The holidays are a time of feasting and laughter, with new and old Christmas traditions to be done. Each family has their own “special” traditions, from matching Christmas Eve pajamas to making generations-old Christmas recipes.
With Christmas at our heels, we thought it would be a great idea to explore Christmas recipes from around the world. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new recipe you love that will become a special tradition for yourfamily!
Saveur put together an extensive list of how the world eats Christmas, and here are a few of our favorites!
Reserved especially for special occasions (like weddings or the holidays), these polish bow tie fritters, also known as angel wings, are baked to crispy perfection with a doughy inside, then sugar-dusted (hence the angel wings).
This Icelandic dish is a combination of ptarmigan, or wild grouse, and a sweet-tart sauce commonly made with thyme and blueberries. To get the full Icelandic Christmas dinner effect, pair with cooked cabbage and potatoes.
As is true Filipino fashion, this slow-roasted pork belly is the perfect stand-in for the main entree of your holiday feast. Topped with a chicken or pork liver sauce, Chef Tade states it tastes like “liverwurst mixed with sweet and sour sauce.”
This Danish dish offers a bite of something sweet and savory with sweet red apples roasted with onions, then caramelized in bacon fat, and served up under a blanket of smoked belly bacon. Make sure to use apples like the Braeburn or Gala to make sure they hold up and keep their shape.
Crab for Christmas? Yes, please! Also known as chupe de centolla, this Chilean dish is a favorite. Comparable to South American chupe, which is made with milk-soaked bread and an assortment of shrimp, scallops, shellfish, meats, and cheeses, this dish shifts it’s focus to the massive local king crabs.
A Puerto Rican spin on classic chicken noodle soup, this hearty recipe is filled with starchy vegetables and shredded chicken.
Made from battered and fried veal scaloppine and topped with anchovies and fresh-grated horseradish, this Austrian schnitzel is the perfect brunch after a long night with family and friends.
You can find this dish gracing the tables of families from Goa, a small state on the western coast of India. This recipe incorporates fresh seafood, most often shrimp, and coconut curry. Sounds like the perfect Christmas Eve dinner to us.
An American classic, this dish is often labored over the day leading up to Christmas dinner and used as the centerpiece for an entire spread of delicious recipes. If you aren’t a fan of turkey, ham or chicken can be used instead.
The ultimate Hungarian comfort food, this dish is prepared by preparing a thick cornmeal and smoked ham filling, rolling it in blanched cabbage leaves, and smothering it in a paprika-spiced tomato sauce.
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