Christmas Food from Around the World!

Christmas is just a hop, skip and jump away, and all of us are gearing up for it in our country. But ever wonder how it is celebrated all over the globe? How different it is or how similar? Well, you don’t have to be plagued by this question anymore, as we bring you a few traditional Christmas dishes from around the world.

Read on, as you are definitely in for a surprise!

Italy

A traditional Italian Christmas dinner can vary from region to region, but one thing that you can always count on will be the flavoursome food. Interestingly, Christmas Eve for them means no meat on the table. Rather, the entire cuisine is based on seafood, that is, La Vigilia – Feast of the Seven Fishes. Apart from religious reasons, the basic idea behind this is to purify your body before Christmas by eating lean. One of the most authentic dishes during the Christmas eve is Capitone – Eel (pictured above), though it is rarely seen nowadays. Instead the feast consists of calamari, shrimp scampi (prawn garlic), scungilli, bacala, and linguini with clams.

Isn’t this just a darn good start to Christmas?

England

If you have grown up reading British literature, then the importance of Christmas celebrations is not lost on you. Be it Enid Blyton or Charles Dickens, stories have been spun around Christmas since time immemorial. So, it’s definitely fitting that the Brits should feature in a blog about Christmas dinners. An English Christmas is incomplete without the traditional roast turkey at the table (pictured above). The turkey stuffed with herbs is surrounded by vegetables like boiled carrots, roasted potatoes, mashed turnips and more. The meat platter also has pigs in blankets (sausages wrapped in bacon) as accompaniments. Finally, you have cranberry sauce and bread sauce to perfectly garnish the food.

Did you just say food heaven? We couldn’t agree more!

France

The French have an elaborate and sophisticated dinner menu planned for Christmas, and knowing their rich cuisine this comes as no surprise. They start off with some amuse bouche and a glass of champagne or sparkling wine, followed by oysters or smoked salmon for appetisers and a roasted meat dish filled with chestnuts for their main course. And of course, the cheese plate is a must! Finally, we come to their traditional dessert - the Bûche de Noël or the Yule Log (pictured above). This melt-in-your-mouth Swiss roll has a delicious butter-cream cover and is usually accompanied with some eye-catching Christmas decorations on top.

Isn't this the ultimate foodgasm?

Germany

If you happen to visit Germany during the Christmas season, you will definitely come across the Glühwein - mulled wine. Though the usual ingredients cover cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves and citrus, the Germans blend theirs with rum or brandy for that additional kick. Literally translating to glowing wine, it will definitely add some colour to your cheeks and some warmth to your bones.

Now, who wouldn’t love raising a glass of Glühwein for good health?

In India, we have our very own traditional dishes for Christmas. A couple of favourites will be the roast chicken and the plum cake. If you haven’t tried your hand at these dishes before, now you definitely can! Recreate a classic roast dish from around the globe or stick to our traditional plum cake, as baking has become super easy with the help of OTGs and Microwaves from Bajaj Electricals. So, go ahead and show off your culinary skills with such #WondersOfBaking

Now, wasn’t this delightfully surprising?  Same festival but such varied traditions!

Though no matter the difference in traditions and culture, Christmas remains for all of us a festival of love, tolerance and brotherhood. Let’s remember to forget our differences and celebrate the bond of humanity!