They
say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The name says it all, “break” and
“fast”. It is the first meal eaten of
the day and does indeed “break” the “fast” after an evening’s slumber. Breakfast revs up our metabolism and gets our
body ready to meet the day.
When
thinking of a traditional mainland breakfast in the United States the first
images that come to mind are eggs, bacon, toasted bread, fruit juice and/or
coffee. Breakfast options vary. It could be just cereal, milk and coffee, or yogurt
and fruit, or a bagel, donut or Egg McMuffin to go.
In Japan, breakfast is also a very
important meal. An old school traditional Japanese style breakfast would usually include: steamed rice, miso soup, a raw egg (to mix into the rice), natto
(fermented soy bean), grilled fish, tsukemono
(pickles), nori (seaweed), and fruit
or salad. Usually served on various
small plates, it is a typical type of breakfast provided at a ryokan. As you can imagine, this type of
breakfast takes time to prepare and also takes time to consume. It is best eaten leisurely so that all the
dishes can be experienced and enjoyed.
Obviously, with the busy lifestyles
of most modern Japanese, the traditional Japanese breakfast is usually not a
practical breakfast for working Japanese.
Many Japanese eat a much smaller and simpler breakfast. A main breakfast staple is usually
rice. Steamed rice mixed with a raw
egg, soy sauce and perhaps some furikake is a common breakfast. It is quick, filling and nutritious. This breakfast is called tamago-kake-gohan.
Another
common breakfast that is natto on top
of steamed rice. Natto is fermented soybeans.
It has a distinct texture and aroma.
To be honest, when my Japanese wife first introduced me to natto I was not a fan. However, overtime I acquired a taste for natto and it is to this day one of my
favorite foods. It’s also very quick and
easy to make for breakfast thus is perfect for a convenient weekday breakfast.
Many cafes or restaurants in Japan
offer what is known as a morning set. This is a Japanese take on western style
breakfast. Usually a morning set at a Japanese café will
consist of egg, toast, ham and a green salad.
In Japan, salad commonly eaten at breakfast, as well as at lunch and dinner. Morning set offerings also usually include a choice of hot coffee
or iced coffee.
One quick word about toast in
Japan. Japanese toast or shokupan is usually made of Japanese pan.
Pan means bread in Japan. Japanese pan
is a thick cut piece of very fluffy and soft white bread with a soft golden
brown crust. This is probably the
quickest breakfast for a Japanese working person to eat at home. Simply toast the bread and serve with butter
or jam. The only thing quicker than shokupan would probably be an onigiri or rice ball purchased at a 7-11 or Lawson’s convenient store on the way to
work with a canned iced coffee. These
are delicious by the way.
Many of the traditional breakfasts in
Hawaii also include rice as a staple. Probably the most popular traditional local Hawaiian breakfasts is Spam, Portuguese sausage, eggs (either scrambled or over easy, and steamed white rice. In Hawaii this is pretty easy to
make at home (provided the rice was made beforehand). However, if you don’t
have time to make it at home don’t worry because you can conveniently order
this “local” breakfast at McDonald’s on the way to work!
Many Japanese style foods also find
their way into local Hawaiian breakfast choices as well. Spam musubi
is both a comfort food and a quick breakfast on the go in Hawaii. Many Hawaiians enjoy saimen for breakfast, or simple rice ball with nori. For heartier eaters some even order loco moco for breakfast. Loco
moco is hamburger steak, topped with fried eggs and brown gravy over
steamed white rice.
Either way you look at it, breakfast
in Hawaii or Japan is a delicious way to start of the day.
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