What's for Breakfast?

During the week, I don't have time to eat proper breakfast but if I am on holiday, I like to get up early enough to make sure I eat breakfast. I like to find out what locals eat for breakfast.

When I went to Rome, which was my very first trip to Europe, the hotel we stayed had a roof top terrace where you could relax and enjoy breakfast under the lovely morning sunshine, far away from bustle and hustles happening on the streets in Rome.  I was really thrilled to find that a hot chocolate was available for breakfast as till then I never thought such thing was allowed and thought how great to be an Italian being able to enjoy delicious hot chocolate with breakfast croissant every morning.

Then about 6 - 7 years ago we went to Madrid where my husband introduced me to the delight of Spanish breakfast,  Pan con tomato (bread with tomato), which is simply rubbing a garlic clove across the surface of toasted bread and mashing a tomato until the juice and seeds coat it. You then drizzle some olive oil and salt over top.

In Barcelona it is called Pa amb tomaquet (in Catalan language) and it looks and tastes delicious!

We went to "La Boqueria" last October (2011), Barcelona's famous food market on La Rambla, for breakfast. We sat at a counter and ordered Pa amb tomaquet with strong coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Some of airline flight meals are quite good. These are Emirates's breakfast between Glasgow and Osaka flights via Dubai (December 2011 - January 2012).

English breakfast (vegetarian option)

Japanese breakfast - grilled salmon,  egg roll, vegetable, rice and pickles.

We also had some breakfast at Frankie & Benny's, Glasgow Airport before boarding (December 2011).
 I like sitting at window booth, watching flights coming in and out, looking forward to our on-ward journey abroad.

For meat eaters...

And for non meat eaters!

In Japan, you can go to Starbucks if you want, or can go to local Japanese coffee shop to order a "morning set" that usually comes with thick toast, small salad, boiled egg and a cup of coffee.

Or you can eat a typical Japanese breakfast. Grilled salmon, rice, variety of pickles including Umeboshi (pickled plums - shown below in the middle) which is very very sour, and sometime, if you are in Osaka, Korean Kimuchi (spicy cabbage pickles - shown below, orange vegetables in the back, colour comes from chill so you can imagine this is spicy!).   Typical Japanese breakfast can also include "natto" (shown below, behind rice, brown beans with chopped spring onions and soy sauce), which is fermented soybeans, rich source of protein.  This can be however rather an acquired taste because of its strong smell and slippery texture with sticky and gooey strings.

When we went to Las Vegas in year 2006, we had poached eggs with smoked salmon on top of hush brown for breakfast at Luxor Hotel.

However, my favourite breakfast is the one that my husband has made for a Sunday breakfast. He said this is Gordon Ramsey's recipe with toasted soda bread and scrambled egg with little bit of from age frais.  I am hoping that he will make this again for this Sunday after reading my blog! (hint, hint!!!)