There is a popular saying, 'breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper'. It's easy to neglect breakfast in the rush to get out of the house and dash to work, but for many cultures, the leisurely enjoyment of a morning meal is a chance to sample some of their most innovative and typical cooking. Here are some of the many breakfasts you might expect to encounter around the world
The central focus of Ethiopian food in general, and breakfast in particular, is the injera, a large sourdough flatbread which is used as a makeshift plate. At breakfast it is shredded, and served with a mixture of berbere (spices), clarified butter and onion for a dish called fitfit, which is eaten either plain or with yoghurt and honey when it is known as kita fitfit.
Rice is a staple of Chinese cooking, even at breakfast. It forms the basis of congee, a traditional breakfast dish, which is a watery cross between porridge and gruel. Although not particularly tasty or interesting on its own, a variety of substances can be added to it to liven it up, including zha cai (pickled mushroom stem) and you tiao (golden-fried dough).
Breakfasts in India vary enormously between regions. Food in the North tends to be focused around such dishes as paratha breads, which can be served either plain or stuffed with butter, spicy vegetables, with sweetened milk as an accompaniment. In the South, there is a broader range, with spicy foods such as idi-appam (rice noodles with sweet coconut milk) a popular start to the day.
The main ingredients of the Japanese breakfast are miso soup and steamed rice, to which numerous side dishes can be added. Popular (and extremely healthy) accompaniments include grilled fish, dried seaweed and natto (fermented soya beans). As always in Japan, issues of etiquette are paramount. The rice should be placed on your left side, and the soup on your right.
The main dish in the Burmese breakfast is mohingar, a thick, hearty soup made with snakehead fish. A variety of toppings can be added to this base to make a filling meal, including duck egg, fish cake and squash fritter. Mohingar is regarded as the country's national dish, and is always served at major religious or social gatherings.
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