The holidays are a time full of traditions. Whether it be standing in like for hours on Thanksgiving night waiting for the doors to open to a store on Black Friday or decorating your tree on Christmas eve or making a special dish for your holiday meal; everyone has a way of adding their own special touch to this time of year.
We all know what traditions we have in our homes during the holidays, but what about in homes around the world? Being in the food industry, this got me thinking. I know what the traditional American holiday table looks like, but what is on the tables in homes of other countries? So, once again, I went on a hunt to find out what people eat in other countries during this festive time of year. Of course, I found a ton of information. Here are a few things that stood out to me.
United Kingdom
This is where Americans got a lot of their traditional holiday dishes from, so it only made sense for me to start here. In the United Kingdom, sausages are made to accompany a roasted turkey dinner. "Duchy Original Cookbook" has an easy recipe that can be added to your holiday table. Wrap fresh, breakfast-style link sausages in bacon, place on a baking sheet and cook in a 375-degree oven until golden, about 30 minutes.
Puerto Rico
Eggnog is the drink of the holidays. In Puerto Rico, a little extra flavor is added. Coquito is Puerto Rican Eggnog. It seems to be traditional eggnog with flavors of coconut and rum. Here is a recipe from Kathleen Squires for this tropical eggnog. You will need 2 cups coconut milk, 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups Puerto Rican rum, 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten, ground cinnamon and sticks, to garnish. Blend milks, rum, and yolks in a blender until frothy; chill. Pour into glasses, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with cinnamon sticks.
Italy
If you're celebrating an "Italian Christmas," you've most likely heard of the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. But, after looking around on the internet, there are many other foods that are seen on Italian tables at this time of year. Some of these foods include:
Sweden
Herring and Beet Salad is something that is seen on tables in Sweden during the holiday season, and only the holiday season. It is made from scratch, turning out to be a fluffy, creamy mixture. Marcus Jernmark, chef at Aquavit in NYC, developed this recipe for Herring & Beet Salad. You will need 8 ounces of beets, 1/2 cup kosher salt, 3 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp allspice berries, 5 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tbsp whole white peppercorns, 1 tbsp whole cloves, 1 red onion (diced), 1 Granny Smith apple (diced), 4 ounces of potatoes, 4 ounces of pickled herring (shredded), 1/3 cup ounces of sour cream, 1/4 cup of chopped chives, 1/4 cup chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/3 cup unsweetened whipped cream.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the beets clean and place them on a bed of kosher salt in a baking dish. Seal the dish with a piece of aluminum foil. Roast the beets until they are tender, about one hour. While beets are roasting, boil potatoes until tender. Let the beets cool and then dice; strain potatoes, let cool, then dice. Mix water, vinegar, sugar, allspice berries, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, white peppercorns and whole cloves in a large bowl. Submerge beets, onion, and apple in the solution for 2 hours, then strain. Add the potatoes, herring, sour cream, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Before serving, fold in the whipped cream. Garnish with herbs.
We all know what traditions we have in our homes during the holidays, but what about in homes around the world? Being in the food industry, this got me thinking. I know what the traditional American holiday table looks like, but what is on the tables in homes of other countries? So, once again, I went on a hunt to find out what people eat in other countries during this festive time of year. Of course, I found a ton of information. Here are a few things that stood out to me.
United Kingdom
This is where Americans got a lot of their traditional holiday dishes from, so it only made sense for me to start here. In the United Kingdom, sausages are made to accompany a roasted turkey dinner. "Duchy Original Cookbook" has an easy recipe that can be added to your holiday table. Wrap fresh, breakfast-style link sausages in bacon, place on a baking sheet and cook in a 375-degree oven until golden, about 30 minutes.
Puerto Rico
Eggnog is the drink of the holidays. In Puerto Rico, a little extra flavor is added. Coquito is Puerto Rican Eggnog. It seems to be traditional eggnog with flavors of coconut and rum. Here is a recipe from Kathleen Squires for this tropical eggnog. You will need 2 cups coconut milk, 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups Puerto Rican rum, 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten, ground cinnamon and sticks, to garnish. Blend milks, rum, and yolks in a blender until frothy; chill. Pour into glasses, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with cinnamon sticks.
Italy
If you're celebrating an "Italian Christmas," you've most likely heard of the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. But, after looking around on the internet, there are many other foods that are seen on Italian tables at this time of year. Some of these foods include:
- Cured meats
- Various cheese
- Cured olives and pickled vegetables
- Roasted wil game
- Baked pasta dishes
- New Year's Sausage
- Desserts like Panettone, Pandoro, and/or Pandolce
Sweden
Herring and Beet Salad is something that is seen on tables in Sweden during the holiday season, and only the holiday season. It is made from scratch, turning out to be a fluffy, creamy mixture. Marcus Jernmark, chef at Aquavit in NYC, developed this recipe for Herring & Beet Salad. You will need 8 ounces of beets, 1/2 cup kosher salt, 3 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp allspice berries, 5 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tbsp whole white peppercorns, 1 tbsp whole cloves, 1 red onion (diced), 1 Granny Smith apple (diced), 4 ounces of potatoes, 4 ounces of pickled herring (shredded), 1/3 cup ounces of sour cream, 1/4 cup of chopped chives, 1/4 cup chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/3 cup unsweetened whipped cream.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the beets clean and place them on a bed of kosher salt in a baking dish. Seal the dish with a piece of aluminum foil. Roast the beets until they are tender, about one hour. While beets are roasting, boil potatoes until tender. Let the beets cool and then dice; strain potatoes, let cool, then dice. Mix water, vinegar, sugar, allspice berries, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, white peppercorns and whole cloves in a large bowl. Submerge beets, onion, and apple in the solution for 2 hours, then strain. Add the potatoes, herring, sour cream, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Before serving, fold in the whipped cream. Garnish with herbs.
Obviously, there is endless information about all of this all over the internet. Below are a few of the websites I used to compile this information:
http://www.saveur.com/gallery/Christmas-Recipes-From-Around-the-World/1
http://www.scordo.com/2010/12/an-italian-christmas-tradition.html
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-21/features/sc-food-1216-global-christmas-20111221_1_charles-dickens-cratchits-dickens-a-christmas-carol
http://lostinstockholm.com/2010/12/03/swedish-christmas-food-dishes/
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/italy/italian-christmas-food/1306
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