With over 45 countries, Europe is home to a wide range of food traditions. Given its development, the continent is ethnically diverse, making it an interesting and culture-rich place to visit and study. While there is no one "European breakfast," there are some constants throughout the continent, such as the trend in modern times to forgo traditional full breakfasts and consume instead coffee and cereals. However, most countries have traditional foods that they consume for breakfast on special occasions.
While the typical British person may, today, eat a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast with a glass of juice or some coffee for breakfast, the traditional English breakfast is much fuller than that, and is still served by hotels and guest houses throughout Great Britain. The traditional English breakfast includes eggs, usually cooked over easy, bacon and/or sausage, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms.
While Greeks nowadays often opt to consume a frappe for breakfast, a traditional Greek breakfast is much more involved. The most traditional breakfasts are those consumed by Greek farmers, consisting of trahana, a kind of porridge made from milk and a kind of pasta, bread made with lard and a cup of mint or oregano tea, some coffee or some tsipouro, a local alcoholic beverage. Another traditional but more modern take on breakfast is plain Greek yogurt, which is very thick, sweetened with honey.
A German breakfast is not unlike breakfast in other parts of the continent. The traditional German breakfast consists of bread, toast or rolls with marmalade and honey, eggs, cold meats like ham or salami, and local cheese, all served with either tea or coffee. In more recent times, Germans are likely not to cook this entire breakfast, but instead to consume cereals or toast.
In modern times, Latvians are likely to consume a moderate breakfast of a cheese, sausage and tomato or cucumber sandwich with a glass of milk and some coffee or tea. A more traditional breakfast, however, usually includes much more dairy, including cottage cheese, cream, and cheeses with rye bread. It typically includes, also, a boiled egg or an omelet, which may be made with fish if you live along the coast.
