Why is breakfast different in other countries?

Think about your breakfast this morning. Was it crunchy toast, or a warm bowl of porridge? Can you remember how it smelled?

Far away, other children eat breakfast too. Their plates and bowls hold very different food from yours. So why is breakfast different in other countries?

It all starts with farmers. Farmers grow crops, which means the plants people grow for food. Rice, corn and wheat are all crops.

Each place has its own land and weather. Rice crops love warm places with lots of rain. Wheat grows well where the weather is cooler and drier.

So farmers in each place grow the crops that grow best there. That way, the plants stay strong and give lots of food.

Next, farmers send their food to shops and markets in their own country. Shopkeepers sell it to the families who live there. Food from near home is fresh and easy to find.

Then grown-ups at home cook breakfast from that food. In Japan, farmers grow lots of rice. What might a family in Japan eat for breakfast?

Yes, rice! Many families in Japan eat warm rice in the morning. They add a little bowl of soup beside it.

Farmers in Mexico grow corn. Many families there eat soft, flat corn breads called tortillas. They fill them with beans or eggs.

In England, farmers grow wheat. Bakers turn the wheat into bread. That is why many families there eat toast for breakfast.

Farmers grow the crops that suit their weather, so each country eats a different breakfast. Families cook with the crops from near home.

Morning comes all over the world. In Japan, warm rice waits in a bowl. In Mexico, soft tortillas wrap around beans. In England, golden toast sits on a plate.