Most North Americans experience Chinese food through the phone book, ordering deep fried egg rolls and fried rice for take out. If you live closer to a large city, you may get more authentic cuisine in restaurants clustered together in Chinatown or Little Korea. In the end, the meals being served up are either lunch or dinner, with little mention of breakfast. It's too bad, because Chinese style cooking makes for a wonderful breakfast. Here are some ideas that you can serve up yourself.
Like most Asian dishes, rice plays a major role on the breakfast table. Unlike the elaborate many-course dinners we are accustomed to associating with Chinese food, breakfast in China is a quick, simple affair. Even if there's lots of time, such as on the weekend, breakfast is still short and sweet. Small, but full of calories, a Chinese breakfast will get you ready for the day.
A typical Chinese breakfast features a lot of deep fried foods. For example, there's the Deep Fried Devil, similar to a cruller but much longer. Other choices in deep fried breakfast goodies consist of buns, noodles and pancakes.
These deep fried delights compliment a Chinese staple that is found at other mealtimes as well: congee. Congee is similar to porridge, but it's made from rice or soybeans, and sometimes also features meats or vegetables to round out the selection. Frequently, the only home made dish at a Chinese family breakfast is the congee, while the deep fried foods are purchased from street sellers.
You would probably think that tea would be the beverage of choice for a Chinese breakfast, but you would be wrong. Because congee is so thin and watery, it actually constitutes the breakfast beverage.
How does a Chinese breakfast stack up to other Asian countries? In contrast to the hurried Chinese breakfast, breakfast in Japan is a much more substantial affair. Rice, known as 'morning rice' is still the centerpiece of the meal. Replacing the congee of Chinese breakfasts is Miso soup, based on soybeans or rice. Or Natto might be featured, a mix of fermented soybeans, vegetables and seasonings served over rice.
Breakfast traditions vary in each of the Asian countries. Breakfast is big in Korea (since lunch is a small affair), usually involving Kimchi (fermented cabbage) along with beef or pork soup. Thailand does not have a particular breakfast dish, but breakfast in Thailand is similar to China with a thick porridge (Khao) and pastry (pa thong go). In Singapore, the specialty is Kaya, a jam-like concoction of coconut milk, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
Quite a switch from the traditional western breakfast of bacon and eggs, Asian breakfasts are just as tasty and filling, but quite possibly more nutritious.
Like most Asian dishes, rice plays a major role on the breakfast table. Unlike the elaborate many-course dinners we are accustomed to associating with Chinese food, breakfast in China is a quick, simple affair. Even if there's lots of time, such as on the weekend, breakfast is still short and sweet. Small, but full of calories, a Chinese breakfast will get you ready for the day.
A typical Chinese breakfast features a lot of deep fried foods. For example, there's the Deep Fried Devil, similar to a cruller but much longer. Other choices in deep fried breakfast goodies consist of buns, noodles and pancakes.
These deep fried delights compliment a Chinese staple that is found at other mealtimes as well: congee. Congee is similar to porridge, but it's made from rice or soybeans, and sometimes also features meats or vegetables to round out the selection. Frequently, the only home made dish at a Chinese family breakfast is the congee, while the deep fried foods are purchased from street sellers.
You would probably think that tea would be the beverage of choice for a Chinese breakfast, but you would be wrong. Because congee is so thin and watery, it actually constitutes the breakfast beverage.
How does a Chinese breakfast stack up to other Asian countries? In contrast to the hurried Chinese breakfast, breakfast in Japan is a much more substantial affair. Rice, known as 'morning rice' is still the centerpiece of the meal. Replacing the congee of Chinese breakfasts is Miso soup, based on soybeans or rice. Or Natto might be featured, a mix of fermented soybeans, vegetables and seasonings served over rice.
Breakfast traditions vary in each of the Asian countries. Breakfast is big in Korea (since lunch is a small affair), usually involving Kimchi (fermented cabbage) along with beef or pork soup. Thailand does not have a particular breakfast dish, but breakfast in Thailand is similar to China with a thick porridge (Khao) and pastry (pa thong go). In Singapore, the specialty is Kaya, a jam-like concoction of coconut milk, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
Quite a switch from the traditional western breakfast of bacon and eggs, Asian breakfasts are just as tasty and filling, but quite possibly more nutritious.
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