What are countries around the world eating on Christmas day?

By Indra Ventura

What are you eating this Christmas? A BBQ or maybe a lamb roast? Well you might enjoy some Christmas feasts from around the world! This article will be taking you on a global Christmas food safari.

RUSSIA:

Russians often eat Borsch (beetroot soup) served with many herbs and spices. Additionally, on the side, vegetable pies are common, made with cabbage, potato or mushroom.

Pirozhki is a popular Russian pie filled with either sweet or savory ingredients. Some of the more popular fillings including meat, fish, mushrooms, cheese, cabbage, potatoes, and fruits such as plums.

Pelmeni (meat dumplings) often eaten with sour cream (so good!).

GERMANY:

The traditional Christmas meal features duck, goose, rabbit or a roast. This main dish is accompanied by German delicacies such as apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage and potato dumplings.

Dessert typically includes Christmas Stollen, which many considered one of the best Christmas pastries in the world!

ITALY:

Loosely speaking, an Italian Christmas lunch will comprise antipasto, pasta, plates of meat, vegetables.

A desert is often Panettone (tasty!).

What these courses actually consist of differs hugely from region to region.

JAPAN - this one may surprise you!

From December 1974, KFC Japan began to promote fried chicken as a Christmas meal, with its long running "Kentucky for Christmas" or "Kentucky Christmas" advertising campaign. Eating KFC food as a Christmas time meal has since become a widely practised custom in Japan.

FRANCE -

The main Christmas meal, called ' Réveillon', is eaten on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning after people have returned from the midnight Church Service. Dishes can include roast turkey with chestnuts or roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses. For dessert, a chocolate sponge cake log called a bûche de Noël is normally eaten.

SPAIN -

Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner was 'Pavo Trufado de Navidad' which is Turkey stuffed with truffles. In Galicia (a region in north-west Spain, surrounded by water) the most popular meal for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day is seafood. This can be all kinds of different seafood, from shellfish and mollusks, to lobster and small edible crabs.

Popular deserts and sweets include 'mazapán' (made of almonds, sugar and eggs) which you have probably heard about on cakes.

GREECE -

The main Christmas meal is often lamb or pork, roasted in an oven or over an open spit. Often served with a spinach and cheese pie and various salads and vegetables. Other Christmas and New Year foods include 'Baklava' (a sweet treat made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey).

You can buy or make most of these dishes! So, I encourage you to experiment with flavours from around the world this Christmas.

Remember to be grateful for what you have and make sure to drop in some items for the Vinnies Christmas Hampers so someone else less fortunate can have a special meal this Christmas.