Breakfast Around the World
By Juliann Schaeffer
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 9 No. 12 P. 32
They will not eat it on a train, they will not eat it on a plane; but Brazilians like their bread and jam, sometimes even with cheese and ham. Find out what else is on the morning menu in Brazil and other countries around the globe.
American breakfast
Poached eggs, pancakes … and pizza—American breakfast foods are anything but predictable. “I don’t believe there is what we call ‘typical’ American breakfast foods. It can range from a muffin to a piece of leftover pizza,” says Elena Paravantes, RD, food and nutrition editor for the Greek editions of Men’s Health and Prevention magazines and Greece country representative for the American Overseas Dietetic Association (AODA).
Laura Zubrod, MS, RD, LD, a U.S. AODA country representative, agrees: “A typical breakfast in America is anything but typical. It could occur in the home, in the car, or in the office. Just about anything goes when it comes to breakfast in the United States—from skipping breakfast to last night’s cold pizza to McDonald’s drive-thru. America’s breakfast plate can be quite diverse.
“That diversity is also present in the varied breakfast menus,” she continues, “which can vary from a heavy sit-down meal, prepackaged foods eaten on the run, or skipping breakfast altogether in some cases.”
However, Paravantes notes the following selections seem to be most popular in the U.S. morning routine: eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, cereal, cereal bars, juice, fruit, doughnuts, muffins, toast, English muffins, bagels, French toast, cream cheese, jam, butter, peanut butter, coffee, tea, and smoothies.
Zubrod breaks the American breakfast into two categories: weekday and weekend options. “Traditional foods for the weekday breakfast might include cereal with milk, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, toast or English muffins topped with margarine and jelly, bagels with cream cheese, muffins, Pop Tarts, yogurt, and fruit such as bananas or berries.
“Weekends bring more traditional and heavier breakfast fare,” she says, “such as eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, waffles, French toast, biscuits and gravy, and sectioned grapefruit halves,” noting that breakfast beverages of choice include fruit juices, coffee, and tea.
She also notes that, in addition to lunch and dinner, Americans are bringing fast food’s convenience to the breakfast table: “Americans are eating out more than ever before, and that includes the breakfast meal. Whether it’s a stop at the local drive-thru window or grabbing foods from home to eat in the car or at the office, America is on the run.”
Zubrod illustrates some fast-food varieties that many Americans may be substituting for their all-important first meal of the day: “The typical fast-food restaurant breakfast menu includes the breakfast sandwich, consisting of a croissant, biscuit, bagel, or English muffin topped with egg, cheese, and meat (ham, bacon, or sausage). Other menu staples are breakfast burritos, French toast sticks, pancakes, tater tots, and hash brown patties or cakes.”
Scrambled eggs, scrapple, or simply coffee—most Americans are generally well versed in how essential this morning meal truly is. But just how normal is the United States’ breakfast when compared with the rest of the world? Take your mind for a stroll to find out how the American meal rates in the grand scheme of ham and eggs gone global.
Hong Kong
“When East meets West, Hong Kong gets more varieties of breakfast,” says Charmain Tan, RD, Hong Kong AODA country representative. With Western styles of eating creeping into the country’s traditional culture, Tan says two distinct breakfast styles are emerging.
The older generation “maintains the Chinese traditional routine by visiting a tea house ‘Yum Cha’ every morning,” Tan says, noting that most people go alone or with their spouse. There, people typically order one or two dim sums with a pot of Chinese tea, generally with free refills. Dim sum is Chinese cuisine that can involve a wide range of light dishes and is usually served in a small bamboo steamer basket or on a small plate.
“On Sundays, these tea houses are packed with families of three generations,” she says, noting that it was common practice for people to read a newspaper or smoke during breakfast. However, “As of January 1, the Hong Kong government has banned smoking in all restaurants, so now restaurants are being enjoyed by even small infants who used to stay at home due to the smoke,” Tan says.
The younger generation, which typically includes workers on the go at breakfast time, may grab a bun with a filling inside from a Chinese bread shop with a box of soy milk or juice drinks. “Or others will have Westernlike fruit muffins or croissants with coffee,” Tan says. “Young children will have a cup of milk or soy milk before leaving home and continue having their breakfast snacks at recess time,” which may include an egg, sandwich, fish ball, or siu mei.
Much like an American coffee shop, Tan also describes “cha chun tien,” a restaurant where a set breakfast is served, including ham and eggs, toast, and milk tea for a light breakfast—or beef steak, pork chop, egg, instant noodles, toast, and milk, tea, or coffee for a heavier meal. And, of course, says Tan, “We also have lots of McDonald’s chains, and its breakfast is especially popular on weekends.”
参考资料：http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/tddec2007pg32.shtml