Christmas is approaching, so maybe it is of interest what others eat at Christmas eve.
In my country not having sea, we hardly ever eat fish, not to mention seafish. The only exception is Chrismas eve, when the traditional dish on every festive table is fish soup made of carp (called "halászlé", fishermens' soup with much red pepper), and/or breaded carp "horseshoe". As a dessert we eat poppy seed or walnut roll (called "bejgli"). I understand poppy seed is banned in many countries, unlike us. We consume the harmless variant, pharma factories cultivate the other one under strict control.
Also carp is not considered a "noble" fish in many countries, and not available/consumed at all. When I lived in Belgium, we could not prepare a real Chrismas eve menu, because all kind of fish were available except carp. But a couple of kilometers further in France carp was available in the supermarket to my great delight. And our local guests were shocked when we served them poppy seed cake, being its main ingredient not available at all in Belgium (banned? I don't know).
In my country not having sea, we hardly ever eat fish, not to mention seafish. The only exception is Chrismas eve, when the traditional dish on every festive table is fish soup made of carp (called "halászlé", fishermens' soup with much red pepper), and/or breaded carp "horseshoe". As a dessert we eat poppy seed or walnut roll (called "bejgli"). I understand poppy seed is banned in many countries, unlike us. We consume the harmless variant, pharma factories cultivate the other one under strict control.
Also carp is not considered a "noble" fish in many countries, and not available/consumed at all. When I lived in Belgium, we could not prepare a real Chrismas eve menu, because all kind of fish were available except carp. But a couple of kilometers further in France carp was available in the supermarket to my great delight. And our local guests were shocked when we served them poppy seed cake, being its main ingredient not available at all in Belgium (banned? I don't know).
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Carp is always available live in many Asian markets here. There is some folklore around poppies association with opium, are you sure food poppies are banned anywhere?
My background is eastern European but here we usually did ham but now my family usually does a fancy beef roast. The poppy seed cake was always around when I was young rare here now unless you have an ethnic bakery near you. We called it makowiec.
Usually the big meal is eaten on Christmas day in the USA.
Goose is a traditional Christmas meal, although few follow that tradition any more.
Most I am aware of have Ham, Rib Roast or possibly Turkey.
There may be other traditions in the Atlantic NE since they have access to fresh seafood.
That said, in my family we like to do a standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, Peas and Onions, Yeast rolls and Iced Tea.
We start the morning with Pecan Rolls made of Yeast Roll dough which has been rolled out flat and sprinkled with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rolled in a long roll. It is cut into 3cm slices. A pan is prepared with a coating of boiled butter, brown sugar and a bit of water when caramelized, which is sprinkled with pecan pieces. Once cooled, the slices of rolled dough are placed in the pan forming pinwheel patterns. This can be frozen for up to a month, and I traditionally make it at Thanksgiving.
Christmas morning the first one up (usually me) heats the oven to 350F puts the rolls in and starts the coffee and sets out orange juice.
We have cinnamon rolls with coffee and orange juice while the children (who are usually too excited to eat) open presents.
Christmas Dinner is usually early afternoon, around 2pm.
Goose is a traditional Christmas meal, although few follow that tradition any more.
Most I am aware of have Ham, Rib Roast or possibly Turkey.
There may be other traditions in the Atlantic NE since they have access to fresh seafood.
That said, in my family we like to do a standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, Peas and Onions, Yeast rolls and Iced Tea.
We start the morning with Pecan Rolls made of Yeast Roll dough which has been rolled out flat and sprinkled with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rolled in a long roll. It is cut into 3cm slices. A pan is prepared with a coating of boiled butter, brown sugar and a bit of water when caramelized, which is sprinkled with pecan pieces. Once cooled, the slices of rolled dough are placed in the pan forming pinwheel patterns. This can be frozen for up to a month, and I traditionally make it at Thanksgiving.
Christmas morning the first one up (usually me) heats the oven to 350F puts the rolls in and starts the coffee and sets out orange juice.
We have cinnamon rolls with coffee and orange juice while the children (who are usually too excited to eat) open presents.
Christmas Dinner is usually early afternoon, around 2pm.
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As with TheGimp, in rural Manitoba, Canada the traditional big meal was
Christmas day.
Always turkey, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, (with turkey gravy), stuffing ( or dressing as some call it), cranberry sauce (for the turkey), sometimes parsnips.
For desert it was pie (apple, berry or pumpkin) or Christmas pudding.
Christmas day.
Always turkey, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, (with turkey gravy), stuffing ( or dressing as some call it), cranberry sauce (for the turkey), sometimes parsnips.
For desert it was pie (apple, berry or pumpkin) or Christmas pudding.
Actually, it's just uncommon. You can quite easily find it either in shops specialized for bakers or in the more upscale supermarkets. Shops serving the vegetarian/organic crowd are also a good source.
On topic, the most typical menu in my region is goose. You first boil the bird and collect the fat. Then you cut into pieces and cover the pieces in breadcrumbs. And throw them into a hot pan. The best portions are made of all the little meat scraps held together by fat. It is typically served with a strong garlic cream sauce and potatoes (Pink Fir Apple variety).
A traditional Christmas dish is the "bouquette". It's basically a thick pancake, old fashioned, made with buckwheat flour, yeast, milk, eggs and dried grapes soaked in rhum. It was served on Christmas eve, with a "light meal" of all kinds of cold sausages. Now, it's a popular street food on Christmas market.
In UK not sure there really is a traditional xmas eve meal. Growing up xmas eve was when I shuttled between various family members then when I became an adult liquid xmas eve dinners became more of the norm.
Of course these days on xmas day we eat the meal the wrong way round. Plum pudding was traditionally the first coarse to fill you up so the goose went further, on the same principle as yorkshire pudding.
Boxing day was always my favorite as would be cold meats and cheese. My mother always did a tongue and brawn and a ham. In Kent they would do a salmon for boxing day, which was never as good.
Of course these days on xmas day we eat the meal the wrong way round. Plum pudding was traditionally the first coarse to fill you up so the goose went further, on the same principle as yorkshire pudding.
Boxing day was always my favorite as would be cold meats and cheese. My mother always did a tongue and brawn and a ham. In Kent they would do a salmon for boxing day, which was never as good.
Although I've lived my whole life in Canada, I grew up in a traditional Italian family, so when I was young it was always baccala, salt cod, on Christmas eve, and my mom would usually be rushed because she had to work the afternoon, and taste terrible. The big meal was on Christmas day, and that was typically 3 courses of soup, pasta, and lamb.
Nowadays, in our Sino-Italo-Canadian home, we just wing it and try different things. My preference is a good roasted lamb shoulder, but last year my wife made a turduck that was pretty good.
Nowadays, in our Sino-Italo-Canadian home, we just wing it and try different things. My preference is a good roasted lamb shoulder, but last year my wife made a turduck that was pretty good.
Around here I think traditions varied between catholucs and protestants. Catholics would have a light supper then midnight mass, then a meal when they got home from church. Protestants didn't do late night church. My wife's (Anglican) family always went to a Christmas Eve carol service in the late afternoon, then back to her parents' house for snacks and sherry. Then a light supper before putting up and decorating the tree. For many years I made a point of going to a bar with friends on christmas eve for a few drinks, it was the only time I saw some of those old friends.
Since we always have a big turkey (or sometimes goose) dinner on Christmas day, christmas eve meal is usually light, but I can't think of a specific dish. Fish sometimes, and more than once I have treated myself to a nice steak. I have heard of people having lobster on xmas eve, but we usually have that New Year's eve.
Edit: Now I think about it, eggnog laced with lots of dark rum is probably the christmas eve common denominator in these parts. French ot English, catholic, protestant, or none of the above, a big mug of nog and grog is always right the night gefore christmas.
Since we always have a big turkey (or sometimes goose) dinner on Christmas day, christmas eve meal is usually light, but I can't think of a specific dish. Fish sometimes, and more than once I have treated myself to a nice steak. I have heard of people having lobster on xmas eve, but we usually have that New Year's eve.
Edit: Now I think about it, eggnog laced with lots of dark rum is probably the christmas eve common denominator in these parts. French ot English, catholic, protestant, or none of the above, a big mug of nog and grog is always right the night gefore christmas.
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At my house we do a more or less traditional german meal on christmas eve with roast goose and roast potatoes, parsnips (not german at all, they call them goat food. Their loss...) and carrots, red cabbage and sprouts.
A few yeas ago I made eggnog which is very popular especially with my older daughter who is worryingly fond of alcohol in any form.
For New Years I will make red herring salad which is the tradition from where I was born.
A few yeas ago I made eggnog which is very popular especially with my older daughter who is worryingly fond of alcohol in any form.
For New Years I will make red herring salad which is the tradition from where I was born.
^. Hahaha, true on both accounts.
In the predominately Protestant southern U.S., Christmas day is the big meal, and much the same menu as Thanksgiving, though Ham would be more common than turkey. Goose was seen as New England style traditional, but I don't remember ever seeing one served at a Southern Christmas meal.
In the predominately Protestant southern U.S., Christmas day is the big meal, and much the same menu as Thanksgiving, though Ham would be more common than turkey. Goose was seen as New England style traditional, but I don't remember ever seeing one served at a Southern Christmas meal.
Full Swedish here.
Starters:
Inlagt sill (pickled herring) in various forms. Lutfisk (horrid preserved white fish, noone eats it), hard boiled egg,
Dopp i grytan (bread dipping in ham broth), various types of coleslaw, many types of crisp bread.
Mains :
Prince korv (rich fatty type of frankfurters), köttbullar (meatballs), Janssons frestelse (potato / anchovies bake), jul skinka (Christmas ham), gravlax (salmon) + various potatoes.
Drinks jul öl, schnapps, jul must osv (Christmas beer, aquavit (various flavours), Christmas soft drink etc.
Cheese smörgåsbord..
Deserts: no room
Or
Ris alamalta (pudding Rice with whipped cream, with almonds and manderin segments)
Strong swedish coffee / brandy.
Sleep it all off, wake up for Christmas special TV and present opening..
Eat leftovers for several days
But in our family it's full English turkey roast etc next day for Christmas Day..
Hujedamig! Heavens above!
Starters:
Inlagt sill (pickled herring) in various forms. Lutfisk (horrid preserved white fish, noone eats it), hard boiled egg,
Dopp i grytan (bread dipping in ham broth), various types of coleslaw, many types of crisp bread.
Mains :
Prince korv (rich fatty type of frankfurters), köttbullar (meatballs), Janssons frestelse (potato / anchovies bake), jul skinka (Christmas ham), gravlax (salmon) + various potatoes.
Drinks jul öl, schnapps, jul must osv (Christmas beer, aquavit (various flavours), Christmas soft drink etc.
Cheese smörgåsbord..
Deserts: no room
Or
Ris alamalta (pudding Rice with whipped cream, with almonds and manderin segments)
Strong swedish coffee / brandy.
Sleep it all off, wake up for Christmas special TV and present opening..
Eat leftovers for several days
But in our family it's full English turkey roast etc next day for Christmas Day..
Hujedamig! Heavens above!
Full Swedish here.
Starters:
Inlagt sill (pickled herring) in various forms. Lutfisk (horrid preserved white fish, noone eats it), hard boiled egg,
------
Eat leftovers for several days
------
Hujedamig! Heavens above!
I think you nailed it perfectly, but I must point out and explain the lutefisk-thing. It is actually dried cod (or similar), that is un-dried in a special process ... well, forget about that. You get a slimy thing you cook in the oven for a while and when you take it out there's hardly nothing left but some white fluffy stuff swimming in water. The taste is ... there's no taste and that gives you an excuse to eat loads of potatoes with a rich white gravy that you enhance by horseraddish or mustard.
Depending on where you live in Sweden you also eat browned beans, or browned cabbage or red cabbage or "long cabbage" (green). I love the browned cabbage a lot.
Smoked eel is a must on my Swedish Xmas smorgasbored, though it is getting rare as it is ruthlessly fished in the channel.
Sweetened porridge from rice is common, eaten with cinnamon and the one who gets the almond hidden in the rice will be married next year.
It's summer for Xmas where I grew up. You'd get a full lamb roasted on an open pit when the gathering was small. If we invited every family member in the area, we'd get a young calf born in the spring, also roasted on an open pit.
There was boiled potatoes, tomatoes and onion salad, rice, also some seafood, since the Pacific Ocean was 10 minutes away. That was Xmas day at the farm. Xmas eve was spent in the city, many on my family went to the midnight mass, but my brother and I stayed at home, picking on the presents and drinking the equivalent of your eggnog drink with Aguardiente (grain spirits). Xmas and childhood, happy times.
And good wishes to all.
There was boiled potatoes, tomatoes and onion salad, rice, also some seafood, since the Pacific Ocean was 10 minutes away. That was Xmas day at the farm. Xmas eve was spent in the city, many on my family went to the midnight mass, but my brother and I stayed at home, picking on the presents and drinking the equivalent of your eggnog drink with Aguardiente (grain spirits). Xmas and childhood, happy times.
And good wishes to all.
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