Breakfasts Around the World: France, Italy, Sweden, Japan and Turkey

Breakfast is the most “national” meal: what people eat in the morning says a lot about a country. Some make do with coffee and a pastry, others lay out dozens of small plates. Here are traditional breakfasts from around the world and ideas for recreating them at home.

Flowers for the breakfast table: spray roses and flowers in a box.

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What different countries eat in the morning

• France. A light, sweet breakfast: a croissant or a tartine (half a baguette with butter and jam) and milky coffee, often drunk from a wide cup.
• Italy. Many people breakfast at a bar: a cappuccino and a cornetto, standing at the counter, in a few minutes.
• Sweden. Crispbread or open sandwiches with cheese, cucumber and caviar paste, plus cultured milk with muesli.

• Japan. A traditional breakfast resembles a full meal: rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickled vegetables and sometimes natto.
• Turkey. Kahvaltı is a leisurely spread of many small plates: cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, honey, simit bread rings and strong tea.
• Ukraine. Syrnyky (cottage-cheese pancakes) with sour cream, porridge, eggs and sandwiches, with pancakes or potato fritters at weekends.

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How to set a pretty morning table

• Low flowers. A breakfast bouquet should not block the view across the table: use a small vase or a few glasses with single stems.
• No strong scent. Keep lilies and hyacinths for another room; a heavy scent gets in the way of food.
• Seasonal choice. Tulips and daffodils in spring, daisies and garden flowers in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn.
• Breakfast in bed. For a special occasion, a tray with a small bouquet and a card.

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For table-setting ideas, see table flower decorations.

FAQ

Which breakfast is the most filling?

In our selection, the Japanese and Turkish ones: they are closer to a full meal than a snack.

What flowers suit a breakfast table?

Low ones without a strong scent: tulips, daisies, spray roses and chrysanthemums.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.