Your Goose is Cooked Christmas Dinners Around the Globe

by Madelaine Brauner Landry

Holiday meals across the USA and the globe vary widely. There are traditional classics in every family, but you might consider opening your menu to new ideas. Every family is a unique blend of cultures and customs; ask relatives if there are personal favorites you can add to this year’s feast. Exploring global or regional food traditions offers us a way to honor the old while embracing the new. Don’t throw out the pot of gumbo, but do hop aboard Santa’s sleigh for a magical culinary tour! 

From Réveillon in New Orleans to the bonfires in Garyville to the hot tamales of Zwolle, Louisiana certainly has its own savory mixture of culinary treats. Our sweet teeth crave homemade pralines, bread pudding, divinity fudge and King cakes. Tennessee and Texas boast about their various barbeque flavors. Kentuckians enjoy Christmas fried chicken, as well as their bourbons. While technically not a food, the spirit finds its way into sauces, dishes and holiday drinks like Mint Juleps. Alabama and Mississippi feast on fried catfish and hush puppies, Alaska and Maryland love their crabs, and many folks blend classic holiday cuisine and soul food. Think glazed ham, collard greens and a variety of sweet potato dishes. In Hawaii, it’s a Kālua pig on a plate of cabbage, while Idahoans opt for prime rib as their protein choice. 

Globe-trotting Santas might feast on a succulent roast goose or duck, complemented by flavorful stuffing, red cabbage and potato dumplings in Germany. In the UK, revelers will only bring out the figgy pudding after you’ve had your fill of roasted meats, crispy roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Some Russians fast all day on Christmas Eve, only eating when they’ve spied the first star in the sky. Then they enjoy sochivo, a porridge made from wheat or rice and accompanied by honey, fruit, nuts and seeds. A Grecian Christmas meal features roast lamb or pork, seasoned with fennel and rosemary. Leave room for the baklava, dripping with honey and pistachios. 

Puerto Ricans enjoy lechon asado, a roast pig with crispy skin, served with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), pasteles (meat-filled plantain tamales) and tostones (fried green plantains). The French serve roast turkey or venison stuffed with chestnut dressing, topped off with bûche de Noël, served with a dollop of fresh cream. The Italians tear-and-share panettone, a sweet bread, bursting with candied peel, sultanas and raisins. Finlanders enjoy lutefisk, a Nordic specialty of dried fish soaked in lye. And the Japanese bring us full circle with platters of crispy fried chicken, now considered a must for their holiday menu! 

Christmas is a universal celebration, uniting us all through the joy of shared meals and making memories. Unwrapping the dishes that make Christmas dinners around the world truly special is easier when we can find recipes and videos giving step-by-step guidance. Or maybe learning about these various foods is an educational and entertainment treat in itself. Either way, enjoy your holiday meal stuffed with stories, laughter and love this season.  

Have a Sweet Christmas 

by Kerri Cooke

SWLA’s cafés, coffee shops and bakeries have numerous seasonal goodies to choose from. But what happens when you’re home during the holidays and businesses are closed? Stock up on some Christmas treats from the grocery store to tide you through. 

Every year, the big names in the candy business offer new flavors and shapes for the Christmas season. Here are a few to try: 

• Kit Kat Peppermint Stick 

• Snickers Trees 

• Twix Snowmen 

• Hershey’s Kisses in Snickerdoodle Cookie 

• Butterfinger Marshmallow 

For coffee lovers, International Delight has Home Alone-themed coffee creamers in Peppermint Mocha, Hot Chocolate Marshmallow and Frosted Sugar Cookie. 

For slow mornings, grab a box of Frosted Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Pop-Tarts. Pillsbury also sells dough for sugar cookies with characters ranging from The Grinch to Elf. 

If you want a healthier option for when you get the munchies, Blue Diamond Almonds has flavors in Peppermint Cocoa and Snickerdoodle. 

And don’t forget about Little Debbie’s Christmas Trees!