Chinese breakfast

This may come as a surprise, but in China the most popular thing to have for breakfast is Chinese food. Many roundeyes can stomach eating Chinese food for two meals a day, but when it comes to breakfast, they draw the line. And really, can you blame them?

(Obviously, I don't feel this way myself. I've always disliked breakfast and most of the foods associated with it, especially cold cereal. Blech.)

But there are a few Chinese foods that even the Westerners can get down with for breakfast. I was lucky enough to be served both of them at the Naxi family guesthouse in Tiger Leaping Gorge.



These are two of my favorite dishes in China, and are perfect for breakfast: egg and tomato stir fry and congee. The egg and tomato dish is so simple and truly delicious. Fry some tomatoes, fry some eggs, add salt, stir them together and add scallions if you wish. Can be served with rice or noodles, but you can skip that if you're looking for more of a breakfast buzz. This is one of the meals that I will definitely be making once I get home.

Congee (more on that in a few days) is a porridge that is usually made from rice, but the one above was made from maize. This one reminded me of a thinner version of one of my favorite childhood breakfasts, cream of wheat.

So rejoice, white people! You can stop ordering those overpriced and underwhelming English breakfasts at your hotel--hit the streets and get some egg and tomato and congee already.