In Spain, breakfast is commonly skipped.
In traditional Spanish eating, Breakfast is the smallest meal of the day; many people in Spain choose to forego breakfast all together. Because of this fact the typical Spanish breakfast menu will be light and composed of small portions. According to Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow, authors of "Spain... A culinary Road Trip," some Spanish restaurants do not offer a breakfast menu at all, jumping right into lunch.
Coffee or hot chocolate are served with nearly any Spanish breakfast. Coffee is often taken in lieu of breakfast by many Spanish families. When sitting down at a Spanish restaurant in the morning, expect to receive an offer for either a cup of hot chocolate or a hot cup of coffee before ordering anything off the menu.
Biscuits and jam are common items on the typical Spanish breakfast menu because they are small and simple, fitting into the cultural standard of a small breakfast. Instead of biscuits some menus will offer a simple sweet roll served with a small patty of butter. Other menus might offer a slice of toast instead of a biscuit as well.
Churros are another typical breakfast item on a Spanish menu. Churros, often called Spanish Doughnuts, are fried sticks made of sweet doughnut like batter, often rolled in cinnamon and sugar after cooking. Churros are commonly served as a side with coffee when ordering breakfast from a Spanish menu. Some restaurants might serve churros with dipping chocolate instead of coffee.
Biscuits or toast topped with ham and melted cheese is common on a Spanish breakfast menu. Cooked ham often accompanies toast as a side. Ham is a meat that is readily available in Spain and therefore common on most Spanish menus. The ham topping is commonly replaced with a few strips of bacon on many Spanish menus as well.
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