KOREA FOUNDATION

Koreans often greet their busy acquaintances by asking what they had for breakfast. Why, you may wonder, do they ask about breakfast but not about lunch or dinner? Why doesn’t anyone find this question strange or out of place? Is it because everyone understands the importance of the first meal as the energizer for the day? Of course, lifestyles are changing, and many people are skipping breakfast altogether or substituting it with a light meal to start the day.

   Appetites and energy are always kickstarted by a traditional Korean breakfast of steamed rice fresh from the pot, a hot bowl of soup, aromatic seasoned vegetables, sweet-and-salty stir-fried anchovies, and dry seaweed or eggs. Even if you don’t feel hungry, once you sit at the table in front of those dishes, you will find yourself tempted to pick up a spoon and taste them. You don’t have to set a big table for a Korean breakfast. The tasty leftovers from the previous evening’s dinner are more than enough.

   In contrast, breakfast is quite simple in France. It seems as if the French eat just enough to stave off their hunger so that they can enjoy a bigger lunch and dinner. While traveling through France or watching media footage of French people, you will frequently see them reading newspapers or conversing over cups of coffee at streetside cafés. A cup of coffee or a glass of juice and a croissant or a few slices of baguette is the entirety of the first French meal of the day. In China, people usually have breakfast outside the home, and one of the most popular morning picks is dòujiang, a sort of soy milk made by adding sugar into freshly ground beans boiled in water. The milk is usually served alongside yóutiáo, long pieces of fried dough that originated from Hangzhou and spread nationwide. Yóutiáo is similar to the Korean kkwabaegi. The combination of yóutiáo and dòujiang tops all other breakfast menu options in China and is served at almost all hotels and hostels.

   In Turkey, the importance of breakfast cannot be emphasized enough. The morning meal, called kahvalti, comprises a nutritious spread of Turkish bread known as ekmek, olives, cucumbers, cheese, yogurt, eggs, tomatoes, and clotted cream. Tea is preferred over coffee. The composition of the Turkish breakfast symbolizes a country that fully embraces the cultures of both East and West.

   Breakfast menus vary widely from country to country, but they all have the same purpose. People the world over start their days with healthy dishes that refrain from excessive spice. They also cherish regular habits and shun skipping meals. Now that winter is gone and spring has blossomed in its place, refresh your morning routine by waking up a few minutes earlier to explore a new kind of breakfast from a different country.

Written by Kim Shinyoung
Illustrated by Jeong Hyoju

Morning Breakfast Food World