Traditional Christmas cuisines around the world

It’s December 1^st and folks are getting into the holiday spirit while coordinating with family and planning mouth-watering, traditional cuisines. And while not all countries celebrate the same way, food is always a centerpiece of the festivities. 

Here is a look at some countries that celebrate Christmas and the unique meals prepared.  

Brazil  

Because the weather is warm in Brazil for the holiday, the main course is typically accompanied by cooler dishes. This includes fresh salads, dried fruit, and cold potato salads mixed with apples and raisins. Bowls of rice seasoned with garlic are a staple, as well as ham and cheese plates, seasoned kale, and farofa-a mix of fried cassava flour and crispy bacon bits.

As for the main dish, Brazilians will usually prepare a “Chester.” This special variety of chicken has been bred to have a high percentage of breast and thigh meat.  

France  

Foie gras, caviar, smoked salmon, and oysters can be found in a traditional French holiday dinner. The meat of choice can range from duck to goose, venison, and even turkey, all served with delectable sauces. Bûche de Noël is a must for dessert.

This is a yule log-shaped sponge cake filled with buttercream and is typically served after Christmas Eve midnight mass.   

Germany  

The centerpiece to a German Christmas meal can range from duck to goose, a roast, or even rabbit. The meat is accompanied by delicacies such as apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. For dessert, a fruit-cake-like sweet called Stollen can be expected.  

Greece  

At the center of Christmas in Greece is spit-roasted lamb and/or pork. This is accompanied by lahanodolmades — stuffed cabbage leaves — egg and lemon chicken soup, and spinach and cheese pie. A traditional Greek dessert is melomakarona, which is a sweet, honey-soaked cookie topped with ground walnuts. On Christmas Eve, a rustic sweetbread filled with raisins, nuts, cardamom, and cloves called Christopsomo is prepared and eaten.  

Hungary  

In Hungary, the Christmas Eve meal begins with fisherman’s soup or halászlé. This is followed by a whole roasted fish or breaded carp and potato salad. Stuffed cabbage with sour cream can often be the center on Christmas Day and also include roasted duck or turkey.

To finish, a bread pudding flavored with poppy seeds and honey called mákos guba is a popular dessert.   

Italy  

As one would expect, pasta plays a big part in the traditional Italian Christmas feast. Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like manicotti and ravioli are the two primary pasta dishes surrounding meats like veal and lamb. Chocolate-covered fruits, chocolate bonbons, or truffles; and cakes like anettone, pandoro, and panforte, are at the center of dessert followed by coffee all-around.   

Japan  

While many in Japan do not celebrate Christmas due to a smaller Christian population, there is still one tradition that has taken hold, Christmas fried chicken. The popularity of this tradition began to grow in the 1970s when Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) establishments started promoting their food as a Christmas meal. Making a reservation in advance is now essential to snag some Christmas KFC.  

Poland  

On Christmas Eve, a supper called Wigilia features 12 dishes that are served in Poland. The 12 dishes represent the twelve apostles of Jesus and the twelve months of the year. The number is also a symbol of wealth in Poland.

These dishes include, but are not limited to:  

• Pierniki (Polish gingerbread)  
• Barszcz Czerwone z Uszkami (red borscht with mushroom dumplings)  
• Kapusta z Groszek (cabbage with split peas)  
• Jarzynowa Sałatka (vegetable salad)  
• Karp (Carp fish, fried or baked in Aspic)  
• Pierogi z grzybami i kapustą (mushroom and cabbage pierogi)  
• Gołąbki (rice stuffed cabbage rolls)  
• Challah (plaited Jewish bread)  
• Sernik (Polish cheesecake)  
• Kutia (wheat-flower and honey dessert)  
• Makowiec (poppy seed cake)  
• Kompot (smoked fruit cordial)  

Spain  

In Spain, Christmas is celebrated for several days with extensive preparations. On Christmas Eve, a lavish dinner is served, with lobster, prawns, suckling pig, Cochinillo, or roasted lamb as the main dish.

This is accompanied by Galets, a soup with large pasta shells, followed by a variety of tapas and sweets like turron (nougat) and polvorónes/mantecados (biscuits). 

Sweden  

A Swedish Christmas almost mimics the traditional US holiday with gifts under a lighted tree and homes decorated with candles and winter scenes. The prepared meal includes a Christmas ham, pork sausage, an egg, and an anchovy mixture called gubbröra. This is alongside herring salad, pickled herring, home-made liver pâté, wort-flavored rye bread called vörtbröd, potatoes, and a special fish dish, lutfisk.

A popular dessert, Swedish saffron buns, are sweet yeast rolls that are flavored with golden saffron and dark raisins and often shaped into ‘Lucia cats.’  

United States  

In the US, turkey is the traditional centerpiece on the table at Christmas. Turkeys are typically surrounded by a variety of side dishes and sometimes served alongside a sweet spiral-cut ham. Sides usually include mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, casseroles, and vegetables. For dessert, pumpkin and pecan pies, cheesecake, and cookies are popular sweets.   

All the mentioned cuisines can vary depending on family traditions. But one thing is certain, all bellies come away satisfied from the holiday no matter the location.   

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