ON CHRISTMAS, countries from all over the world celebrate with different forms of cuisine. In the Philippines, the traditional holiday spread usually has lechon, bibingka, queso de bola, and ham, among many other delectable treats.
But what about other countries? What do their Christmas feasts look like, and how different are they from those served in the Philippines?
To satiate this curiosity, Republicasia looked at the traditional Christmas meals served in five other countries; from meaty soups to hearty puddings, one can see that while these cuisines may differ, love continues to stand as a main ingredient to all of them.
- Borscht (Ukraine)
In Ukraine, borscht is a type of soup that is typically served as part of a Christmas Eve supper called “Sviata Vechera”.
Ukrainian writer Roma Frye wrote that on Christmas Eve, she and her family would always eat borscht alongside 11 other meatless dishes, which served as a symbol for the 12 apostles.
Patti of the website Allrecipes describes borscht as a comfortingly sour soup made from beets, meat stock, and other boiled vegetables, but the meat stock can be interchanged with vegetable stock for those who want to stick with going meatless.
The website Veselka explains that borscht is more than just a mere soup; it symbolizes home, tradition, and pride, with each family having a different version of how to make it, all with their own story.
- Sopa de galets (Spain)
Sopa de galets is a beloved Catalan dish which comes from Catalonia, a region found in Spain, though people from other regions often make the dish as well. It is often served as a starter course for the Christmas Day feast.
What makes this dish so tasty is the way the “galets” or the noodles are cooked; given their large size, they are stuffed with juicy meat that make for a filling first dish.
Making this dish is no easy feat as it involves filling each noodle with meat, and then making a broth for the noodles to go in, and then mixing everything together to let the flavors meld together.
It is a process that takes hours to make, but that just proves that it is a labor of love.
Jess of the website Barcelona Blonde notes that these dishes are perfect for sharing with friends and family, bringing people even closer together on the holidays.
- La Festa dei Sette Pesci (Italy)
In Italy, their traditional food isn’t so much one dish as it is an entire set. The Feast of the Seven Fish or the La Festa dei Sette Pesci is made up of seven different dishes featuring seven different types of fish, often served one at a time in seven different courses.
Writer Mama Lombardo explains that the tradition of La Festa dei Sette Pesci is one that is fairly common in Italy, and draws roots from Christian faith, particularly from the idea of abstaining from eating dairy or meat products on the holidays.
She also notes that, while families usually serve seven fish as it is a number often referred to in the Bible, there are other families who serve more or less fish-centered dishes on the holidays. There’s no rulebook to follow here, after all.
Here, any fish can be used for these dishes, and can be cooked however you want. Clams, calamari, cod – pick your poison.
- Christmas pudding (United Kingdom)
Sam Bilton of English Heritage explains that originally, Christmas pudding, a dessert often eaten during the holidays in England, started as a pottage or a broth.
This pudding – also called “figgy pudding” – was made from raisins, dried fruit, spices, meat or meat stock, and wine, and was then thickened with breadcrumbs or ground almonds.
It was then in the 18th century that the Victorians would start to associate it with Christmas, bringing forth the tradition of making Christmas pudding on the fifth Sunday before Christmas.
At present, it is a dessert that can be made quickly and easily with almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, muscovado sugar, eggs, butter, as well as some brandy and cognac, as per BBC Good Food’s recipe.
It is made by creating a mixture using these ingredients and then pouring it into a bowl, boiling or steaming it for a few hours, and then creating a brandy butter or custard to go along with it.
Originally, the dish was made with 13 ingredients, and was meant to represent Jesus and his 12 disciples. The website Pud For All Seasons even notes that each family member would stir it in turn from east to west to honor their journey; now, it continues to stay a staple and family tradition for many families in the U.K.
- Sachertorte (Austria)
This delectable dessert is so beloved that it even has its own national holiday.
Mary Jane Robbins of King Arthur Baking explains that originally, this dessert was made by Franz Sacher after he was asked to create a delicious dessert to be consumed by distinguished guests at the court of Prince Metternich.
The jam-filled cake that he made would turn out to be a hit, and would eventually come to be known as the sachertorte.
This chocolate sponge cake filled with delectable apricot jam continues to be a staple for Christmas in Austria and is even known to be their most famous kind of cake.
It can be made by creating a batter with dark chocolate, vanilla, butter, castor and icing sugar, eggs, and flour, baking said batter, and then spreading apricot jam between each of its layers before covering everything with chocolate glaze.
In discovering the cuisines of these other countries, it is hard not to form a deeper appreciation for the differences in culture.
All of these meals tell different stories, and each bite is packed with a long history passed down from generation to generation.
