British native Victoria Philpott has travelled far and wide, and scoured the internet to compile what she calls her Top 50 Weird And Wonderful breakfasts. Some will surprise you; others will amaze. All will make you rethink what you call breakfast…
Victoria Philpott; World traveller and food blogger.
Explore her stuff on Twitter @VickyFlipFlop.
Philpott, who tweets her posts under the handle @VickyFlipFlop, has certainly uncovered some insanely good – and some merely insane – breakfasts – all of which folks in various parts of the world wake up to as a matter of course every day. Much, it appears, depends on what kind of food you traditionally eat, and how you view breakfast (i.e.- as important or trivial),
I discovered Philpott and her blog when, on a whim, I Googled ‘oddball breakfast dishes’. I got more than I had bargained for. But in this case, that was a good thing.
A small sample of big flavours
Japan: Tofu with Dried Fish Flakes, in Soy Sauce. (See photo, top of page.)
India: The presentation varies greatly among the 23 officially recognised culinary regions of the subcontinent, but the ingredients remain pretty much the same:
Flatbread of some kind, Rice, Lentils, and the spices associated with the particular region. But Philpott says you may also encounter Tofu Scramble, Roasted Potatoes, and savoury Toast (as pictured immediately above).
Phillipines: Common Fruits (Mangoes, Bananas, Papayas), tiny Sausages called Longganisa, and savoury Omelets.
Ghana: Waakye. (Also called Awaakey, Waatchi or Ayimolu.) It’s essentially Beans and Rice, but it takes on a signature reddish colour because the mixture is boiled with Millet Leaves.
This is a Ghanaian staple, often enjoyed for lunch and supper, too, and often procured from street food vendors who specialize in the stuff.
Alaska: Caribou and Fried Eggs, on Toast or a Pancake.
Mexico: Chilaquiles (deep fried Corn Tortilla chips cooked in Red or Green Sauce, toppoed with Crema, Grated Cheese and Onions).
In fact, there are many different breakfast dishes, favoured in different parts of country. Philpott suggests we also take note of Huevos Ranchers and Refritos.
My take
Philpott has certainly toured the sublime to the ridiculous. (not really, just kidding; I should have said ‘alien to my tastes’). And in some cases, her take on a given country’s ‘typical’ breakfast is not shared by folks who know that country better than she does. I guess it’s more important to focus on the indigenous ingredients that define a country’s breakfast offerings, and the regional traditions that seem to dictate day-starter tastes.
I think it’s important to note, in closing, that Philpott chose to list Blueberry Pancakes with a side of crispy Bacon as her choice for an iconic American breakfast. Let that serve as a perspective-setter for your own evaluation of her other Top 50 Weird And Wonderful selections…
~ Maggie J.