in the hawker centers entice the appetite in this Asian city-state. These open-air food courts are always open for business, and it's not uncommon to see hungry people scooping up bowls of savory curry noodles first thing in the morning.

For a traditional hawker-style breakfast, kaya toast is a must-have. This unassuming-looking toasted sandwich is spread with flavorful kaya, a sweet jam made with coconut milk, eggs and sometimes pandan leaf for vibrant green color and flavor.

It's great with coffee or tea, and each stall or shop makes kaya toast its own way -- so why not try a few?

Morocco

Along with mint tea, semolina breads are mainstays on the Moroccan breakfast table. Baghrir are thin, yeasted rounds studded with tiny holes that give them the name "thousand-hole pancakes" or "thousand-hole crepes." Instead of maple syrup, these light semolina breads are topped with butter and honey.

Harcha are thicker, griddled biscuit-style rounds that have a crispy crust from a dusting of coarse semolina. They can be split like English muffins and served with cheese or butter, jam, and honey.

Australia

For those who love grain bowls, avocado and other savory toasts, and other staples of all-day café culture, Australia's "brekkie" will be a match made in heaven.

With a focus on fresh produce, whole grains and nourishing combinations, Australian breakfasts can range from the classic avocado toast on seeded bread to a farro bowl topped with a poached egg and pickled vegetables or rice pudding with yogurt, seeds and berries.

Don't forget the flat white -- an espresso with a high ratio of steamed milk that even Starbucks can't get enough of.

Argentina

There's one word that defines the Argentinean breakfast spread: facturas. The overarching term for pastries encompasses a sweet and doughy world of shapes, sizes and flavors.

Some of the more popular offerings include medialunes, a croissant-shaped brioche pastry; bombas and bolas de fraille, or fried doughnuts; and churros, which are often dipped in chocolate. Many are filled with dulce de leche or crema pastelera, a vanilla custard.

Pair a platter of facturas with highly caffeinated yerba mate or coffee.

Germany

In the land of many wurst, it's not surprising that sausage and other meats take a starring role in frühstück, the traditional German breakfast.

This buffet spread is filled with variety: sausages, cold cuts, cheeses, bread and rolls (including pretzels), as well as fresh fruit, soft-boiled eggs and condiments such as homemade jam. The abundant choices are meant for sampling and assembling as you please.

Brazil

If you can't stop eating pao de queijo, the puffy baked cheese rolls that are a staple of Brazilian culture, you'll be happy to know you can eat them for breakfast, too.

But for a variation on Brazilian breakfast breads, try bolo de fuba. It's a cornbread-style cake with a moist and creamy texture that comes from the addition of grated Parmesan cheese and/or shredded coconut. Sliced and served like a pound cake, it's frequently an afternoon pick-me-up too.

Tunisia

Fans of savory meals will love lablabi, a spiced chickpea soup that, yes, is a breakfast food in Tunisia. Chickpeas and harissa paste are the two constants in virtually every lablabi recipe, but the customizations of this simple, soul-warming soup are up to every cook.

Sometimes thickened with pieces of stale crusty bread, sometimes brightened by a squeeze of a lemon, sometimes made creamy with yogurt or topped with olives, there are infinite ways to enjoy it.

And because it's often topped with a poached egg, it's a breakfast that will fill you up all day.