Breakfast is the first meal of the day. The word derives from the idea of breaking the fast of sleep.

Etymological information

English: 1463, from break (v.) + fast (n.). Cf. Fr. déjeuner "to breakfast," derived from L. jejunare "to fast." The verb dates from 1679. The English word derives from the concept that sleep prevents eating, thus an involuntary fast occurs during sleep; this fast is broken by the first meal of the day referred to as breakfast.

Africa

• Nigeria. With Nigeria being the most populous state in Africa hosting over 250 different ethnic groups, consistency of eating habits is not possible. In Southwest Nigeria (Ilé Yorùbá) one of the most common breakfasts (onjẹ árọ) is ògì. Ògì - a porridge made from corn usually served with evaporated milk. Also served with breakfast is English tea or malta. Another popular option in SW Nigeria is garri, which is eaten like a cereal. Garri, known in Brazil as farofa, is made from the root of cassava. For breakfast garri is drenched in water and sweetened with sugar.

• Ghana. In Ghana, the typical breakfast across the country includes goat omelets, a very sweet and dense bread, and tea. Porridge is occasionally eaten at home, while many people purchase their breakfasts from street vendors.

• Uganda. Different parts of Uganda serve varying breakfasts. A usual breakfast is a cup of tea with a variety of either warm or cold foods. In central Uganda, a typical breakfast would be a tea (made with milk and ginger) served with a warm meal known locally as katogo. This is a combination of green cooking bananas (matooke) mixed either in a stew from beef or in sauce from vegetables like beans. In some parts of Northern Uganda, breakfast would consist of tea and boiled cassava.

Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong

Chinese breakfasts vary greatly between different regions. Except for Hong Kong, Western types of breakfasts or their derivatives are rarely eaten. In Northern China breakfast fare typically includes huājuǎn, mántou (steamed breads), shāobǐng (unleavened pocket-bread with sesame), bāozi (steamed buns with meat or vegetable stuffing), with Dòunǎi or dòujiāng (soy milk) or tea served in Chinese style as beverages.

In Central and Eastern China, typified by Shanghai and the neighbouring Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces breakfast fares include some Northern as well as Southern dishes. Typically breakfast consists of ci fan tuan, 由豆腐粉絲 → yóudoùfu fěnsī (a soup made by fried tofu and cellophane noodles), plain

side dishes such as salted duck eggs, pickled vegetables, and century eggs, or sweetened or savoury soy milk served with shāobǐng or 油條 → yóutiáo.