The best breakfasts around the world
The top 3 according to 2,028 votes from people: Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) · Chilaquiles (Mexico) · Dim sum (Hong Kong). (Updated Sep 8, 2021.)
Traditional breakfasts from every continent that travel and food writers rave about, chosen from the ones that repeat across 'breakfast around the world' guides.
Top 20
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1
Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı)
A spread of cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, honey and kaymak, jams, sucuk, menemen and simit with endless tea.
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2
Chilaquiles (Mexico)
Fried tortilla pieces in red or green salsa with cream, cheese, onion and often a fried egg.
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3
Dim sum (Hong Kong)
Yum cha mornings of har gow, siu mai, char siu bao and tea.
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4
Full English breakfast
Eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms, black pudding and toast.
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5
Japanese breakfast
Grilled fish, steamed rice, miso soup, pickles, natto or tamagoyaki.
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6
Shakshuka (Maghreb/Israel)
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, eaten with bread.
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7
Pan con tomate (Spain)
Toasted bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil, sometimes with ham, and a café con leche.
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8
Kaya toast (Singapore)
Charcoal-toasted bread with coconut jam and butter, soft-boiled eggs and kopi.
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9
Arepas (Venezuela/Colombia)
Corn cakes with cheese, butter, eggs or perico (scrambled eggs with tomato and onion).
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10
Ful medames (Egypt)
Slow-cooked fava beans with cumin, olive oil, lemon and garlic, scooped up with bread.
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11
Croissant and café au lait (France)
The classic Parisian petit-déjeuner, with tartine and jam.
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12
Gallo pinto (Costa Rica/Nicaragua)
Rice and black beans fried with onion, pepper and Salsa Lizano, with eggs and plantain.
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13
Waakye (Ghana)
Rice and beans cooked with sorghum leaves, with shito sauce, eggs, spaghetti and fried plantain.
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14
Masala dosa (South India)
Crisp fermented rice and lentil crêpe with spiced potato, sambar and chutney.
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15
Congee (China)
Rice porridge with toppings like century egg, pork floss or youtiao.
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16
Pho (Vietnam)
Beef or chicken rice noodle soup, eaten at street stalls from dawn.
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17
Açaí bowl (Brazil)
Frozen açaí pulp blended thick and topped with banana, granola and honey.
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18
Mohinga (Myanmar)
Fish and lemongrass broth with rice noodles, the national breakfast.
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19
American pancakes
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes stacked with butter and maple syrup, often with bacon.
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20
Granita con brioche (Sicily)
Almond, coffee or mulberry granita with a soft brioche col tuppo for dunking.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (14)
Turkish breakfast in Istanbul is still my favourite meal on earth.
Full English needs black pudding and beans or it doesn't count
As a Venezuelan, glad to see arepas, but they should be top 5 💛💙❤️
Pan con tomate with jamón, simplest and best breakfast in Spain.
Kaya toast in Singapore with kopi, simple perfection.
Japanese breakfast is so healthy: rice, miso, grilled fish.
Turkish breakfast at #1 is spot on. Twenty little plates, simit, and endless tea. Best meal of the day anywhere.
Gallo pinto with eggs and Salsa Lizano, the Costa Rica start.
Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans both claim gallo pinto, careful 😂
Chilaquiles verdes con huevo, hangover cure supreme.
Mohinga in Yangon, fish noodle soup for breakfast, amazing.
Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and kopi in Singapore, simple but perfect
Ful medames in Cairo from a street cart, so cheap and filling.
Dim sum as breakfast is the best thing about Hong Kong. Har gow and char siu bao at 7am 🤤