Want to have the authentic experience when travelling to your exciting destinations? There is no better way to truly visit a city than to absorb the culture of its locals in everything you do, and a very big part of these experiences is the food you eat. Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day, so be sure to read up while sitting on your Renfe-SNCF en Coopération high-speed train ride, and check out what the locals in France and Spain eat in their mornings!
France
Although French lunches and dinners with its rich ingredients, strong flavors and seemingly unending courses may be filling and quite big, French breakfasts are quite the opposite. And while England and America may have embraced filling breakfasts complete with sausages, bacons and even potatoes, France prides themselves in their light pastries, juicy fruits and frothy café au laits. So what exactly is common to find in a French Petit Dèjeuner?
Croissants
When overwhelmed by all the mouthwatering choices in the sidewalk café or bakery’s display, with all kinds or fruity, creamy, crispy and chocolatey pastries, reaching for an all-time favorite and classic croissant can be a safe and delicious bet. Its buttery, fluffy and soft interior is the perfect complement to its sweet and crispy outside, and you will soon understand why the French are particularly famous for this delicious treat. Whether you eat it on its own, rip off pieces and dip it in your coffee or slice it open and have it with butter and jam, you will find it hard to limit yourself just to one!
Pain au Chocolat
Yet another of France’s favorite and beloved pastries, the Pain au Chocolat (directly translating to Chocolate Bread) is a staple in the French breakfasts, and can be found in any café, Patisserie, corner shop or supermarket. The almost croissant-like puff pastry generally contains two thick strips of thick and creamy chocolate on the inside, and is usually eaten either fresh, directly out of the oven of warmed up for a few moments, melting the chocolate into the chewy pastry.
Baguette
How could it not be? The world famous and exquisite French baguettes are never missing on a French table, no matter what time of the day or meal is being had. Be it simply with some butter, with some fruity jams, honey, chocolate spread, ham or some of France’s incredible cheeses, a warm, crispy crunchy and yet somehow still soft and deliciously smelling baguette is a typical go to breakfast that will fill and fuel you up for your day of sightseeing and exploring.
Café au Lait
Although there are many, many different French ways of having coffee, with varying amounts and temperature of water, milk and coffee, the Café au Lait (Milk with Coffee), would be the typically French beverage to accompany your morning breakfast. Served in a larger cup than your average espresso, the delicious coffee is served with a dash of warm milk and topped off with creamy foam and generally a cute and impressive design on top. The perfect start to any day!
Spain
Similar to in the French culture, breakfast is typically the smallest meal of a Spaniard’s day. In fact, El Desayuno is usually even broken up into two parts: after waking up, and before heading off to work or school, and then a small morning coffee break around 10am, keeping people fueled up until the late 2pm Spanish lunches. What will you see people eating for Desayuno?
Bocadillos
Walk into any café or place that serves breakfast, and you will be in awe of the impressive selection of sandwiches you will find in the displays. Typically eaten with small, almost rustic baguette type crispy bread, you will find an endless list of sandwich fillers to choose from, often consisting in some sort of cured meat (jamón serrano, fuet, etc.), cheese, or even tortilla (Spain’s adored egg omelette with pieces of potato). Should you be ordering your bocadillo in Barcelona, you will find it will come with a delicious layer of not sliced, but rather squeezed and buttered tomato on your bread.
Churros con Chocolate
Slightly more specific to the area of Madrid, Churros con Chocolate are a very typical madrileño breakfast. These deep-fried, sweet and crunchy donut-like rolls are usually sprinkled in powdered sugar, and served with a cup of freshly melted, warm creamy chocolate, to dip them into as you go along.
Although this is not as popular a breakfast in other locations in Spain, it is very common to have a sweet pastry as your morning meal. Be it a croissant, a chocolate filled roll, an ensaimada, a magdalena or any other of the infinite choice of pastries you will find in any breakfast serving establishment, they will all make for a perfect morning.
Coffee
The shining star of any Spanish breakfast, and for some even the only element to it. Generally served with milk as a Café con Leche, or black as a pure and intense Espresso (or Café Solo), many Spaniards will have not just one, but two cups of coffee during their morning: one in the morning, before leaving for the day, and one around 10am for the typical morning coffee break.
Pain au Chocolat
Yet another of France’s favorite and beloved pastries, the Pain au Chocolat (directly translating to Chocolate Bread) is a staple in the French breakfasts, and can be found in any café, Patisserie, corner shop or supermarket. The almost croissant-like puff pastry generally contains two thick strips of thick and creamy chocolate on the inside, and is usually eaten either fresh, directly out of the oven of warmed up for a few moments, melting the chocolate into the chewy pastry.
Baguette
How could it not be? The world famous and exquisite French baguettes are never missing on a French table, no matter what time of the day or meal is being had. Be it simply with some butter, with some fruity jams, honey, chocolate spread, ham or some of France’s incredible cheeses, a warm, crispy crunchy and yet somehow still soft and deliciously smelling baguette is a typical go to breakfast that will fill and fuel you up for your day of sightseeing and exploring.
Café au Lait
Although there are many, many different French ways of having coffee, with varying amounts and temperature of water, milk and coffee, the Café au Lait (Milk with Coffee), would be the typically French beverage to accompany your morning breakfast. Served in a larger cup than your average espresso, the delicious coffee is served with a dash of warm milk and topped off with creamy foam and generally a cute and impressive design on top. The perfect start to any day!
Spain
Similar to in the French culture, breakfast is typically the smallest meal of a Spaniard’s day. In fact, El Desayuno is usually even broken up into two parts: after waking up, and before heading off to work or school, and then a small morning coffee break around 10am, keeping people fueled up until the late 2pm Spanish lunches. What will you see people eating for Desayuno?
Bocadillos
Walk into any café or place that serves breakfast, and you will be in awe of the impressive selection of sandwiches you will find in the displays. Typically eaten with small, almost rustic baguette type crispy bread, you will find an endless list of sandwich fillers to choose from, often consisting in some sort of cured meat (jamón serrano, fuet, etc.), cheese, or even tortilla (Spain’s adored egg omelette with pieces of potato). Should you be ordering your bocadillo in Barcelona, you will find it will come with a delicious layer of not sliced, but rather squeezed and buttered tomato on your bread.
Churros con Chocolate
Slightly more specific to the area of Madrid, Churros con Chocolate are a very typical madrileño breakfast. These deep-fried, sweet and crunchy donut-like rolls are usually sprinkled in powdered sugar, and served with a cup of freshly melted, warm creamy chocolate, to dip them into as you go along.
Although this is not as popular a breakfast in other locations in Spain, it is very common to have a sweet pastry as your morning meal. Be it a croissant, a chocolate filled roll, an ensaimada, a magdalena or any other of the infinite choice of pastries you will find in any breakfast serving establishment, they will all make for a perfect morning.
Coffee
The shining star of any Spanish breakfast, and for some even the only element to it. Generally served with milk as a Café con Leche, or black as a pure and intense Espresso (or Café Solo), many Spaniards will have not just one, but two cups of coffee during their morning: one in the morning, before leaving for the day, and one around 10am for the typical morning coffee break.