Most of us treat breakfast like a formality - something to power through before the real adventures begin. But what if the morning meal itself was the adventure?
That's the realization at the heart of a personal essay from Bon Appétit editor in chief Jamila Robinson, who writes about how travel transformed her relationship with breakfast. What started as a practical necessity became her favorite lens for understanding a new place.
The meal that tells the truth about a culture
There's something unusually honest about breakfast. Unlike dinner - which can be performative, dressed up, and designed for tourists - the morning meal tends to reflect how people actually live. It's what locals eat before work, what families gather around, what a country reaches for out of habit and comfort. It's intimate in a way that a fancy restaurant rarely is.
Robinson's reflection taps into something many seasoned travelers quietly know: you can learn more about a place from a bowl of congee at a street-side stall or a plate of eggs shakshuka in a small café than from any curated food tour.
Becoming a breakfast person
Self-described non-morning people often discover the same thing Robinson did - that breakfast hits differently when you're somewhere new. The stakes feel lower, the pace is slower, and there's a particular pleasure in sitting with a coffee you've never tried before, watching a city wake up around you.
It also helps that breakfast options around the world are genuinely spectacular. From the savory rice porridges of Southeast Asia to the elaborate bread spreads of the Middle East, to a buttery croissant eaten standing up outside a Parisian boulangerie - these aren't consolation meals. They're the point.
A travel habit worth stealing
If you're planning a trip and looking for ways to go deeper than the usual tourist circuit, Robinson's approach is worth borrowing. Seek out a local breakfast spot rather than defaulting to your hotel's buffet. Ask what people actually order. Sit somewhere that doesn't have an English menu outside.
The morning is also just a genuinely underrated time to explore. Streets are quieter, light is better for photos, and you'll cover more ground before the midday crowds arrive.
Breakfast won't feel like a chore when it's a window into somewhere new. It might just become your favorite part of the trip.
