Mince pies? Crispy roast spuds with gooey centres? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire?
What festive food traditions can’t you get through Christmas without?
Most of us have one or two special Christmas staples that are inextricably tied to our childhood memories. Those magical tastes and smells that will always conjure Christmas for us, no matter where in the world we end up. A traditional turkey with all the trimmings may be the prevailing star of the show for a large part of the globe. But it’s far from the only way to go when it comes to the headline act each Christmas.
From borscht and puffin stew, to fermented fish, red hot tamales and roasted reindeer (!), no two cultures ever sit down to the same meal at Christmas time. Just as no two families do either. (And did you know that in some countries, you don’t even have to still be alive, to be invited to pull up a chair at the family feast!)
But the one thing we do all have in common at Christmas is the way in which food – and the many joyful traditions surrounding it – brings us together in celebration and gratitude.
HERE’S A LOOK AT WHAT WILL BE ON THE MENU ALL AROUND THE WORLD THIS CHRISTMAS:
AUSTRALIA
Aussies, who celebrate Christmas smack bang in the middle of the Big Summer Swelter, are split into two camps on the subject of Festive Tucker. Much of the nation celebrates with cold ham and turkey, fresh seafood, and salads – and hosts lively barbecues to make the most of the great outdoors. But there are still many who stick to their colonial roots by sitting down on December 25 to a piping hot turkey dinner with all the trimmings, capped off by plum pudding, brandy butter and custard (and a lengthy lie-down afterwards!). One thing just about everyone agrees on Down Under though? A gooey slice of Pavlova topped with crisp meringue and summertime fruits strikes the sweetest festive note of all.
CHINA
Christmas is not widely celebrated across China. But there is one quaint foodie custom that the Chinese like to observe to mark the occasion. They exchange cellophane-wrapped apples – as a witty word play (the Chinese word for “apple” sounds like Christmas Eve)!
ETHIOPIA
Unlike many of us who stuff ourselves silly over the festive period, in Ethiopia, it’s customary to fast for a full 40 days leading up to Christmas. You’re allowed to eat just one meal a day – and a vegan meal at that, since meat and animal products are also off the menu. Christmas is celebrated on January 6 with “doro wat”, a delectable slow-cooked stew of chicken and boiled eggs flavoured with chilli, garlic, cardamom and ginger and served with soft injera sourdough flatbread. Sounds amazing!
FRANCE
Three cheers for France who gave us the classic Christmas Yule Log – “La Buche de Noel” – a delicious festive symbol right across the world. The official meal is usually consumed late on Christmas Eve – or after Midnight Mass – when family and friends gather over rich morsels such as oysters, foie gras, and smoked salmon while the Champagne flows. Life gets even better in the Provence region where the tradition is for a spread of 13 desserts to be left out for 3 days across households (to represent Christ and the 12 Apostles).
GERMANY
In Germany, Christmas memories are made of roasted goose and red cabbage; apple and sausage stuffing; stollen (sugar-dusted marzipan fruit cake); and, of course, trips to the famous Christmas markets to warm your hands and spirits on Glühwein – a dangerously soporific mulled wine infusion with cloves, lemon and cinnamon.
GREECE
Sprigs of basil wrapped around a wooden cross ward off the pesky evil spirits – or “kallikantzaroi” – which menace Greek households with annoyances like turning their milk sour or snuffing out their fireplaces during the 12 Days of Christmas (ending on Epiphany, January 6). Meanwhile, sweet “Christopsomo” – Christ’s Bread – is traditionally baked on Christmas Eve to be enjoyed on Christmas Day, along with a first course of egg-lemon chicken and rice soup, followed by stuffed cabbage and traditional roast pork.
ICELAND
We suppose you could learn to love it. The country that serves up festive fare such as puffin or roasted reindeer (sorry Rudolph!), also observes a rather challenging culinary tradition on December 23, the last day of the official Christmas Fast. The dish of the day is fermented fish (skate) served with boiled potatoes. Not surprisingly, many Icelanders opt to order it out at a restaurant rather than stink up their kitchens at home.
INDIA
To Christians in India, Christ’s birthday is a time of giving over receiving. Rather than exchanging presents, families celebrate with a traditional curry and festive treats like “newrio” – small dumplings sweetened with palm sugar, grated coconut and sesame seeds. They also hand out Christmas candies – known as “kuswar” – to their neighbours.
ITALY
Meat is generally avoided by Italy’s Catholic clans on Christmas Eve. Instead, they come together for a wonderfully-drawn out affair called “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” to enjoy local delicacies like fried eel and “baccalà” – salted cod with tomatoes. On Christmas Day, carnivorous offerings reappear at the table in dishes such as “il cotechino”, a tasty sausage made from pig intestines.
JAPAN
Bless you Japan for bringing us what is possibly the world’s most bizarre festive food tradition! Christmas may not be an official holiday here, but that doesn’t stop many Japanese from spending the day queuing at their local KFC branch. Ever since a hugely successful advertising campaign in 1974 (the slogan was “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii” or “Kentucky for Christmas”!), the Colonel has become synonymous in the Land of the Rising Sun with fine Christmas dining. The fast-food franchise now rolls out festive feast packages of roast or fried chicken, salads, cake – even champagne – all day long to hungry Japanese.
POLAND
In Poland, you’ll fast all day on Christmas Eve until the first star appears in the night sky. Only then can you tuck into an enormous banquet known poetically as the Star Supper – or “Wigilia”. The annual feast features festive Polish favourites like borscht and dumplings and “chrusciki” (little bow ties of fried dough served with orange zest, sour cream and a shot or two of whiskey!).
UNITED KINGDOM
If the Queen and her Christmas Day speech are still an enduring part of annual festivities all across the land, there’s little doubt that the turkey is King of the Table (despite recent posh foodie trends like the Five Bird Roast). Christmas Dinner UK-style gets served up mid-afternoon and simply must include stuffing and cranberry sauce, crispy roast spuds, pigs in blankets (bacon-wrapped chipolatas) and the obligatory brussel sprouts (even though at least half the family loathes them). Afterwards, everyone scraps over the lucky penny that’s been tucked into the plum pudding somewhere.
UNITED STATES
So close on the heels of Thanksgiving celebrations, Americans generally bench turkey at Christmas in favour of roast beef or ham. Corn, pumpkin and green beans feature heavily as accompaniments – as does good ole American apple pie or mince pies for dessert. Somewhat surprisingly, in the land that gave us Hallmark and Disney, Christmas crackers are just not a thing.
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