Christmas is just around the corner and to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year we’re bringing you a series of Christmas-themed blogs ranging from Christmas markets and festive traditions, to delicious food both savoury and sweet.
Our third instalment of our Christmas Blog Series takes a look at everyone’s favourite topic – food! We’ve had a look at some of the tasty Christmas treats people enjoy in other countries – need inspiration for Christmas? Keep on reading…
France:
The French love rich food so at Christmas they often enjoy a seafood spread complete with smoked salmon and oysters, paired with a lovely bottle of champagne.
For those with a sweet tooth, the traditional Bûche de Noël (Yule Log), Kouglaf (a Bundt-like cake) and honey nougat are enjoyed throughout the festive season.
Japan:
Japan doesn’t have a traditional Christmas meal so a few years ago KFC saw an opportunity and introduced a special Christmas Bucket which also included Christmas cake. It became so popular, people now have to book at least 2 months in advance to secure a coveted spot in one of KFC’s branches!
Italy:
Italy is know for it delicious food, both savoury and sweet – at Christmas this is no exception and Italians take delight in enjoying a range of festive treats. A popular option hailing from Milan is Panettone, a flavourful sweet option which looks like a cake but has a brioche-like texture. Traditionally peppered with dried fruit and spices, variations such as chocolate and pistachio are also immensely popular.
Scandinavia:
In Denmark, Christmas food is kept relatively simple but extremely flavoursome; traditionally, Risalamande (rice pudding) with cherries is eaten and a whole almond is also stirred into some of the mixture – the fortunate recipient is said to have a lucky new year.
Scandinavians also enjoy a main meal of Flæskesteg, a savoury dish of pork served with potatoes and cabbage. Their chosen tipple is something called Glögg, a delicious warming mulled wine that packs a hefty punch.
Portugal:
On Christmas Eve, the traditional food of choice is a simple dish of cod and potatoes. To add a little bit of sweetness, the preferred desserts is Filhós – delicious, deep-fried pastries made from flour and eggs, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Custard tarts are also a fan-favourite for the Portuguese.
Ethiopia:
In Ethiopia, Christmas food isn’t eaten until 7th January after a 40-day vegan fast. The traditional food eaten after this fast is called Rooster Doro Wat – a meat stew with hard-boiled eggs in sauce with injera (a teff based flatbread, also used as a utensil).
Russia:
Russians definitely have a sweet tooth as their favourite Christmas treats consist of Kozula – a buttery spiced cookie shaped like a deer, sheep of goat and Sochivo – a wheat grain porridge infused with honey, walnuts, dried fruit and poppy seeds which is eaten on Christmas eve.
Germany:
Last but certainly not least, Germany is know for its delicious marzipan at Christmas and the traditional Stollen cake is a perfect example; filled with marzipan, fruit and spices; this festive treat is well worth a try! If gingerbread is more your cu of tea, make sure you try Lebkuchen, these spiced ginger-molasses cookies are perfect for a post-Christmas dinner snack.
