Christmas is celebrated across the world in different ways – but always, it seems, with family and friends gathered around the dinner table. Yes besides the present, the family time and religious connotations Christmas is all about FOOD! And lots of it. You have your traditional, cultural and well interesting. Check out a few recipes we’ve discovered to make your Christmas a little bit more interesting – why not adopt a different cultures recipe, spice things up a little?
Okay so we have our traditional and mostly universal menu options, turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing, soup, cranberries…you get the idea, but here are a few not so typical menu choices unless of course we’re talking about your home country, in which case skip to the next recipe.
Why not try a Pavlova, especially if you’re celebrating Christmas in a summery part of the world? A national cuisine for both Australia and New Zealand, the Pavlova is light, summery and totally festive and colourful; no Christmas dessert menu in the south would be complete without this. Check out how to make your own Christmas inspired pavlova here.
On the topic of treats, let’s talk about the Hungarian beigli (sometimes spelt bejglig) a renowned Christmas treat in Hungary. It is basically a rolled up crust with lots of filling. Walnut and poppy seed are traditional, but these days everyone’s getting experimental using fillings such as chestnut puree or even Nutella. A true favourite among Hungarian’s this traditional dish has as many interpretations as there are families, so we’ve chosen an easily laid out recipe for you to try your hand at. Don’t blame as for the food coma you’re bound to have by the time you get through this delicious pastry.
Turkey who? No, no, not in Iceland. Forget about your traditional turkey, or even chicken, it’s all about the rock ptarmigan in Iceland – it’s THE Christmas dish, with a whole lot of family tradition behind getting the game and preparing it for Christmas. But of course we live in modern times where you can just pop into the store and get your hands on one without all the dirty work, so no excuses guys. Here’s a recipe that oozes all that Icelandic tradition, fried rock ptarmigan – it sounds scrumptious (who knows you may never want turkey on Christmas day again).
For another savoury dish, we have the Dominican Republic’s moros de guandules con coco (Moorish pigeon peas with coconut) a traditional coconut rice and pigeon pea dish served on Christmas. Very similar to Jamaican rice and peas, the rice is flavoured with thyme or oregano, coconut milk, chicken bouillon, sofrito, and the option of capers, sounds yummy right. You could always add this to the menu or substitute it for your potatoes maybe. The dish adds tropics and a whole new palette of flavours to your Christmas menu so why not try out this recipe this year – live on the wild side.
Can’t wait till Christmas day – okay I have just the thing for you, try the Mexican ensalada de nochebuena. It’ll get you ready for your Christmas day feast, but not to the point where you can’t feast the next day. It’s a gorgeously light vibrant salad, made up of fruits and vegetables, think about it this way – it’ll totally balance out all the pigs in blankets and Yule log you’ll be hitting the next day – it’s a win win tasty situation.
So happy eating, everyone. Plan your Christmas menu in advance to minimise any last minute decisions stress, and if you’re thinking of spicing up your Christmas, don’t hesitate to check out some these traditional dishes, especially if you’re spending Christmas abroad. It’s all about the experience and memories, don’t forget to check out Room Suggestion for places to stay over this festive season.
