Nilmandra is an ethnic-Chinese Singaporean currently living in the UK. She runs a food blog called Soy and Pepper which documents her thoughts and experiments on cooking and bento. Her love of food and cooking developed from recreating food from home that she misses.

I was excited at the prospect of taking part and showcasing something special from Singapore. Then I had the problem of deciding what to submit as a breakfast entry to represent Singapore. As a multi-ethnic country, there is a huge variety of breakfast items that Singaporeans have for breakfast, ranging from dim sum and fried bee hoon to nasi lemak and roti prata.

I eventually settled on kaya toast for my entry. I like kaya toast for the blend of taste and influence that is is a fusion of western style toast with Southeast Asian taste. The toast is often served with one or two soft boiled eggs in a saucer, with dark soy sauce and white pepper added to taste. The toast is then dipped into the egg mixture and eaten, rather like boiled eggs and soldiers. Given that soy sauce and pepper are the namesakes of my website, how could I not go for this breakfast? And finally, I recently came back from from Singapore with a jar of the famed Ya Kun Kaya so I might as well dig in!

A typical Singaporean kaya toast breakfast consists of kaya toast, soft-boiled egg and a cup of tea - I like mine with fresh milk and a little sugar. It doesn’t look particularly impressive, especially compared with the other entries, but I think its origins, the specific way that it is cooked and put together and its nostalgic significance to many Singaporeans render it a worthy contender.

Kaya is an essential ingredient in this breakfast. It is a jam made from eggs, coconut milk, pandan (screwpine) leaves and sugar. Yup, I did mention that it is fusion. It tastes like a sweet egg custard. You can find a recipe for making kaya here.

Instead of the denser brown bread, white bread without crust is used for the toast in order to get that light crispy texture. Each thick slice is placed on a grill until slightly browned and crisp, and then sliced thinly in half horizontally. That takes skill (and a sharp knife), which was why I destroyed a couple of slices in the process! The toasted slices are then spread with kaya and then sandwiched with little pats of butter within. This is no diet food. The sweetness of the kaya and savoury butter go together surprisingly well. The toasted white bread complements the rich taste with a light and crunchy texture.

The soft boiled egg is also quite specific. Unlike the ones served in egg cups, the egg is only just set. Undercooked, according to my husband, who likes his soft boiled eggs overcooked (in my opinion). Add a few drops of dark or light soy sauce and a dash of white pepper, break up the golden yolk and mix it around a bit, and dip a piece of your sweet and savoury toast into the eggy goodness. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Our champion for the United States in the Global Breakfast Tournament is the lovely Pixie from the You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto blog. Pixie, who also has a sweet blog at A SweeTart, has been a guest blogger for The Gooseberry Fool once before, when she road-tested Nigella Lawson’s recipe for rhubarb tart. For this contest, Pixie actually went to the trouble of making bagels from scratch - needless to say, I’m very impressed!

My idea of a top breakfast involves a (preferably a New York) bagel with lox (smoked salmon), cream cheese, and a touch of lemon. When I lived in NY, I would have a bagel almost every day for breakfast on the way to work. You can find bagels practically on every block and in the morning I would crave a bagel with scrambled eggs, American cheese and a bit of ketchup. On the weekends it was usually lox with cream cheese. I don’t have bagels as much as I used to, which I guess is a good thing on my hips.

Finding the perfect bagel in England isn’t the easiest of tasks. We have tried bagels in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco … you name every popular Brit supermarket and we’ve had their bagels. Our favourite bagels in England, thus far, are sold at Brick Lane Beigel Bakery in London. Small in size, but with a sweet savoury taste. They don’t have any toppings and are plain, yet delicious. My favourite NY bagel would be an everything bagel and my favourite bagel shops are Astoria’s Bagel Shop & Deli and Murray’s Bagels in the Greenwich area.

There are a number of different spreads you could have with your bagel. One favourite used to be walnut and cream cheese. Then there’s vegetable cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, cinnamon raisin cream cheese, scallion cream cheese … you get the drift. You also have your large list of choice of bagels; blueberry bagel, strawberry bagel, egg bagel, everything bagel, sesame seed bagel, poppy seed bagel … you name it they have it. And that’s the greatness about NY - always catering to their customer needs.

I set myself the challenge of making a NY bagel. It was high on my list of things to make and so I tried my best to search for a recipe which I felt would come closest to a NY bagel and found the following: Authentic New York-Style Homemade Bagel Recipe. Always read the comments when you choose a recipe online, they’re extremely helpful.

The one ingredient I found difficult to get hold of was malt syrup. You can substitute honey or molasses for the syrup but I really wanted to try the original recipe first. I eventually purchased malt syrup at a health shop in town. The recipe is quite easy to follow but I would recommend reading the comment about shaping the bagels. You want to divide the dough into eights and then form a small ball, press your thumb firmly down in the center and twirl the dough around your thumb. I think it’s also fine to just drain your bagels on your counter space and there’s no need for the extra baking sheets.

The bagels were far better than the supermarket ones and I really enjoyed making my own. However, the question is were they as good as a NY bagel? Maybe it’s psychological, I’m not sure, but for me, the answer is simply NO. Perhaps, it’s because you can’t beat walking the streets of NY and taking in the smell of freshly made bagels and viewing all your choices. Or maybe it’s the water used in making the bagels; yes, the water. I read several times online how the water from NY is the key ingredient to the success of a NY bagel.

Would I continue making bagels? Absolutely!!!! I will hunt and try all the possible recipes out there till I find my favourite bagel recipe, even if it will never quite be as good as a NY bagel.

Our champion for England is Julia from the A Slice of Cherry Pie food blog. She has made the Full English Breakfast and has even gone the whole hog (literally) with the inclusion of black pudding.

I was delighted when Caitlin asked me if I would represent England in her Global Breakfast Tournament and immediately I knew the dish I would have to enter would be the Full English Breakfast, or ‘the fry up’ as it’s also known. We’re very lucky in Britain to enjoy a wide range of breakfasts from around the world, whether a croissant and latte grabbed on the way to the office, a bowl of muesli or even kedgeree. Toast and a cup of tea features heavily in British homes at breakfast time, as does cereal, but ask most Brits what the ultimate breakfast is here in the UK and the answer will be a resounding ‘the fry up!’. Now I know what you’re thinking; “Greasy, artery-blocking, heavy fried breakfasts served in greasy spoon cafes, well they may be classically British but what’s so great about them?”. Well, read on!

The great British fry up has regional variances across the country; in Ireland you may find white pudding or soda bread, in Scotland haggis or potato scones are often included and in Wales lava bread may feature. But regardless of where you are in the UK, at the heart of this fantastic breakfast you’ll pretty much always find bacon, eggs and sausages. Being from England, I’ve cooked the Full English Breakfast for my entry. After the bacon, eggs and sausages, generally any combination of mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans, fried bread and black pudding are added, sometimes with toast on the side for the very hungry. Eggs are sometimes scrambled, but more commonly fried and served runny, and you can’t beat the delight of that first burst of the egg as you dip in a piece of sausage or toast into that gloriously yellow yolk. In my research for this entry I’ve found that black pudding is something of a contentious issue. Many people insist that a full English breakfast must include it but quite a few people really dislike it and many don’t even get as far as trying it, being repulsed by the idea of a sausage made from blood. I have to say I don’t usually include it in my breakfast, but as I continued my research and spoke to various people it soon became very apparent that I would be committing blasphemy of the gravest kind if I didn’t include it for this post. So I made an exception and there it is, right next to the bacon, tomatoes and beans!

As always, the best ingredients will give the best dish. If you use poor quality ingredients you’ll get a poor quality breakfast, simple. So choose large free-range eggs, preferably organic, fresh ripe tomatoes, flavoursome mushrooms, thickly cut bacon and good quality black sausage from your butcher. And now for a few rules, meant light-heartedly but taken seriously by many; baked beans must be Heinz baked beans, sausages must be British, fat and juicy, and whether you prefer brown sauce or tomato sauce the choice can only be between Heinz ketchup and HP sauce.

Let’s talk about fat content for a minute. Now I do concede that the Full English isn’t the healthiest of breakfasts, not by a long shot, and if you eat it every day you’re going to pile on the pounds and give your arteries a challenge. But it really isn’t eaten every day by your average Brit. It’s something to be enjoyed in moderation, a real treat, generally eaten on an occasional weekend when there is more time to potter in the kitchen and really enjoy this hearty breakfast, or when staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast somewhere across the country. Those very concerned about the fat content could grill instead of fry, and many people do, but if you’re looking for true authenticity only the frying pan will do. You don’t need much fat for frying at all; some will come out of the bacon and sausages, and olive oil is a good choice, being healthier than most fats. After frying place the bacon and sausages on kitchen paper to soak up the excess fat before serving it.

So just what is it about this part of the British institution that makes it so special and dear to the hearts of so many Brits? Well let me see, could it be the gentle sound of the sizzling in the pan, the smell of the bacon and sausages making your tummy ache or the oozing yellow egg yolk? Maybe it’s the taste of the mushrooms or the sweet, warm tomatoes that burst in your mouth, or the taste combinations, different with each mouthful. Could it be the way this hearty breakfast fills your tummy, warms you up and puts a contented smile on your face as you read the Sunday papers? Or perhaps it’s the fact that this breakfast reminds us so much of home and makes us proud to be British; after all, whilst there are many fantastic breakfasts all around the world, no one can do a fried breakfast like the British. Whatever it is, I really don’t think that there’s a better way to start the day.

Wild Blueberry Pancakes

Our champion representing Canada in the Global Breakfast Tournament is Tamara from Muskoka in Ontario.

Over time, I’ve altered my mom’s original pancake recipe to make a version that’s a little healthier and lighter.

The trick of beating the egg white separately is something I picked up from my husband’s favourite waffle recipe. It adds “puff” to the pancakes, which helps counteract the heaviness you can encounter when you introduce whole wheat flour into a recipe.

Blueberries can be folded directly into the batter, but you often end up with purplish pancakes (tastes the same, just different aesthetic.) By dotting blueberries into the pancakes while they’re in the pan, you can preserve batter colour - and also ensure that
you end up with lots of berries in your pancake!

We love to make these pancakes during summers at the lake, when Muskoka wild blueberries are prevalent at roadside stands. The wild berries are small, but pack a lot of flavour! For authentic Canadian taste, serve drizzled with REAL maple syrup (please, not that fake substitute!), Canadian back bacon, and some fresh hot coffee.

Ingredients

1.25 cups unbleached all purpose flour
0.75 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
0.5 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups blueberries, sorted and rinsed
NB Measurements are imperial: 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces.

Method

1. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
2. Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Whisk whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine yolk, buttermilk, and canola until blended. Add all at once to the flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined. There will be lumps in the batter. Then carefully fold egg whites into the batter until just combined.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. Gently brush on a little canola oil. Carefully ladle batter into the pan - I use about a quarter cup of batter for each pancake, although sometimes the kids ask for Tinkerbell (tiny) or giant pancakes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Get a handful of blueberries, and dot them over each pancake in the pan, gently poking the berries down a bit into the batter. Cook until bubble start to form on the tops of the pancakes, and the edges are setting. (It’s crucial to watch the temperature - if the pan is too hot, the bottoms will burn before the pancake cooks through; if the pan is too cool, the pancakes just won’t cook.) Carefully flip the pancakes and
   cook until golden on the other side.
5. Repeat with remaining batter. You may wish to quickly wipe off the skillet with a soft cloth between batches. If bits of berry are stuck to the skillet, the sugar in the fruit will start to burn and spoil your next batch. If you wish to make up all the pancakes at once before serving, cover a cookie sheet with a dishcloth, and spread out the pancakes in a single layer before putting them in a low oven to keep warm. (Stacking them will cause the pancakes to become soggy).

Our champion representing Israel in the Global Breakfast Tournament is Avital Gertner with a Shakshukah.

Can you introduce yourself to readers of The Gooseberry Fool, please?

I am Avital and up until about four months ago I was working as an advocate in Haifa, Israel. Recently I have moved with my hubby to Dublin, Ireland and as I cannot practice law here, I have time to be creative and crafty.

What is your dish?

The name of the dish is Shakshukah. It is basically a spicy egg dish you eat with bread (rather than with a fork and a knife). The Shakshukah was brought to Israel by the new immigrants from North Africa before the establishment of Israel by the UN. The dish was received very favourably and became a traditional Israeli dish with a few adjustments over the years.

Why is it classically Israeli?

I would say the reason is twofold:
1. It is hot and spicy, like the typical Israeli character.
2. It is traditionally eaten with bread and not with your cutlery - another typical Israeli trait.

What associations does it have for you? When do you make it?

Though I wasn’t a big fan of Shakshukah back home, now that I live far far away, in another continent, it reminds me of Israel and I prepare it when I feel homesick. My mother didn’t make this dish, nor did my mother-in-law, but the different spices and the smell reminds me of my homeland.

Why do you think it’s great or deserves to win?

It represents the common Israeli person, which is what this all tournament about - a food that tastes like the people in the country it is traditionally made in. Additionally it makes a full healthy meal with vegetables, eggs and bread (for dipping).

Sounds great, let’s have the recipe!

Shakshukah recipe - Ingredients

Tomato, 1-2 diced
Bell pepper, 1 diced
Onion, 1 chopped
Garlic, 4-8 crushed cloves (depends on taste)
Chilli pepper (optional)
Paprika, 1-2 tablespoons
Cumin, 1-2 tbs
Tomato paste, 2 tbs
Eggs, 2-4 (depends on taste or number of eaters)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
* Heat a frying pan and drizzle some olive oil on the bottom.
* Add the chopped onions to the pan.
* When the chopped onions become translucent - add the chopped garlic (and chilli).
* Add diced tomatoes and bell pepper.
* When the diced tomatoes and bell pepper are hot and soft, start seasoning - add salt and pepper, paprika, cumin.
* Add tomato paste and stir together.
* Now TASTE - you cannot add more spices after adding the eggs.
* Add the eggs on top of the mixture. (Traditionally you do not scramble the eggs but keep them whole, but my husband likes it scrambled).
* Put a lid on the pan and cook on medium-low heat until the eggs settles (about 8-10 minutes).

To serve

Eat with plenty of bread (when hot). I have pictured both options - not scrambled (traditional) or scrambled. We ate the Shakshukah with a bread roll cut in half, sprinkled with olive oil and za’atar (a middle eastern herb - mixture of wild oregano and sesame seeds). It would have been better to eat it with a pita-bread, but our local grocery store ran out, so bread rolls it was.

I have lived in London for nearly four years and one of the things I miss most about Australia is breakfast. In Sydney, where I am from, we have a real café culture and it is very common to go out for breakfast, or brunch if you prefer, on the weekends. Most will serve breakfast until at least midday and a good number do all day breakfast because it’s so popular. I have seen this in Melbourne and Brisbane as well and I’m sure it’s equally true in other Australian cities.

London does have a few cafés doing a decent-enough breakfast, such as Boiled Egg and Soldiers cafe in Clapham Junction or La Brioche in West Hampstead and of course there is also posh breakfast such as at the Wolseley on Piccadilly but it is not the cultural institution that it is in Australia. Most breakfasts seem to be on the level of fry-ups in greasy spoon caffs (the UK equivalent of the American diner) or the institution B&B breakfast. Whereas Australia has taken the blueprint of the English breakfast and turned it into an art form, either because it’s just very, very well done with lovely fresh ingredients, or because it has a modern twist, such as haloumi in the omelette. And don’t forget the coffee - Australians learnt how to make coffee from our Italian immigrants in the 1960s and we tend to take it very seriously. The Brits drink a lot of coffee but Starbucks is about as good as it gets; they are far more serious about tea.

So who around the world makes the best breakfast? Is it the Australians? Is it the English, after all, or perhaps one of their Celtic neighbours? Perhaps it’s the Americans, the Norwegians, the Italians, or even the Israelis? In an attempt to settle this question I am hosting the Global Breakfast Tournament. Each country will have a champion who will cook a classic breakfast dish from their country and write a guest entry on this site, complete with recipes and a photo. The prize is a £10 Amazon voucher and since I am hideously biased, the winner will be voted on by you, the readers.

I have champions from some countries already but if you are interested to take part, please leave a comment below, and I will be in touch.