While we’re eagerly counting down the days until we can go to town on all of our favorite classic Christmas foods, we decided to expand our horizons. Here, traditional holiday staples from around the world.
This piece originally appeared on PureWow.
France: Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing
With no Thanksgiving on the calendar, turkey actually isn’t much of a thing in France. But come Christmas, it’s the center of the table. The French serve theirs with a special chestnut stuffing with sides of oysters and foie gras. 'Cause nothing says Christmas like duck liver.
Venezuela: Hallacas
This nifty little package is made with beef, chicken, pork or seafood, then mixed with raisins, capers and olives and enfolded in cornmeal dough and a jaunty plantain leaf. The dish is typically served with pan jamón, puff pastry bread filled with ham and bacon.
Finland: Spiced Carrot Casserole
A Finnish Christmas table usually features some kind of root vegetable casserole. The most famous, Porkkanalaatikko, is carrots baked with butter, cream egg and rice until golden brown. Perfect for days when you only have four hours of sunlight.
Greece: Avgolemono
You’ll find this classic soup—chicken with egg-lemon sauce—at almost any Greek restaurant. But while it’s eaten year-round as a comfort food, it's also a Christmas staple, served with lamb or pork and baklava for dessert.
Puerto Rico: Coquito
The Puerto Rican answer to eggnog, Coquito is made from rum, coconut milk, condensed milk, egg yolk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. (Actually, wow, this sounds way better than eggnog.)
Germany: Stollen
Also called Christmas cake, this after-dinner treat is a dense bread made with chopped dried fruit and nuts, then covered with powdered sugar and icing. Fun fact: Dresden hosts an annual Stollen festival that dates back to the 15th century.
India: Dukra Maas (Mangalorean Pork Curry with Bafat Spice)
This entrée—pork cooked in a fragrant, spicy curry—is a Sunday tradition in many Indian Catholic homes. Served with sannas (steamed rice cakes), it’s the main dish on most Mangalorean Christmas menus.
Philippines: Puto Bumbong
Here, purple rice (a mixture of sweet rice and purple yam) is steamed in a bamboo tube and served with butter, sugar and coconut. For people with a sweet tooth, this dessert is the most anticipated part of any Filipino Christmas.
Sweden: Swedish Meatballs
Christmas dinner in Sweden is a three-course meal: pickled fish, followed by cold sliced meats and a final plate of warm Swedish meatballs. You know these delightful little guys from the cafeteria at Ikea, but it’s worth making them yourself, in a sauce of meat gravy, sour cream and jelly.
See all 13 International Christmas Dishes at PureWow.
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