What breakfast looks like in different countries

Turkey: The meal: Kahvalti

Kahvalti, the traditional Turkish breakfast, is Turkey’s best reason to get out of bed. The incredible spread includes breads, soft, creamy cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, spicy Turkish sausage, and a range of jams, marmalades, and honeys. Don’t miss the menemen, delicious skillet-cooked eggs, and, of course, the country’s famous tea and coffee.

Costa Rica: The meal: gallo pinto

The best way to get in the pura vida spirit in Costa Rica is to start the day with a big plate of gallo pinto. The stir-fried rice and beans dish is cooked with red pepper, cilantro, onion, and a few dashes of the country’s signature sauce, Salsa Lizano.

Switzerland: The meal: muesli

The ideal Swiss breakfast features muesli with milk or yogurt, fresh fruit, and tea or coffee. While the classic breakfast cereal is popular the world over, it actually originated in Switzerland around 1900. The healthy, fresh, and light dish is often made of raw rolled oats that are sometimes soaked in fruit juice or water overnight, and then mixed with other grains, fresh and dried fruits, seeds, and nuts.

Sweden, Denmark, and Norway: The meal: open-faced sandwiches

The Nordic countries are experts in the art of the open-faced breakfast sandwich. Slathered with a range of spreads, from soft cheeses to mayonnaises to jams, the breads are then loaded up with cured fish, cold cuts, cheeses, vegetables, and/or hard-boiled eggs.

France, Spain, and Italy: The meal: coffee and a pastry or toast

Another trio of countries with similar philosophies on the first meal of the day, France, Spain, and Italy disagree with the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A morning coffee is indispensable, but additional sustenance isn’t often required. When in Paris (or Rome, or Madrid), do as the locals do and start off light — a croissant with coffee at a Parisian café, a biscotti with cappuccino in Italy, or simple toast with tomato and olive oil with café con leche in Spain.

Japan: The meal: traditional Japanese breakfast

A full traditional Japanese breakfast is a reason in and of itself to visit the country and features a balance of many little dishes, including miso soup, steamed white rice, pickled vegetables, fish or tofu, sticky fermented soybeans, and dried seaweed, all accompanied by green tea.