SUNNY SIDE UP?

What do you think of if you are asked about traditional English cuisine? Roast beef with all the trimmings perhaps? Maybe steak and kidney pie comes to mind.

Surely, the the most archetypal food which we are renowned for is the full English breakfast. Eggs, bacon, fried bread, mushrooms, beans, tomato etc. etc. 

But what is the equivalent in other countries? What is the full Morocco or the full Egyptian for instance? Here are a few examples.

The traditional breakfast of sausages made from coarsely minced beef flavoured with spices and fat makes frequent appearances at breakfast tables in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and so does scrambled ostrich egg.

Moroccan breakfast is called 'tagine' which is a slow-cooked stew consisting of lamb and a variety of traditional herbs and seasonings. It is named after the clay pot in which it’s cooked. 

A typical El Salvadorian breakfast is made of standard national foods and  includes fried sweet plantains, casamiento (black beans and rice in an onion sauce) and salsa.

Often eaten with bread, the traditional Egyptian 'ful medames' breakfast consists of slow-cooked fava beans (partially or completely mashed) served with olive oil, chopped parsley, onion, garlic and lemon juice. 

A standard Hindu breakfast is a mix of rice, lentils and spices and is widely prepared across Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh. Common accompaniments include deep-fried eggplant, oil-based pickles and yogurt.

The traditional Japanese breakfast consists of nattō (fermented soy beans) on rice, along with various miso soup incarnations and green tea.

Known as Malaysia’s national dish, Nasi Lemak, in its breakfast form, consists of coconut rice, cucumber, anchovies, roasted peanuts, hard-cooked egg and sambal (spicy sauce) served in a banana leaf, newspaper or brown paper.

In Turkey, 'Tarhana' is a fermented and dried combination of cracked wheat, yogurt and vegetables that is usually made into a thick soup and eaten at all meals, including breakfast. 

Why do I torture myself like this when I'm on a diet? My apologies if I have made you drool.