Where to find the 10 best breakfasts around the world

When everyday routines leave little time to relax, finding a calm morning here and there can offer you a chance to indulge in a peaceful meal. From the light and simple to the heartiest of feasts, find inspiration for those carefree moments in this list of places you can find the best breakfasts from around the world.

Traditional breakfast, Turkey

Like your breakfast diverse and elaborate, yet satisfyingly refreshing? A traditional full Turkish breakfast, or kahvaltı, won’t disappoint. The dish includes an array of cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, simit (a doughy circular bread with sesame seeds), jam, honey, kaymak (a dairy product similar to clotted cream), small sausages and local pastries. It’s the perfect way to start the day before heading out on a walking tour of any of the country’s beautiful cities. Take note: While Turkey is known for its exceptional coffee, kahvaltı literally means “before coffee,” so tea will be served during the meal.

Traditional breakfast, Japan

A traditional Japanese breakfast is as delightful to photograph as it is to eat. Small portions of a variety of delicate, savoury foods are all artfully presented on individual dishes. But don’t let the serving sizes fool you—this well-balanced meal will provide enough energy to last the whole day. The main elements are usually grilled fish, steamed white rice and miso soup. The assortment of side dishes ranges from tsukemono (pickled vegetables), a green salad or eggs with  furikake (a seasoning made of dried seaweed and anything from sesame seeds to dried prawns).

Ackee and saltfish, Jamaica

As nutritious as it is colourful, you’ll find this breakfast staple served all over the island. Pre-boiled fresh ackee (the national fruit) and pieces of salted cod are sautéed with Scotch bonnet and bell peppers, spring onions, onions and tomatoes. In true Jamaican style, the selection of flavourful sides is almost as important as the dish itself. Try it with roasted breadfruit, boiled green bananas, bammy (a cassava flatbread) or callaloo (a leaf vegetable dish).

Waakye, Ghana

Ghana’s simple but filling breakfast of choice is waakye, a tasty combination of rice and beans commonly sold from street stalls and roadside vendors and wrapped in banana leaves. Waakye‘s distinctive flavour and look come from cooking the rice and beans with the dried leaf sheaths or stalks from sorghum (a grass cultivated for its grain). The dried sheaths are removed before serving but still give the dish a reddish colour. You can eat waakye on its own or with stew, boiled eggs, vegetables or fried plantain.

Baghrir and mint tea, Morocco

No matter where you go in Morocco, you’ll never be too far from a tasty piece of bread. Two breakfast favourites are baghrir, a semolina-based pancake that melts in your mouth, and m’semen, a rich flatbread. Both arrive served with jams, olive oil, chutneys, ghee or runny eggs. The perfect accompaniment is a piping-hot glass of mint tea poured out of a pot from high above the cup to swirl the leaves and aerate the mixture.

For a truly luxurious experience, spend the night at a desert camp either near Marrakesh or further out into the Sahara and enjoy your breakfast with sprawling views of the dunes.

Jianbing, China

Widely regarded as China’s most popular street breakfast, jianbing is similar to a folded crepe. It’s filled with pickles, pork, spring onions, fried wonton or sweet potato. While there may be a roadside stall on almost every block early in the morning, don’t be in a hurry when you’re ready to eat. Each jianbing is made to order to retain the essential crispiness, so patiently waiting in line is part of the experience.

Changua, Colombia

The hearty breakfast soup of changua is fairly unique to the Central Andes region and is quite popular in Bogotá. Equal parts of milk and water are brought to a boil. Then, eggs are cracked into the pot without breaking the yolk to poach them carefully. Garnished with either spring onions or coriander, the soup is best enjoyed with a piece of hard toasted bread, called calado. Warm and comforting, it’s also a go-to dish when someone is feeling under the weather.

The fry-up, United Kingdom

Bacon, eggs, sausages, regional black pudding or blood sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, and tea or coffee: These ingredients are at the heart of the full English, full Welsh (often served with Welsh cockles and laverbread, a seaweed purée), full Cornish (which adds potato cakes), full Scottish (which often includes potato scones or tatties), and the Ulster fry (the Northern Irish equivalent, often served with soda bread and potato bread) breakfasts. You won’t be needing another meal anytime soon after eating one of these fry-ups.

Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica

Translated as “spotted rooster,” gallo pinto is the typical breakfast choice in Costa Rica. It consists of white rice and black beans, combined with ginger, spices, peppers, onion, coriander and salsa Lizano. Costa Ricans often serve it with eggs, cheese, avocado, fried plantains, sour cream, tortillas and coffee. It is the perfect combination of spicy and savoury and you can even try your hand at cooking it yourself.

Pho, Vietnam

Whether you’re in a bustling city like Ho Chi Minh or the quiet countryside of Sapa, you’re guaranteed to find locals eating pho for breakfast. In fact, many pho restaurants or street stalls are closed for the day by 10 a.m. The fragrant soup starts with a clear beef or chicken broth and includes fresh herbs, rice noodles and thinly sliced meat or vegetables. The rich broth, which must simmer for hours before coming to life, gives pho its special flavour that is individually perfected by street vendors, restaurant owners and anyone who enjoys cooking it at home.

With COVID-19, it’s important to stay safe and practise social distancing. We hope you find this content entertaining, inspiring or useful for a future trip. Always research official websites for up-to-date information on closures and new health and safety policies as businesses and destinations reopen.