Proper brekkies tomakeyou salivate
Is there any better way to begin a day than with awarming, nourishing, delicious bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup? The flavours aren’t too punchy here: pho is more of a gentle shake into wakefulness than nasi lemak’s slap in the face. The noodles are filling, the meat is tasty, and the subtle spice mix is just right. Good for what ails you.
An artery-clogging plate of bacon, sausage, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, maybe baked beans, maybe fried bread, and maybe even black pudding, will set you up for the day. Or maybe it will set you up for a nap, who can say? Still, it’s a fine breakfast. tomatoes, sliced cucumber, local cheese, olives, boiled eggs, and maybe ‘‘simit’’, the doughnut-shaped Turkish bread coated in sesame seeds. Fancier versions include cured meats, savoury pastries, and scrambled eggs with sausage. Oh, and a heart-starting Turkish coffee.
Breakfast is probably the least important meal of the day for Italians. It isn’t something to sit down and savour, but rather something to smash and go. Plenty of Italians will call into a bar in the early morning for a coffee and a ‘‘cornetto’’, a croissant filled with sweet cream, eaten while standing up and chatting, with little to no ceremony. I’m a fan.
Again, ‘‘curry’’ is not a thing. It’s the catch-all Western word for the spicy stews of India. I’m using the term as a blanket one for the sort of dishes Indians tend to eat for breakfast – spicy, flavourful sauces designed to be sopped up by fried chickpea fritters, steamed rice cakes, rice-flour pancakes, or fresh, flaky bread. There are so many combinations and flavours, but all make an excellent and exciting start to the day.
Such an absolute classic that it has spread around the world, from Tokyo to Tunis. A simple, buttery pastry that’s almost alchemical in its brilliance.