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20 Most Popular Traditional Christmas Dishes from Around the World


 

Christmas is a special time for Christians around the world. They believe that December 25 is the day Jesus was born. So from Christmas Eve to Christmas day itself, they get to enjoy good food, good music, and even better company. The tables get aligned with dishes and drinks of all kinds.

As a child, I looked forward to Christmas all year. Coming from a humble background did not deter us to celebrate this day. My mom would gather her coins and make sure that we had the best Christmas yet. Christmas morning, started early for her. She would wake up early to cook what would be our Christmas lunch. An array of dishes and a delicious aroma would adorn our home from six in the morning. I also got to wear new clothes on the day and head to church. I could barely sit still in church just thinking of the sweet dishes we would get to eat after service. Now as an adult, I try to keep the traditions alive and make sure that my kids enjoy Christmas as much as I did.

On this list, you will find popular dishes special to Christians all over the world. Maybe next Christmas you could prepare a new nice dish and start a tradition.

1. Nyama Choma – Kenya

Nyama Choma is the Swahili word for grilled meat. This dish is common in this part of East Africa. It is mostly enjoyed on special occasions and for Christians, this is just the right time. Goat meat is the most common but pork, chicken, and beef are also used. Traditionally, the meat is marinated in either salt alone or in a combination of salt, lemon, chili, and spice before being slowly grilled or barbecued.  Nyama Choma pairs well with ugali (stiff porridge made from corn flour and water) and kachumbari (a tomato and onion salad).

2. Jollof rice – Ghana, Nigeria

Jolof rice. Image from Wikimedia. Uploaded by Skarfmacaronne 

Jollof rice is much loved and a staple in West African cuisine. It is made from rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other seasonings. The rice is stewed in a spiced flavourful tomato broth. Westerners regard it as a side dish but in West Africa, it is regarded as a main.  Recipes and ingredients vary across countries but one thing is for sure, Jollof rice is delicious! It is often served with fried, ripe plantains and coleslaw.

3. Biryani – India

Indian cuisine is known for its spice and flavor. Chicken and lamb are the preferred meats used to make this dish. The meat is marinated in a mixture of yogurt, salt, ginger, and garlic overnight. The yogurt tenderizes the meat and packs it with flavor.  The secret ingredients are salt, ghee, and saffron. The dish is served on a bed of colorful delicious rice. It is served in a tray around a group of friends and family. It is also best eaten using your hand.

4. Roast turkey – America, Lebanon

Roast turkey is a dish famous in many parts of the US and the world in general. The perfect roast turkey is juicy, delicious, and with crispy skin. The dish takes hours to achieve this and many have alternated with just deep frying it. However, with all the videos going around of people burning their houses down while using this method, I would recommend sticking to traditions this coming Christmas. Buttering, seasoning, and stuffing are all prep methods that are needed to achieve a succulent turkey.

5. Gravy – America

A Christmas dinner in the US is not complete without gravy. The roast turkey is accompanied by the classic thick gravy. It is cooked with a roux made of meat and or meat drippings and flour. Milk is added and thickened by the roux; once prepared black pepper and pieces of mild sausage or chicken liver are sometimes added. The thick brown delight adds to the delightfulness of the Christmas feast.

6. Tamales – Mexico

Tamales are comfort food and what better time for comfort foods than during the birthday of Jesus! The dish is popular in central and South America. It is made of corn dough and stuffed with various fillings like chicken or pork, wrapped in a corn husk or a banana leaf, and then steamed. If you are patient and skilled then try making tamales and you will really impress your family.

Read more on Finger Licking: 30 Famous Mexican Food you Want to Taste Once in your Life

7. Stuffed goose – Russia, Belarus, Austria, Germany

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Turkey is not the only bird that is common on Christmas tables; the stuffed goose is also popular in Central Europe. It is stuffed with apples, and prunes, roasted, and then served with red cabbage and potato dumplings. The organ meat is often used to make gravy and the goose fat is used to roast potatoes to ensure nothing goes to waste.

Read more on 20 Most Famous German Food you will Love

8. Duck – Denmark

Tired of turkey? Duck is also another delicious and nutrient-packed alternative. On Christmas Eve, duck is served together with red cabbage, gravy, boiled potatoes, and Danish sugar-browned potatoes. The day is finally finished off with a delicious dessert called Risalamande, which is rice pudding, topped with almonds and whipped cream. The Danish do go out all the way during the holidays.

9. Barszcz – Poland

It is a polish soup that is a must on Christmas Eve. It is a clear soup made from beets and often served in mugs or bowls with Polish mushrooms. Other vegetables that go in the soup vary but may include apples, carrots, celery root, parsnip, leeks, dry Porcini Mushrooms, garlic, and parsley.

10. Farofa – Brazil

It is a traditional Brazilian side dish made with toasted cassava flour, bacon, onions, garlic, parsley, and chives nicely toasted in butter. It has a sandy texture almost similar to bread crumbs and has a mild taste.  It is often served alongside the main course mainly rice or beans or it can be sprinkled on before eating or eaten as an accompaniment in its own right. A good farofa elevates a dish to heights that no other dish would that is why it never lacks on Brazilian Christmas feasts.

11.Hamon – Philippines

Hamon is also termed as hamonada. It is a Filipino holiday ham that is common during Christmas and the New Year. There are different Hamon recipes and they do vary but Filipinos tend to favor the sweet ham. A perfect Hamon is delicious, juicy, and flavourful and is a show stopper at any Christmas table.

12. Sorpotel – Goa

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Goan sorpotel is a meat curry that is often made using pork but sometimes beef, mutton, or chicken. It is wonderfully tangy and spicy. Its origin is Portuguese and is now a Goan Christmas delicacy. It is a Christmas tradition in many Goan households to cook pork sorpotel curry. The process is long as it is prepared 3-4 days in advance. On the first day, you prepare the main cooking of the pork, together with all the ingredients, and on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th days, you will just heat the whole pot for 20 minutes each time. This long process results in irresistible and delicious flavors to your pork sorpotel curry.

13. Lanttulaatikko – Finland

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It is a heart Finnish side dish similar to mashed potatoes but with the special, earthy flavor of rutabagas (lanttu) also known as yellow turnips or swedes. It is a favorite Christmas dish and on any other occasion.  It is an odd but equally delicious merging of savory and sweet. It is paired with wilted greens or ham.

14. Buccelato – Sicily

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It is a traditional Sicilian dessert favorite in many homes during the holidays. It is a round cookie shell wrapped around various ingredients as fillings. Throughout the island of Sicily, there are many variations to the fillings but I can bet you that they are equally as scrumptious.  The fillings include figs, raisins, dates, and various nuts.

15. Pinnekjott – Norway

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It is another traditional Christmas dish famous in Norway. It is salted ribs from lamb that have been sometimes smoked for preservation. Before cooking, the meat is soaked in water to remove the salt which results in one delicious and delightfully savory piece of rib. Recipes vary but one thing that stands out in every home is the swede mash. The two are a match made in heaven as the sweetness of the swedes goes well with the meat.

16. Malva pudding – South Africa

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It is a South African sweet pudding that is made from the apricot jam and heavy cream. It is a favorite in South Africa and in the rest of the world as it is quite flavorsome. The soft cake is flavored with apricot jam and hints of caramel. It is then soaked in a beautiful bath of creamy syrup while it is warm ensuring that the cake is super moist and packed with flavor.

17. Pan de jamon – Venezuela

Image by Ruth Revilla from Pixabay

 It is traditional Venezuelan Christmas bread. The savory bread is a favorite during the holidays. It is as simple as it is delicious. It is rolled into a soft and slightly sweet dough and filled with ham raisins and olives. It came up as an accident when a chef was looking for a way to use leftover pieces of holiday ham! You do know what they say about accidents, right? The result is incredible!

18. Rooster Doro wat – Ethiopia

When I think of Ethiopian cuisine, I think, of flavor, rich, and spicy. Doro wat is a national dish in Ethiopia and is often served on special occasions. To start with, the chicken is slaughtered, cleaned, and then cut up into 12 pieces. Some say that the number represents the disciples of Jesus. It is then flavored with spiced butter called niter kibbeh and berbere, a spice blend that often includes fenugreek, hot chiles, paprika, cardamom, and coriander. It pairs well with injera, a crepe-like flatbread made with corn flour, sorghum, flour, yeast, and baking soda. Trust me you will leave no crumbs!

19. Kurisumasu keki – Japan

It is a Japanese Christmas fruit cake that is rich but at the same time light and definitely a show-stopper. If you are looking to impress and at the same time have a wonderful centerpiece then this is for you. It is easy to make as it only involves strawberries and a whole load of whipped cream wrapped in a sponge cake.

 Read more on 45 Amazing Traditional Foods from Japan

20. Cranberry sauce – America

Americans thoroughly enjoy this side dish as must are sweet tooths. It is a simple dish and involves cranberries turned into a sauce by being boiled on the stove and sweetened with lots of sugar. It goes on well with the roast turkey.