Every year we like to share with our readers what we’ve learned about the customs and traditions around the world during the holidays. People all over the world have carried the holiday traditions of their ancestors with them as they have embraced new cultures. Food has always been a unifying factor in every culture. You may be thousands of miles away from home for the holidays, but the smells or tastes of certain dishes can bring home to you. We’re pleased to present several holiday dishes from around the world. Will you be enjoying any of these with your family and friends this year?
Bibingka is a traditional holiday breakfast dish in the Philippines. It’s made of rice flour or sticky rice, coconut milk, sugar and water wrapped and cooked in banana leaves. It can be topped with eggs, cheese, and coconut flakes. It’s often served after Simbáng Gabi, a nine-day series of Filipino Catholic masses leading up to Christmas. Often food stations are set up outside churches where churchgoers can buy bibingka and other sweet treats after mass.
Bûche de Noël (Yule Log) is a sweet dessert commonly served in France between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. It is made with heavy cream, cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract and is often decorated with icing sugar and fruit. It commemorates the tradition of cutting and burning a specially selected log known as the Yule log which was originally a pagan tradition.
Butter tarts are a Canadian dessert that’s served for many holiday, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Delicious served with coffee, these small pastries are filled with a sweet mixture of butter, sugar, maple or corn syrup, eggs, and sometimes walnuts and raisins.
(“15 Unique Holiday Foods from Around the World | Table for ...”)
Mince (Mincemeat) Pie is served during the holidays in England. Historically, these pies were made of shredded beef or mutton, suet, dried fruits, and spices. The pies were oblong shape to resemble a manger. Today, the pies are typically round and are made from pastry dough, dried apples, raisins, vegetable shortening, a spice mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and distilled spirits (rum or brandy).
Eggnog is primarily consumed in the United States and Canada during the Christmas holidays. It is made of whipped egg whites, egg yolks, sugar, cream, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and may be spiked with rum, bourbon, or brandy.
Pfeffernüsse cookies are small spice cookies popular with Germans and ethnic Mennonites in North America. In Germany, this cookie has been part of yuletide celebrations since 1850. The literal translation for Pferffernüsse is “peppernuts” because the cookies are the size of nuts, contain black pepper, and can be eaten by the handful like nuts. Similar cookies are made in The Netherlands and Denmark.
Kruidnoten or “spicy nuts” are hard cookie-like confections made of Speculaas, a spiced shortbread biscuit that’s thin, very crunchy, caramelized, slightly, browned. They are served around St. Nicholas’ Day and Christmas time in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and parts of Indonesia.
Yebeg wot is an Ethiopian dish served during the holidays made from specially fattened lamb that is added to a stew of onions, tomatoes, garlic, Ethiopian butter (kibbeh). Berbere spices and other spices. It is usually served with a flatbread (injera).
Hangikjöt is a popular holiday food in Iceland. Literally translated it means hung meat. The meat is typically smoked lamb or mutton, and the name comes from the traditional practice of hanging smoked meats in a smoking shed for weeks to develop their smoky and salty flavor. It’s usually served with green beans, potatoes covered in a white béchamel sauce and a side of pickled red cabbage.
Pasteles are a classic Christmas dish in Puerto Rico. The outer portion of pasteles is made of a special masa dough made from green bananas, yautia (taro), and spices. After sitting for several hours, the dough is placed on banana leaves and topped with a filling of ground pork and a blend of adobo spices. The pasteles are boiled in hot water and served with rice, meat. (“15 Unique Holiday Foods from Around the World | Table for ...”) pigeon peas, fish, and hot sauce for a traditional Puerto Rican holiday meal.
Shuba is a Russian dish served during Christmas. It is made of pickled herring, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and grated vegetables such as carrots, onions, beets, and potatoes. This dish is commonly called “herring under a fur coat,” because the grated beets and mayonnaise on top resemble a warm winter coat. Russia is one the few countries that follow the Orthodox Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Kutia is a popular dish served on Christmas Eve of the Orthodox Julian calendar (January 6) in Ukraine. It’s usually the first dish served of Sviata Vecheria, the twelve-dish vegetarian feast commemorating the twelve apostles. It’s made of cooked wheat berries, poppy seeds, dried fruit, and honey. (“15 Unique Holiday Foods from Around the World”)
Chocolatada Navideña or the serving of Christmas hot chocolate occurs in Peru during the month of December and is its own event. It is more popular in the smallest and poorest Andean communities because the goal of this holiday event is to bring joy to the children and their parents. Homemade hot chocolate, Panetón or sweet breads and small gifts are given to children in schools, churches, and communities in Peru. Christmas hot chocolate is made with fresh milk, heavy cream, evaporated milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, cloves, orange peel and chocolate.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a popular tradition in Sicily and Southern Italy. Many Italian Americans observe this tradition as well. Traditionally, Sicilian and Southern Italian Catholics fasted on Christmas Eve, so the seven fishes were an appropriate ending to their fast.
Janssons Frestelse is a Swedish holiday casserole made of potatoes, onions, heavy cream, and sprats (oily fish like sardines). It is often served as part of a Christmas smorgasbord known as the julbord or Christmas table containing baked ham, meatballs, fish, boiled potatoes, cheese, and several cooked vegetables.
Melomakarona is a Greek holiday sweet traditionally enjoyed on Christmas morning after breaking the holiday fast. It’s a sweet honey-soaked cookie topped with walnuts.
Latkes are a traditional Jewish dish from Israel which is a staple during Hanukkah. Latkes are fried in hot oil to symbolize the oil that burned for eight days to light the menorah despite only being enough oil for a single day. Latkes are typically made from shredded potato and onions, eggs, and breadcrumbs or matzo. Other foods popular during Hanukkah are beef brisket, challah bread, and sufganiyot (jelly donuts).
Bahn Chung is a popular rice cake served during the Vietnamese New Year. It’s made using sticky rice, pork, mung beans, green onions, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Servings of Bahn Chung may also be placed in front of family altars to pay tribute to ancestors and prayers for the upcoming year.
Sources for this article:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/holiday-foods#The-bottom-line
https://www.thespruce.com/special-days-and-observances-in-december-1448884
Images: All images used with no intention of copyright infringement and provided for informational purposes only.
Bibingka: By whologwhy - https://www.flickr.com/photos/hulagway/8320285598/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79395918
Bûche de Noël: By Mathieu MD - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37458479
Butter Tarts: By Hisakazu Watanabe - Flickr: Pecan Butter Tart, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18824977
Mince Pies: By christmasstockimages.com - http://christmasstockimages.com/free/food-dining/slides/mince_pie_plate.htm, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97503821
Eggnog: By Dinner Series - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinnerseries/6554389497/in/set-72157628525251275/lightbox/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97504757
Pfeffernüsse cookies: By Pelagic - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91481889
Kruidnoten: By Hanno Lans - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64873895
Yebeg: https://images.app.goo.gl/TT3dQzAe5XphMfjP8
Hangikjöt: By Martin Sønderlev Christensen - Flickr: Hangikjöt, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16339856Pasteles: Public Domain image
Pasteles: Public Domain image
Shuba: Public Domain Image
Kutia: Public Domain Image
Chocolatada Navideña: De LLs - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75169955
The Feast of the Seven Fishes: https://images.app.goo.gl/de2hzHpusQjqzqP1A
Janssons Frestelse: By No machine-readable author provided. Andejons assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1492738
Melomakarona: https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/chocolate-covered-melomakarona-greek-christmas-cookies/
Latkes: Public Domain Image
Bahn Chung: By pmquan - originally posted to Flickr as Banh Chung, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6099203