From the waffles of America to the bowls of chocolate porridge served with fish in the Philippines, what you might eat for breakfast varies hugely depending on where you’re from. Here’s a look at what you’ll find on breakfast plates around the world.

Tofu is a staple in authentic Japanese breakfasts. Paired with fish and rice and soaked in soy sauce, it’s a simple but tasty meal.

Congee is the most popular breakfast in China and can also be found on breakfast tables throughout Asia. It's a rice porridge that's most often served with savoury toppings – such as minced pork, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, fermented tofu and peanuts – but sweet versions can be found with red beans, lotus seeds, dried dates, pine nuts and a sprinkling of sugar. 

As stereotypical as you may think it is, Aussies love their Vegemite (a paste made from yeast extract) on toast for brekkie, but to shake things up they sometimes swap the spread for the now-wildly popular avocado on toast.

New Zealanders prefer a simpler breakfast for the most part, with a particular favorite being Weet-Bix (wholegrain biscuits) and milk.

If you’re in Brazil, you’ll find their breakfasts include a smorgasbord of different meats and cheeses with pão de queijo, small cheesy bread puffs that are crisp on the outside with soft and chewy insides.

If you need a hearty breakfast in Colombia, order up a bowl of caldo de costilla, a rich soup made from beef ribs, potatoes, carrots and herbs. It's also reputed to be an excellent cure for hangovers...

The British love their full English ‘fry-up’ complete with bacon rashers, sausages, fried egg, fried tomato and mushrooms, baked beans, toast and black pudding (blood sausage).

France tends to stick to the bakery when it comes to breakfast. They pass on the heavy options like bacon and eggs and grab a pastry, such as a croissant or fresh baked bread with butter, and savour it with a coffee instead.

Rye or sweet breads topped with butter, quark cheese and jam are a favorite of Germans. A variety of cold meats and cheeses may be added for a bigger meal.

It's a tossup between waffles and pancakes for American's best breakfast food but either way, topped with butter and syrup then dusted in sugar, you can't go wrong. If this isn’t enough to feed your morning appetite, there’s always the option of adding bacon and fried eggs.

Indian breakfasts vary depending on the region you’re in, from poha (flattened rice) to idlis made of oats to a vegetable dish called misal. However, typically a tray offering various chutneys and breads, such as roti and parathas, are often found among the other options.

Get into the Canadian culture with a full lumberjack breakfast which includes pancakes or waffles smothered in local maple syrup and butter, breakfast sausages, Canadian bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns.

Unfortunately, churros dipped in chocolate aren’t an everyday breakfast staple in Spain. Instead, many Spaniards enjoy pan con tomate – fresh bread spread with garlic, juicy tomato and olive oil with a sprinkling of sea salt. So tasty is the dish, it turns up in the evening as a tapa as well! 

South Africa keeps it simple with a bowl of hot porridge called putu pap. Similar to grits and polenta, putu pap is made from cornmeal and often served hot with milk, butter and sugar, although it can be left to cool then fried. 

The Swedish keep it simple with bread (made from filmjölk – a traditional dairy product made from sour milk, similar to buttermilk or kefir) perhaps topped with lingonberry jam, and coffee (called fika). 

In Wales, particularly at the weekend, you can expect to be treated to rarebit which is basically a fancy version of cheese on toast that includes beaten eggs, stout and wholegrain mustard. Or their version of the fried breakfast includes laverbread, seaweed rolled in oatmeal and fried as patties.

Rye bread with cheeses, cold meats, boiled egg and a small bowl of muesli is popular for breakfast in Denmark.

In Russia, pancakes are the star of the breakfast table. There are several varieties: oladi, described as ‘crispy and sweet,’ are similar to American pancakes but are made with kefir (a yoghurt-like drink) while syrniki, small cottage cheese dumplings, offer a higher protein option. Some pancakes are filled with minced meat or cabbage for a savoury meal while others are served with jam, honey, sweetened condensed milk or sour cream. 

Traditionally, the Polish enjoy a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, kielbasa sausage and fresh vegetables.

Cubans keep breakfast simple with tostada (flattened, grilled and buttered slices of bread) which are dunked into cups of café con leche (coffee with milk).

Breakfasting in Turkey? You can expect platters of cheese, olives, eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers and spiced meats.

In Costa Rica, breakfast isn't breakfast without gallo pinto – a hearty meal consisting of rice and black beans served with scrambled eggs, sour cream, fried plantains and corn tortillas. Sometimes avocado or cold meat is added to the dish.

In the Dominican Republic, mangú is a popular breakfast fare. It’s a dish made of boiled and mashed plantains often topped with red onion slices cooked in vinegar. Los tres golpes (the three hits) is mangú topped with eggs, cheese and the local salami. 

If you like meat, veggies and cheese then you’ll love a traditional Venezuelan breakfast as it includes all of these things. Arepas, baked patties made of ground maize or corn flour, that are served with cheese, meat and vegetables are particularly popular.

Like China, Korea enjoys a breakfast that’s similar to the other meals they have throughout the day. Kimchi, vegetable soup and a bowl of fresh chopped steamed vegetables topped with an egg sunny-side up is typical.

Whether you’re feeling for a sweet or salty breakfast option, you’ll be able to take your pick with a traditional Belizean breakfast of fry jacks (small deep-fried dough pieces) served alongside refried beans, eggs, bacon and cheese, or rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Peruvians opt for heavier breakfast with adobo being a really popular traditional choice. Adobo is a pork stew dressed with spices like cumin and other ingredients like garlic, onions pepper and a fermented corn drink called chichi de jora.

Among the many breakfast options in the Philippines is the rather unusual pairing of champorado and tuyo, or chocolate porridge and fish. The porridge is chewy and thick, made from tablea and glutenous rice, while the tuyo is a rather salty, dried fish. Apparently the sweet and salty combo works! 

You'd be forgiven for thinking huevos rancheros to be the breakfast of choice in Mexico but in reality while that dish is enjoyed north of the border, most Mexicans start the day with pan dulce (sweet bread) and coffee, hot chocolate or atole (a drink thickened with masa, rice or oats). Fresh tropical fruits such as pineapple, papayas, watermelons and bananas abound while out on the streets, one might pick up a picadita or two (small, thick tortillas topped with beans, cheese and various condiments) to start the day.