4 ms·

Way too much, and way too heavy? What kinds of foods do Japanese eat for breakfast?

dguaraglia 9y ago
I was actually surprised by this. At least in hotels (specially in the traditional "ryokans"), the Japanese breakfast consists of some sort of fish (normally grilled), rice, some small bites (mostly for flavor) of seaweeds and some soup or another. I have no idea what people eat at home, but all in all it's not a terrible way to start your day (once you get over not having a bunch of sweet stuff.)
- jpatokal 9y ago
  Well, that's the canonical Japanese breakfast, in the same way that a canonical American breakfast is eggs, bacon, baked beans, hash browns, pancakes etc -- but most people scarf down some cereal instead. Rice for breakfast is definitely a thing though, but it's a lot simpler than ryokan fare: in my student days, I often just had last night's leftovers with a cup of miso soup and maybe some pickles. Here's an interesting view of various actual Japanese breakfasts, although I suspect these are also towards the elaborate end of the spectrum: https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/20/whats-really-for-breakfast-japanese-people-tell-us-what-they-usually-eat-each-morning-%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/ https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/20/whats-really-for-brea...
  - keganunderwood 9y ago
    This is interesting. I don't have a routine of what I eat for breakfast. I just improvise every morning (: do people usually eat the same thing every morning?
    - mbrameld 9y ago
      I do for the most part. I always eat oatmeal and plain yogurt, I just add different fruit. I can buy the oatmeal and yogurt in bulk,I don't have to think about breakfast, and the variety of fruits keeps it palatable.
pfranz 9y ago
Only visited a few times. Traditionally I hear it's fish and miso. There is also what seems to be french pastry places where half of them are filled with custard. When I was there we went to the pastry places, but after a few days became too much. We tried to check out a few artisanal donut places around Tokyo since I heard they were a new thing (at the time). Most seemed to be open very at odd times (I can't remember, but maybe from like 1-3pm?). We stumbled onto a Krispy Kreme and were surprised they offered a donut served with ice cream on top. I guess it was seen more as a dessert than breakfast? http://krispykreme.jp/campaign/doughnutice/ http://krispykreme.jp/campaign/doughnutice/
- treve 9y ago
  I lived in north america for 7 years, and just realized some people consider a donut to be breakfast.
  - 55555 9y ago
    I am an American adult and was raised in America and I have never heard of anyone admitting to having donuts (or even a donut) for breakfast. But they must... I guess I just thought people were going to Dunkin Donuts in the morning just to grab a coffee. I mean you've only just gotten up there's no way you've already done something to deserve a donut.
    - rtpg 9y ago
      As a kid in Texas, definitely had donuts for breakfast
    - Broken_Hippo 9y ago
      Folks in Indiana certainly have them for breakfast. Outside of breakfast, they are generally just served as something to go with coffee and so on, but they are definitely not dessert. A snack.
    - mywittyname 9y ago
      Really? Donuts seem like a pretty common office carry-in. At every place I've worked, someone would bring in donuts at least once a month. When I worked at a regional pizza chain, the morning shift would make donuts out of leftover pizza dough and dump chocolate syrup on them. It feels like they are the quintessential breakfast food for feeding groups (much like pizza is). But maybe that's only a midwestern thing. But I'd be surprised because most major donut chains (Dunkin, Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons), are not from here.
rangibaby 9y ago
Japanese “Japanese-style” meals usually consist of fish, rice, miso soup, and 2-3 side dishes. Breakfast is usually the lightest meal of the day so sometimes we will have just rice and miso soup and pickles or natto. Japanese “western” breakfast is toast and a Japanese-style fried egg (medamayaki). Maybe bacon too. Most people I know alternate between Japanese-style Japanese, western (fried cutlets, bread, pasta, meat sauces), and Chinese (fried rice, gyoza, ramen, mabo tofu) or Korean (kimchi, yakiniku) for lunch and dinner. There are about 10-20 dishes that pretty much every Japanese person who can cook learns to cook.

I was actually surprised by this. At least in hotels (specially in the traditional "ryokans"), the Japanese breakfast consists of some sort of fish (normally grilled), rice, some small bites (mostly for flavor) of seaweeds and some soup or another. I have no idea what people eat at home, but all in all it's not a terrible way to start your day (once you get over not having a bunch of sweet stuff.)

jpatokal 9y ago
Well, that's the canonical Japanese breakfast, in the same way that a canonical American breakfast is eggs, bacon, baked beans, hash browns, pancakes etc -- but most people scarf down some cereal instead. Rice for breakfast is definitely a thing though, but it's a lot simpler than ryokan fare: in my student days, I often just had last night's leftovers with a cup of miso soup and maybe some pickles. Here's an interesting view of various actual Japanese breakfasts, although I suspect these are also towards the elaborate end of the spectrum: https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/20/whats-really-for-breakfast-japanese-people-tell-us-what-they-usually-eat-each-morning-%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/ https://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/02/20/whats-really-for-brea...
- keganunderwood 9y ago
  This is interesting. I don't have a routine of what I eat for breakfast. I just improvise every morning (: do people usually eat the same thing every morning?
  - mbrameld 9y ago
    I do for the most part. I always eat oatmeal and plain yogurt, I just add different fruit. I can buy the oatmeal and yogurt in bulk,I don't have to think about breakfast, and the variety of fruits keeps it palatable.

pfranz 9y ago

Only visited a few times. Traditionally I hear it's fish and miso. There is also what seems to be french pastry places where half of them are filled with custard. When I was there we went to the pastry places, but after a few days became too much. We tried to check out a few artisanal donut places around Tokyo since I heard they were a new thing (at the time). Most seemed to be open very at odd times (I can't remember, but maybe from like 1-3pm?). We stumbled onto a Krispy Kreme and were surprised they offered a donut served with ice cream on top. I guess it was seen more as a dessert than breakfast? http://krispykreme.jp/campaign/doughnutice/ http://krispykreme.jp/campaign/doughnutice/

treve 9y ago
I lived in north america for 7 years, and just realized some people consider a donut to be breakfast.
- 55555 9y ago
  I am an American adult and was raised in America and I have never heard of anyone admitting to having donuts (or even a donut) for breakfast. But they must... I guess I just thought people were going to Dunkin Donuts in the morning just to grab a coffee. I mean you've only just gotten up there's no way you've already done something to deserve a donut.
  - rtpg 9y ago
    As a kid in Texas, definitely had donuts for breakfast
  - Broken_Hippo 9y ago
    Folks in Indiana certainly have them for breakfast. Outside of breakfast, they are generally just served as something to go with coffee and so on, but they are definitely not dessert. A snack.
  - mywittyname 9y ago
    Really? Donuts seem like a pretty common office carry-in. At every place I've worked, someone would bring in donuts at least once a month. When I worked at a regional pizza chain, the morning shift would make donuts out of leftover pizza dough and dump chocolate syrup on them. It feels like they are the quintessential breakfast food for feeding groups (much like pizza is). But maybe that's only a midwestern thing. But I'd be surprised because most major donut chains (Dunkin, Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons), are not from here.

rangibaby 9y ago

Japanese “Japanese-style” meals usually consist of fish, rice, miso soup, and 2-3 side dishes. Breakfast is usually the lightest meal of the day so sometimes we will have just rice and miso soup and pickles or natto. Japanese “western” breakfast is toast and a Japanese-style fried egg (medamayaki). Maybe bacon too. Most people I know alternate between Japanese-style Japanese, western (fried cutlets, bread, pasta, meat sauces), and Chinese (fried rice, gyoza, ramen, mabo tofu) or Korean (kimchi, yakiniku) for lunch and dinner. There are about 10-20 dishes that pretty much every Japanese person who can cook learns to cook.