What is cooked around the world for Christmas: the most interesting traditional dishes

For most of us, Christmas is associated with a beautiful Christmas tree, decorative lights, carols and, of course, a family meal. In every country where Christmas is celebrated, a family dinner is a common custom, during which there should be a lot of delicious food on the table.

Each country has its own Christmas dinner menu. FoodOboz offers you to go on a virtual gastronomic journey and find out what exactly is customary to cook for Christmas in different countries.

Ukraine

The most important Ukrainian dish for Christmas is kutia. It is a mixture of boiled wheat, grated poppy seeds, honey, and raisins. It is considered a symbol of a good harvest and wealth.

France

Bûche de Noël is a dessert that is the most anticipated dish on the Christmas table in France. It is a dessert in the form of a butter cake decorated with small meringue peaks in the shape of wild mushrooms. The rest of the cake's decor is also always done in a forest style.

Great Britain

Mince pie is a traditional British Christmas dish that has been prepared since the 13th century. It was then that knights brought such spices as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves to the country from the Crusades. For some reason, the mixture of dried fruits with these spices was called mincemeat.

Mexico

Three Kings cake or Twelfth Night cake are traditional Mexican cakes prepared for Christmas. It is customary to hide a small Jesus figurine in them. The one who is lucky enough to find it will be successful throughout the next year.

Italy

Ranettone is an Italian Christmas dish that needs no further introduction, as it is known almost all over the world. It is a soft sweet bread with powdered sugar, candied fruit, raisins, and dried fruit.

Australia

Ham is considered the main dish at Christmas. But a mixture of dried coconut, dried fruit, and rice balls is always served as a dessert.

Norway

A dish called Smalahove evokes strange sensations because it is a sheep's head cooked in its entirety on steam. Another traditional dish is Rakfisk. This is trout salted 2-3 months before Christmas.

Japan

In this country, it is customary to order giant portions of KFC dishes. Until the 1970s, Japanese people did not have their own traditional Christmas dishes. The owner of the restaurant, inspired by the baked turkey served on this holiday in the United States, added it to the menu. Since then, the lines for this fast food restaurant have been months long.

Germany

Christmas goose is a traditional German dish. It is believed to have English roots. However, some argue that the appearance of a large bird on the festive table symbolizes the end of the pre-Christmas fast.

Poland

The festive table of this country is full of Lenten dishes. The most popular of them are: borscht with dumplings, dumplings, herring, mushroom soup, carp, kutia, and stuffed cabbage. Soft ginger cookies are served for dessert.