Breakfast Varieties
Culture and food in the morning
Liza A Pierce of “A Maui Blog” | Images courtesy Liza Pierce
Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day and across diverse cultures, it takes on many delicious and diverse forms. From light and simple to hearty and savory, here’s a look at different kinds of breakfasts enjoyed worldwide.
Continental Breakfast
A Continental breakfast is typically light and simple, often served in hotels and cafés. It usually includes pastries like croissants, muffins or toast, accompanied by butter, jam, or honey. Fresh fruit, yogurt, and cereals are common additions, along with coffee, tea, or juice.
American Breakfast
The American breakfast is known for being hearty and filling. Classic staples include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns. Pancakes or waffles served with syrup and butter add a sweet touch. Many diners and restaurants also serve variations like omelets, biscuits, and gravy or breakfast burritos. Many Americans, however, simply eat cereal and milk or Oatmeal for a quick breakfast.
Asian Breakfast
Asian breakfasts often feature rice or noodle-based dishes. Japanese breakfasts include steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish and tamagoyaki (a rolled omelet). Chinese breakfast staples include congee (rice porridge) with pickled vegetables and youtiao (fried dough sticks with soy milk). Korean breakfast is similar to other meals, often consisting of rice, soup, kimchi, and simple side dishes.
Latin Breakfast
Latin American breakfasts are rich in flavor and variety. In Mexico, chilaquiles—fried tortilla chips simmered in salsa and topped with cheese and eggs—are a favorite. Huevos rancheros, featuring fried eggs on corn tortillas with salsa, beans, and avocado are another staple. In Brazil, breakfast may include pão de queijo (cheese bread) with coffee, while in Cuba, tostada (buttered Cuban bread) is dipped into café con leche.
Hawaiian Breakfast
Hawaiian breakfast can be divided into two categories: traditional Hawaiian breakfast and local-style Hawaiian breakfast.
• Traditional Hawaiian Breakfast: Rooted in Native Hawaiian culture, a traditional breakfast may include poi (a smooth, starchy dish made from taro), ‘uala (Hawaiian sweet potato) and dried or salted fish like aku (skipjack tuna) or opelu (mackerel). Some may also enjoy laulau (pork or fish wrapped in taro leaves and steamed) and fresh tropical fruits such as papaya and banana.
• Local-Style Hawaiian Breakfast: Blending influences from various cultures, a local Hawaiian breakfast often includes loco moco—a hearty meal consisting of white rice, a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. SPAM® musubi, a portable snack made of rice and grilled SPAM® wrapped in seaweed, is another favorite. Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice (often served with soy sauce or ketchup) are a staple breakfast plate in local diners. Sweet treats like malassadas (Portuguese donuts) or fresh tropical fruit like papaya and pineapple are also common morning delights.
Last but not the least …
Filipino Breakfast
Filipino breakfasts are flavorful and satisfying, often featuring rice as the main component. A typical breakfast includes silog meals, which combine fried rice (sinangag) with a choice of protein and a fried egg (itlog). Popular variations include:
• Tapsilog – Marinated beef tapa, garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
• Tosilog – Sweet cured pork (tocino), garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
• Bangsilog – Fried bangus (milkfish), garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
• Longsilog – Filipino sweet or garlicky longganisa sausage, garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
• Cornsilog – Corned beef hash, garlic fried rice, and a fried egg.
Apart from silog meals, Filipinos enjoy pandesal, a soft bread roll that pairs well with butter, cheese, peanut butter, or condensed milk. Many locals dip it in hot coffee or tsokolate (Filipino-style hot chocolate). Another popular dish is champorado, a sweet chocolate rice porridge, often enjoyed with tuyo (dried salted fish) for a contrast of flavors. Arroz caldo, a comforting chicken and rice porridge flavored with ginger and topped with boiled eggs and green onions, is another breakfast favorite. Fried plantains (maruya) or suman (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves) offer a sweet touch to balance the meal.
No matter where you are in the world, breakfast brings comfort and energy to start the day right. What’s your favorite kind of breakfast?
Liza Pierce of A Maui Blog is an Interactive Media enthusiast. She started blogging in 2006 and she loves telling stories online and spreading aloha around the world. She’s been living in Maui since 1994 and considers Maui her home. A wife, a mother, a friend…and so much more. She loves Jesus, is a Maui sunset catcher, is crazy about rainbows, and an end Alzheimer’s advocate. Her life is full and exciting here on the island of Maui. Liza is currently the Digital Media Specialist with Hawai‘i Life Real Estate Brokers. She is the author of the book Maui 2021 and Beyond.