Traditional Foods in a Spanish Breakfast

Unlike in the United States, where people tend to view breakfast as the most important meal of the day, people in Spain usually do not eat big breakfasts. Light breakfasts are preferred but there are a few exceptions.

Churros

Churros

Churros are fried doughnut-like pastries sprinkled with sugar. They are shaped in several ways, including as short or long strips and in rings. They are traditionally eaten with thick, rich cups of hot chocolate. Many Spaniards will eat them only after dipping them in the chocolate.

Hot Chocolate

Spanish hot chocolate

Traditional hot chocolate in Spain is very thick. The thick texture and frothy topping is created by heating the chocolate and then whisking it repeatedly until it forms the thickness desired. Hot chocolate and churros together make up the most popular breakfast among Spaniards.

Coffee

Café con leche

There are many Spanish coffees, but the one consumed most often for breakfast is café con leche, or "coffee with milk." It is a creamy mix of half milk and half coffee, and it is sometimes accompanied by a roll or toast.

Eggs

Spanish omelet

While Spaniards usually enjoy light breakfasts, they may occasionally want a little more and add eggs. Eggs are rarely boiled in Spain; they are eaten fried as an omelet with green peppers, onions and tomato in a tortilla or on top of toast. In addition to bread, ham is also a popular side dish for eggs.

Pan Con Tomate

Pan con tomate with an egg

Pan con tomate, or "bread with tomato," is eaten mostly in the region of Catalonia. Here, olive oil is used as a spread, instead of butter. Thick bread is grilled before tomatoes, garlic and the olive oil are added. Eggs may also be added.

Maria Crackers

Maria Crackers

A newer breakfast food tradition emerging in Spain is the Maria Cracker. It looks somewhat like a Ritz cracker, but it is actually a sweetened cookie eaten with the hot chocolate or the café con leche.

References

• Breakfast Around The World
• Spanish Breakfast Foods

Resources

• Classic Spanish Hot Chocolate
• What to Eat (and Drink!) in the "Real" Spain
• Food Network Churros Recipe