A World of Breakfast

We don't need the experts to tell us that we shouldn't skip breakfast. We cherish the first food of the day, that delicious moment when we break our nightlong fast. Maybe it's a towering stack of pancakes we crave, or juicy, sage-scented sausage, or perhaps even a bowl of Chinese noodle soup. More than any other meal, breakfast defines who we are. For many, it's a meal eaten on the go, a quick dose of sustenance and a jolt of caffeine. For others, it's a contemplative repast, offering a few moments for replenishing the mind and nourishing the body with healthful foods like oatmeal and fruit. Still others make it an occasion of celebration and indulgence, providing a chance to reconnect with family and friends over, say, a lavish brunch. Although many breakfast foods are common to much of the world—breads, for example, or eggs—others are reflections of regional tastes: the spicy tang of fresh chile sauce in Indonesia, the briny bite of plump olives in Turkey, the sweetness of just-picked peaches on a California farm. But in whatever way we choose to satisfy our appetite in the morning, the diversity of breakfast foods prepared around the world is proof of one thing: that the first bite of the day is also the best.