Modern/Traditional Ukrainian Breakfast

Eggs on top of shkvarky is a very common Ukrainian breakfast. I would say, it is Ukrainian version of eggs and bacon. Shkvarky (plural) are chopped and fried pork fat. Can be previously salted, or, even better, stayed for a while marinated with garlic, peppercorns and a bay leafs: 

That's the way I prepare salo (Ukrainian name for a pork fat) - I cut a fresh pork fat for pieces and roll them in a salt; then mix them with peeled garlic cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf and put them in a glass jar; then a jar goes to my fridge. They can stay in the fridge and gain an amazing garlicky-peppery flavour for month or two. No, actually, they are ready to cook in about one week of time; one or two month - that's how long they can stay in a fridge.
The combination of fried pork fat and fried eggs on top of these shkvarky can be described with one word - deliciousness! Every Ukrainian would understand what I meant :) And do you know who else would understand a beauty of this taste? A Newfoundlander! I was really, really pleasantly surprised when I moved to Newfoundland that those crunched and sooo tasty little shkvarky are present in local culture! Only in Newfoundland they called scrunchions. But cooking technique of the scrunchions is almost the same with shkvarky. Scrunchions in Newfoundland are widely use as part of traditional seafood dish called Fish and Brewis (I tried and I absolutely loved it!); also another traditional Newfoundland dish - fried cod tongue and cod cheeks - are served with scrunchions. Also, a moose meat in Newfoundland is being cooked with pork fat and scrunchions - they like soften up a very intense taste of a moose meat. And, finally, one of Newfoundland ladies told me that long time ago their family used to fry egg for breakfast with scrunchions. There! I am back to breakfast - to a modern/traditional Ukrainian one :) 

What else are modern Ukrainians have for breakfast, especially who is very in rush to work in the morning and have no time to cook - they have their coffee with open sandwiches. Actually, Ukrainians are not alone with it - it is a way to eat breakfast in many European countries. For example, my husband and I were visiting Denmark few years ago and I was very happy with their typical breakfasts which I called "bread with something" - it can be absolutely delicious, out of this world, liver pate, of Danish cheese, or combination a herring+cheese on a rye bread. So, I was totally happy, but my husband, which is Canadian, missed his eggs+bacon for breakfast.

Anyway. This is now my typical breakfast here, in Canada - as I said, "bread with something" (on the picture below) In this current case - an open sandwich with cream cheese, ham, tomatoes and fresh parsley from my own garden and black coffee, no milk:

So, that's what I, modern Ukrainian, living in Canada, eat for my breakfast, except the days, when we are having this - fried eggs with shkvarky/scrunchions with a little green onion and chopped dill or parsley:

Smachnogo (Bon Appetit in Ukrainian) and have a great day!