If you live in the UK or the USA, you expect turkey and all the trimmings on Christmas Day, but elsewhere, Christmas dinner looks vastly different.
Japan
It’s not turkey but chicken that features in Japan’s favourite yuletide meal, but not as you might expect. In fact, the combination of small ovens and limited space in Japanese kitchens means that urban families opt for a take-away version – Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)! A special family Christmas bucket is the most popular choice, and KFC outlets are so popular on Christmas Day that bookings are taken weeks in advance.
Lithuania
In Lithuania, the main celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, Kūčios, which translates as ‘big family dinner’, contains no meat and no dairy as a commemoration of past times when food was often scarce. The nine special dishes that make up the feast include beet soup, sauerkraut, smoked eel and sweet pastries.
Costa Rica
Tamales are the cornerstone of Costa Rican cuisine, and each family has their own recipe for a Christmas version. Corn dough is stuffed with a filling, wrapped in either a banana leaf or a corn husk and steamed. Pork, chicken or beef usually forms the basis of the filling, livened up with garlic, onion, potatoes and lashings of spice.
India
With a rich tradition of regional cuisines, it’s no surprise that a Christmas feast in India includes a wide variety of dishes, from mutton curry in Maharashtra and pork vindaloo in Goa to fish stew in Manipur. Christmas sweets are immensely popular, such as rose cookies, coconut jaggery balls and aromatic cakes featuring marzipan and fruit. Christmas decorations are equally varied and vibrant.
Our recipes might not be the same, but feasting with families is on everyone’s menu at Christmas.
