With the winter holidays approaching, the mood for Christmas has also set in. The festival commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated by decorating Christmas trees, attending churches and exchanging gifts.
Christmas is also about delicious food which is cooked everywhere, no matter which country you are in. A huge variety of traditional Christmas dishes is prepared during the festival without any diets and restrictions, keeping in mind pure taste and indulgence for great food.
This year, we bring to you some appetizing and traditional Christmas dishes which are enjoyed across the world and will certainly enhance your food palette, making this year’s celebration even more joyous:
Poland – 12 Dishes
The people of Poland are used to setting up a huge dinner table for Christmas as they prepare 12 dishes on this day. Each one of the 12 dishes is a representation of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The variety of dishes include mushroom soup, cabbage rolls, red borscht, poppyseed cake and kutia.
Italy – Feast of Seven Fishes
A seven-course menu that comprises of seven different fishes such as calamari, salted cod, octopus, shrimps and many more are cooked in seven different ways in Italy to prepare a grand feast for Christmas. The dish is traditionally called as Festa Dei Sette Pesci and also comprises of the Italian Panettone, a tiramisu which is made of sweet bread and raisins.
Sweden – Julbord
Swedish people opt for a three-course meal during Christmas which includes cured salmon, meatballs and potato casserole. The third course is a pickled herring with Julskinka (Christmas ham) and sausages. Pickle, cheese and a fish preparation is also served in Sweden.
Japan – Fried Chicken
KFC had launched a ‘party barrel’ for Christmas during the 70s in Japan and soon after it became successful, the trend of consuming KFC chicken during this festival has been continuing since then in Japan. Fried chicken, KFC Christmas bucket and Christmas cake, all are some of Japan’s most favorite Christmas foods.
England – Christmas Pudding
A festival without a traditional sweet dish seems to be incomplete. In England, people prepare mouth-watering puddings to mark the beautiful celebration of Christmas. However, plum refers to raisins in England as during the Victorian era, plums generally meant dried fruits and raisins. The delectable dessert is made from molasses, suet, spices, dried fruits and eggs.
Greece – Baklava, Roasted Lamb and Pork
Greeks or Hellenes follow a tradition of fasting before eating Christmas food. Hence their dinner menu contains roasted lamb or pork, followed by a filo pastry called Baklava, which is a traditional desert made with nuts, honey and pistachio powder.
Germany- Stollen
Germans enjoy eating a roasted goose, traditionally known as Weihnachtsgans. The dish is served with red cabbage and Knodel. The enormous meal is followed by a fruit cake called Weichnachsstollen. It is flattened fruit cake made of rum, marzipans and dried fruits.