Breakfast

Croatia

Jaja na črno is a traditional egg dish originating from the region of Međimurje. This simple dish is made with a combination of eggs, pumpkin seed oil, and salt. The pumpkin oil is heated in a pan, and the eggs are then fried in it one at a time. As the eggs are frying, they're drizzled over with the heated pumpkin seed oil from the pan. They're seasoned with salt and served immediately, usually for breakfast as an alternative to basic fried eggs.

Jaja na črno

Jeonbokjuk is a traditional porridge originating from South Korea. The porridge is made with a combination of abalone, rice, sesame oil, water, and soy sauce. The abalone is removed from its shell, cleaned, cut into strips, and gently stir-fried in sesame oil. The rice is soaked for three hours before cooking and it's added to the pot along with the water. The mixture is simmered over low heat until the porridge becomes thick. It's occasionally stirred while simmering, and once done, it's served with soy sauce on the side. In the past, abalone porridge used to be reserved for special occasions, but nowadays it's a comfort food for most Koreans. If desired, carrots, scallions, and garlic can be added to the porridge for extra texture and flavor.

Jeonbokjuk

China

A favorite breakfast item in China sold by numerous street food vendors early in the morning, jianbing or fried pancake is a thin and savory cr&ecirc;pe-like pancake that is made by spreading batter over a hot, cast-iron slab with a wooden paddle. The batter can be made with a variety of different flour, with the most common types being mung bean flour, black bean flour, and wheat flour. Always freshly prepared and warm, this fried pancake is usually topped with eggs, then flavored with various sauces such as chili sauce, hoisin sauce, or tianmianjiang (savory bean paste) sauce, and filled with ingredients such as spring onions, mustard pickles, radishes, scallions, cilantro, or even a protein such as Chinese sausage or chicken. A type of crispy-fried dough sticks called guozi or strips of crispy wonton are traditionally added to the pancake filling for extra crunchiness. The variations on this dish are endless as are the ingredients that can be added inside the cr&ecirc;pe wrapper. Typical of Tianjin, versions of this Chinese dish can also be found in some of the largest cities in the world including New York, Sydney, and London.

Jianbing

United States

Some say that this popular San Franciscan delicacy was invented by a San Francisco chef as an alternative to the Italian frittata, and others claim that it came to be when a starving musician ordered an omelet after hours but asked the chef to add something extra to the eggs. Whatever its origin story is, Joe's special is a big, comforting, and hearty mixture of spinach, eggs, ground beef, and onions that is usually served for breakfast in Joe's - a popular Bay Area chain restaurant dating back to the 1920s. Even though it is not a fancy dish, it is soul-comforting and great for curing hangovers, best when paired with a good India Pale Ale beer.

Joe's Special

Kačamak or bakrdan is a simple dish made by cooking cornflour in salted water, similarly to Italian polenta and Romanian mămăligă. After the corn mixture has thickened, it is usually mixed with melted butter or pork fat and oil, and it can then be alternatively baked in the oven. This corn flour specialty is consumed throughout the Balkan countries, and it is commonly eaten for breakfast with dairy products such as sirene (a type of white cheese), plain yogurt, sour milk or cream, and kaymak (a thick cream). The dish can also be eaten as a light meal for lunch or dinner, and some people like to combine it with pieces of fried pork, cracklings, or fried bacon for a more substantial meal.

Kačamak

Kahi and geymar is a traditional breakfast dish that pairs kahi, a flaky, layered pastry, with geymar, a rich, creamy clotted cream. Kahi is a light and crispy pastry, made from thin layers of dough that has a texture similar to puff pastry or phyllo, with a buttery, crisp outer layer and a soft interior. Geymar is a rich, thick cream made from buffalo milk (or sometimes cow's milk). It is similar to clotted cream or kaymak and has a smooth, velvety texture with a mildly sweet, milky flavor. The pastry is served drizzled with honey or date syrup while still warm and topped with a generous amount of geymar. It is a beloved breakfast, especially for special occasions or holidays in Iraq, offering a mix of flaky pastry and indulgent cream.

Kahi and geymar

Sweet and sticky kalamay is a popular Filipino delicacy which consists of coconut milk, glutinous rice, and brown sugar. It is produced in a time-consuming process in which the rice and coconut milk are boiled, ground into a paste, mixed with brown sugar, and then cooked until the desired consistency is achieved. There are numerous regional varieties of kalamay in the Philippines which often differ in the additional ingredients and serving styles. Most varieties are eaten on their own as a sweet snack or a nutritious breakfast, but they are also commonly used as a sweetener in various desserts and beverages.

Kalamay

Bolivia

Kalapurka is a traditional soup originating from Potos&iacute;. The soup is made with a combination of beef, pork, or beef jerky (charque), potatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, ground hot peppers, and corn flour. When served, a hot volcanic rock is dropped into the earthenware bowl with the soup, and it then begins to bubble. This soup is a staple breakfast in Potos&iacute;, especially on cold mornings.

Kalapurka

Kaleh pacheh is a traditional Persian dish made from various parts of a sheep&rsquo;s head and feet, typically enjoyed as a hearty breakfast in Iran and other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. The dish's name reflects its ingredients, with "kaleh" meaning head and "pacheh" meaning feet. The preparation involves slow-cooking the sheep&rsquo;s head, feet, and sometimes the stomach with onions, turmeric, garlic, and various spices until they become tender and gelatinous. Kaleh pacheh is known for its rich, fatty broth and its distinct texture, offering a unique taste that is savory, intense, and slightly gelatinous. Traditionally, it&rsquo;s served with bread, fresh herbs, lemon, and sometimes pickled vegetables. This dish is considered a delicacy and is often enjoyed at specialty eateries called "kaleh pazi," where it&rsquo;s prepared overnight and ready to serve early in the morning for those seeking a nourishing, protein-rich meal.

Kaleh pacheh

This Estonian and Finnish classic is prepared with a combination of roasted and finely milled flour types, usually oat, rye, barley, and pea flour. The mixture is then blended with dairy products such as buttermilk, kefir, or sour milk in order to create a creamy dish similar to porridge, or a thinner variation that is usually enjoyed as a drink. Kama or talkkuna is usually served as a nutritious breakfast or a healthy dessert that is often sweetened and complemented by fruits. Because the production of kama flour is labor-extensive and time-consuming, today it is mainly factory-produced and sold packed in boxes.

Kama

A sheet of dough stretched until it is transparent, scattered with kaymak and crushed green pistachios, folded into a square and cooked on a hot stone or sac until the layers blister and the butter inside turns to syrup: katmer is the breakfast pastry of Gaziantep, eaten hot at seven in the morning in the specialist katmerci shops near the old market, and the thing a bride's family traditionally sends to the groom's house the morning after a wedding. The word means layered, and the plain version, with butter and sugar only, is a village food across Anatolia; the Antep katmer, with its clotted cream and the city's pistachios, is the one that has travelled. It belongs to the same family of thin-dough pastries as gözleme and the Balkan burek, but it is sweet, fatty and eaten in minutes.

The dough is flour, water, salt and a little oil, kneaded soft, rested, then opened on an oiled marble by hand, pulled from the edges and swung until it is a sheet a metre across and thin enough to read through; this is the skill, and the katmerci does it in under a minute. The sheet is dotted with pieces of kaymak, the thick clotted cream of water buffalo milk, sprinkled with sugar and a generous layer of coarsely ground pistachio, then the edges are folded in to make a square parcel the size of a dinner plate. It goes onto a sac or a stone oven floor brushed with clarified butter and cooks for a few minutes a side until the surface is golden and crisp in patches, with the filling melted inside. It is cut into squares with a knife or scissors and served at once, usually with a dusting of more pistachio and a glass of tea.

Judge the dough first, because it is the hard part: the layers should be visibly thin and separate, crisp on the outside and soft within, with no thick doughy folds and no raw patches at the seams. The filling should be hot and molten, the kaymak turned to a rich sauce that soaks the inside, the sugar dissolved, and the pistachio fresh, green and present as texture and flavour, not a dusting of pale, stale nut. Mark down a katmer that is greasy on the plate, which means too much butter on the sac; one that is dry and cracker-like with the filling separate; margarine in place of butter or cream; a reheated square, which goes leathery; and any version sold with ice cream, chocolate or walnuts under this name outside a tourist menu. It should be eaten within five minutes of leaving the sac, and a good katmerci will not let it leave the shop.

Katmer

Katmi are traditional Bulgarian pancakes, similar to crepes but thicker and with a slightly spongy texture. The batter is made from flour, milk (or water), eggs, yeast or baking soda, and a pinch of salt, with some recipes including yogurt for added tang and texture. The batter is mixed to a smooth, pourable consistency and allowed to rest, especially when yeast is used, to let it rise slightly. Katmi are cooked on a special griddle or pan called a "sach" or a regular non-stick pan over medium heat. Unlike crepes, they are thicker, with a surface full of small bubbles or holes, giving them a spongy texture that helps absorb fillings or toppings. These pancakes have a soft, airy texture and a slightly tangy flavor if yogurt is used in the batter. Traditionally, katmi were spread with just butter, lard, or oil. Today, however, they can be served with a variety of sweet toppings like honey, jam, or chocolate spread or savory ones like cheese, butter, or minced meat. Katmi are often rolled or folded and served warm. Katmi are a beloved part of Bulgarian cuisine, typically enjoyed for breakfast or brunch. They are also associated with traditional gatherings and celebrations, reflecting the warmth and hospitality of Bulgarian culture. The preparation and enjoyment of katmi are deeply rooted in Bulgarian culinary traditions, making them a cherished dish across the country.

Katmi

Kavut is a traditional dish originating from the eastern regions of T&uuml;rkiye, but it's mostly prepared in the villages of Trabzon. The dish is usually made with a combination of whole-meal wheat and barley grains. They are roasted and ground, often by stone milling. When the cooked kavut with milk, butter, and sugar comes to the consistency of a porridge, it's removed from the heat source, and a well is made in the center. Honey or light sugar syrup with butter is poured in the well, and the dish is then eaten with spoons by dipping them into the syrup. There's also another way to eat kavut &ndash; people make holes in the top, then pour honey over it.

Kavut

Kaya toast is the Singapore and Malaysia kopitiam breakfast: two thin slices of bread toasted over charcoal or in a press, spread with kaya, a coconut and egg jam, and sandwiched with a slab of cold butter, served with two soft-boiled eggs in a saucer and a cup of thick, sweet kopi. Kaya itself is made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar cooked slowly into a thick curd, flavoured with pandan leaf for the green nyonya version or caramelised for the brown Hainanese one. The dish is credited to the Hainanese cooks who worked for British households and in ship galleys in the colonial Straits Settlements and later opened coffee shops, adapting toast and jam to local ingredients. Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Kopitiam in Singapore, both dating to the 1940s or earlier, built chains on it, and the set with eggs and kopi is now served from hawker centres to airport lounges.

The bread matters more than it looks. The traditional loaf is a soft white bread, sliced thin, about eight millimetres, and toasted on both sides over a charcoal grill until it is dry and crisp right through with faint char lines; the newer café style uses thicker, fluffier bread that is toasted only on the outside and stays soft within, and some shops offer both. Kaya is spread generously on one slice, a cold slab of salted butter about five millimetres thick is laid on the other, and the two are pressed together and cut into fingers so the butter stays cold and distinct when you bite. The eggs are cooked for about six minutes in hot but not boiling water so the white is barely set and the yolk completely liquid, cracked into a saucer, seasoned with dark soy sauce and white pepper, and eaten with a spoon or used as a dip for the toast.

Judge the three parts. The toast should be hot and crisp enough to shatter in the charcoal version, or hot with a toasted face and a soft centre in the thick version, never limp or cold; the kaya should be smooth, taste of coconut and egg with the sugar in balance and pandan clear if it is the green kind, and the butter should be cold, salted and visible as a layer, not melted into the jam. The eggs should be barely set with runny yolks and served warm. Mark down toast that has gone soft under the kaya, which means it sat, margarine in place of butter, a kaya that is gluey or tastes mainly of sugar, eggs that are hard or cold, and a plate where the toast is pre-assembled and left on the counter. The kopi is not optional to a Singaporean, but it is not part of the score.

Kaya Toast

Kaygana is a popular Turkish egg-based dish that can be found in numerous variations across the country. The basic version is typically prepared with just a few ingredients: eggs, flour, salt, and milk. The ingredients are mixed into a batter which is then fried in butter, and the final result is something between an omelet and a pancake. Kaygana is often enriched with ingredients such as peppers, feta cheese, tomatoes, bacon, anchovies, eggplants, green onions, mushrooms, and even honey for the sweet versions. It is recommended to serve the dish warm, ideally with bread and a beverage of choice.

Kaygana

Originally created in the melting pot of the 19th century British Raj, kedgeree is often described as the culinary lovechild of Indian flavors and Victorian comfort food&mdash;it's essentially the British version of khichdi, an Indian dish of spiced rice and lentils. Kedgeree consists of hard-boiled eggs, smoky fish, and rice that is seasoned with a blend of warm curry spices, including ground fenugreek and coriander, while the lentils are omitted. It is a popular breakfast option in England, and in Scotland it is traditionally prepared with smoked haddock.

Kedgeree

Kerststol is a special Dutch bread that is prepared and consumed during the Christmas festivities. It is typically stuffed with raisins and candied fruits, then sprinkled with powdered sugar on top. Traditionally, it contains a layer of creamy almond paste on the inside. During the festivities, the bread is sliced, buttered, and served for breakfast or brunch. If the same bread is prepared at Easter, it is then called paasstol.

Kerststol

Khabeesa is a popular Omani dish consisting of milk, semolina, and butter. The dish is additionally flavored with rose water, saffron, and cardamom. It is often topped with fried cashews. Khabeesa is traditionally served for breakfast on Eid days.

Khabeesa

India

Khageena is a traditional dish consisting of savory scrambled eggs. The dish is also popular in Pakistan. It&rsquo;s usually made with a combination of eggs, onions, tomatoes, green chili peppers, oil, butter, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. The ingredients are cooked over low flames and the eggs are added to the pan and scrambled until done. This dish is traditionally served for breakfast, often with sliced lime and kachumber salad (chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chili peppers) on the side.

Khageena

Khagineh is a Persian dish often described as a "sugar omelet" but is more akin to a cr&ecirc;pe if looking at its texture and form. The basic batter for khagineh is made with simple ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar, and milk or yogurt. It also includes additional ingredients such as saffron, cinnamon, walnuts, dates, and ground cardamom, all fried in butter. Khanigeh is not only simple to prepare but is also quite nutritious, providing lots of calories and a substantial amount of protein, and is a good source of vitamins B6 and B12, as well as the mineral selenium. However, it is also high in cholesterol and saturated fats.