Christmas menu: what do we eat on this occasion in other countries around the world?

In France, at Christmas, tables are often garnished with foie gras, snails, smoked salmon, oysters or even scallops to start the meal. As a main course, in many families, turkey is an essential classic. But what about in other countries? A quick overview of Christmas specialties around the world.

As in France, turkey with chestnuts is a traditional dish in the United Kingdom where it is a main dish of choice. People often buy a frozen turkey, thaw it, then roast it in the oven for a few hours before adding toppings and sauces. With this, there’s nothing like roasted potatoes with herbs like parsley and thyme.

At the end of this good meal, comes the one and only: the Christmas pudding. Made from dried fruits, this dessert is normally served with cognac butter. It is also traditional to soak the pudding in brandy and flambé it before serving. Although people can serve plenty of other desserts, Christmas pudding remains the most traditional.

Let’s return to America, but this time further south, with typical Christmas dishes in Colombia. Buñuelos are small fried balls of cheese dough, served hot. El pavo is the Colombian version of the world famous Christmas turkey, stuffed with a mixture of grapes and nuts. It is one of the most traditional dishes in the country. For dessert, neither log, nor pie, nor pudding, the Colombians eat natillas, a cake made from cinnamon, corn starch, milk, panela, cane sugar and cloves. .

Let’s go further north with the traditional Swedish Christmas menu. Called the “julbord”, this buffet-style meal where everyone serves themselves as they wish puts many Swedes in a very festive mood. For this occasion, the table is garnished with “julskinka” (Christmas ham), meatballs, “sill” (marinated herring), salmon gravlax and since the 1940s, a dish called “Janssons frestelse”, a traditional Swedish dish consisting of julienned potatoes, onions, anchovies and cream.