What do people eat for brunch in Mediterranean countries? Plenty of delicious things! One key aspect to know is that savoury dishes are highly preferred. Plates are often filled with vegetables and legumes, alongside eggs, fresh cheese, flatbread, and nuts. Everything is typically drizzled with high-quality olive oil or local honey.
This culture of healthy and nutritious breakfasts inspired our chef, Geneviève Filion, to create the brunch menu at Kóz bistro: an exotic feast with flavours from afar. Let us whet your appetite by introducing some Mediterranean morning meal essentials.
Yogurt or Labneh
Here, we call it Greek yogurt, but in Greece, it’s simply strained yogurt! Labneh, on the other hand, is double-strained yogurt, meaning as much liquid as possible is removed to achieve a thick consistency. These unsweetened, protein-rich yogurts form the base of many dishes, including dips and spreads. At breakfast, they can be served in a bowl topped with pistachios, citrus segments, honey, dried or fresh fruit. They can also be spread on a slice of whole grain bread with the same toppings as a morning bowl. A highly nutritious way to start the day.
Eggs
Eggs have a prime spot in Mediterranean breakfasts! For a quick meal, Italians or Greeks, for instance, often poach an egg and eat it on flatbread or a slice of whole grain bread. That’s it—simple and delicious! Greeks may also crumble some feta cheese and add fresh, crunchy vegetables, while Italians tend to prefer cold cuts. As for Tunisians, they will drizzle their bread with olive oil and harissa.
Eggs are also the base for many dishes, such as the famous shakshuka (fried eggs cooked in a tomato sauce), Turkish eggs (runny eggs served on plain yogurt), or menemen (scrambled eggs in tomato sauce). A generous sprinkle of fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil complete the dish beautifully!
Breakfast Pizza
Many countries have a culinary tradition of a type of topped bread served in the morning. Essentially, a breakfast pizza! In Georgia, there’s khachapuri: a bread dough shaped into an oval with slightly pointed ends, topped with cheese and a sunny-side-up egg. In Turkey, a similar dish is called pide.
Moreover, it’s not uncommon to enjoy focaccia topped with cheese, cold cuts and vegetables in Italy, or flatbread covered with yogurt in Greece. You might also savour pita bread generously coated with hummus-style dip (chickpea and tahini purée) or Greek fava (split pea purée).
Cheeses
An excellent source of protein and typically made from local milk, cheese is a delicious option for the first meal of the day. Every country has its preferences, but fresh cheese (or white cheese) is widely appreciated. This young, rindless cheese can be used in many ways—literally! It can be spread on bread or used as a base for a fresh fruit bowl.
Of course, other cheeses also find their way onto Mediterranean plates: feta, mascarpone, halloumi, ricotta, fresh mozzarella… The list goes on, stretching just like Italian fior di latte!
Fruits and Vegetables
One reason the Mediterranean diet is so popular among nutritionists is that it includes plenty of fruits and vegetables at every meal. And there’s nothing better than seasonal produce to enhance a breakfast! In Greek, Turkish, Italian and Tunisian dishes, for example, you’ll often find tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and onions in breakfast salads. As for fruits, expect citrus fruits, pomegranates, cherries, figs and dates. Dried fruits are also a favourite—they add texture to a yogurt bowl, a morning tartine, or a fresh fruit smoothie.
Feeling hungry? Join us for brunch at Kóz on Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.!
