Christmas Meals Around The World

Christmas Meals Around The World

So what does your family like to eat for Christmas? Do you have turkey like you did on Thanksgiving or do you usually save the cooking for your favorite restaurant? If you are looking for something new to try or just curious as to how your meal stands up to others, check out these Christmas meals around the world.

United States

Turkey, honey glazed ham, prime rib & pork top the list of meats served around the U.S. Pork is often served with white rice & black beans or congri with a side of yucca.  Turkey & ham side dishes are often like those at Thanksgiving including mashed potato, macaroni & cheese, collard greens, corn bread, stuffing, green beans & sweet potato casserole.  You will see different dishes by region including Gumbo in Louisiana, Chowder in Maine & Oyster Stew in Texas. Italian Americans often serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

Czech Republic

The main meal is served on Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic after sunset. It generally consists of some kind of soup, carp, bread with honey, fruit and potato salad. Apple studel or Christmas bread (vánočka) are the typical dessert.

Finland

Christmas dinner in Finland can best be described as a smorgasbord. It’s filled with dish after dish of traditional food items. These include pickled herring, smoked salmon, pikeperch, rutabaga casserole, oven baked ham, liver casserole, beetroot salad and rice pudding.

France

After the French have finished their meal, which can be anything from smoked salmon to roasted chicken, they indulge in the thirteen desserts. This custom is meant to represent Jesus and his twelve apostles. These deserts can consist of foods like Kouglof, yule cake, quince paste and dried figs. I am not sure how they even manage to save room for dessert since they tend to feast on dishes like foi gras, chestnut stuff turkey, oyster and goose beforehand.

Mexico

Christmas morning starts in Mexico with a dish called menudo or pozole. It’s a soup made with hominy and tripe. It’s prepared the night before and takes about five hours to cook. Christmas dinner usually includes hand made tamales, rice, chiles rellenos, bacalao (salted cod,) and bunuelos for dessert.  On January 6th, Rosa de Reyes (King’s bread) is eaten.

Poland

Twelve dishes are served on Christmas Eve. Meat is not eaten on this day so the dishes generally consist of vegetables or fish. The meal starts as soon as the first star is visible. Beetroot soup is the most popular soup served on this day.  Carp, sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and pierogi’s are all popular as well. Many families make traditional Polish gingerbread (piernik) for dessert.  The dough consists of honey, lard, sugar, eggs, flour and a mixture of gingerbread spices. It must be made a good couple of weeks in advance to maturate and gain the very special gingerbread taste.

United Kingdom

This meal is similar to what is often eaten in America. Roast turkey (or goose,) is the main course along with potatoes, mince pies, vegetables and cranberry sauce. For dessert, Christmas pudding is served. It’s a pudding in the British sense, meaning dessert — not the creamy, custardy dish most Americans associate with the word. It’s a steamed cake full of with raisins, currants and brandy. Most households make it 4 to 5 weeks in advance.

United States

What fun would it be to leave the United States off of the list? Traditional meals consist of ham, a roast or turkey along with salad or veggies and side dishes ranging from sweet or baked potato to Christmas casseroles. However, many households have adapted their own traditions. Candy canes, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate and eggnog are often times eaten on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Italian Americans prepare The Feast Of The Seven Fishes, where seven different fish/seafood dishes are served on Christmas Eve. Cuban and many other Spanish/American households have lechon asado (roast pork) along with black beans, rice and yucca.

What’s on your menu for the Holidays?

Ready to plan your New Year menu?  Make sure and check out our New Years Lucky foods post as well as Lucky Food Recipes for the New Year .

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