We don't need the experts to tell us that we shouldn't skip breakfast. We cherish the first food of the day, that delicious moment when we break our nightlong fast. Maybe it's a towering stack of pancakes we crave, or juicy, sage-scented sausage, or perhaps even a bowl of Chinese noodle soup. More than any other meal, breakfast defines who we are. For many, it's a meal eaten on the go, a quick dose of sustenance and a jolt of caffeine. For others, it's a contemplative repast, offering a few moments for replenishing the mind and nourishing the body with healthful foods like oatmeal and fruit. Still others make it an occasion of celebration and indulgence, providing a chance to reconnect with family and friends over, say, a lavish brunch. Although many breakfast foods are common to much of the world—breads, for example, or eggs—others are reflections of regional tastes: the spicy tang of fresh chile sauce in Indonesia, the briny bite of plump olives in Turkey, the sweetness of just-picked peaches on a California farm. But in whatever way we choose to satisfy our appetite in the morning, the diversity of breakfast foods prepared around the world is proof of one thing: that the first bite of the day is also the best.
