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CHRISTMAS DINNERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Everybody in the UK knows that the best part of Christmas Day is the moment you pull your chair up to a plate stacked with succulent turkey, crispy roast potatoes and mounds upon mounds of veg. And don't even get us started on the physical embodiment of heaven known as pigs in blankets. But around the world, things are done a little bit differently. Would you give up the traditional roast for any of these adventurous dishes?
Venezuela: Hallaca
Hallaca is a meal eaten all year long for most of Latin America. However, it is a staple Christmas dinner for the people of Venezuela, and it is said that every family in the country will reunite during the festive period for the traditional making of the hallaca. There is no certain set of ingredients to make hallaca and so the recipe will usually vary, with no two families making it quite the same way. But the base and outside of the dish will always be made up by spreading a plantain leaf on some corn dough and adding in a range of fillings. Some stewed meat is usually included, be it pork, beef or poultry, and from there you can add in just about anything you want. Raisins, eggs, chickpeas, olives, red peppers, nuts... go crazy.
Hallaca this. Credit: Wikipedia
Portugal: Bacalhau de Consoada
Often overshadowed by Spanish food, its more recognisable cousin, Portuguese cuisine comes alive over the Christmas period. If you want a Christmas dinner that you’ll be able to smell in every room of your house until the holiday comes around again the year after then look no further than bacalhau. This interesting dish is made up of a combination of boiled cod, potatoes, cabbage and eggs. Coated in a garlic and vinegar sauce, this dish offers up some of the most aromatic flavours all in one.
Pungent but pretty tasty. Credit: Pixabay
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Norway: Smalahove
Smalahove roughly translates to sheep’s head, so no prizes for guessing what might end up on your plate. This dish used to only be eaten by the poor, but now is considered a delicacy in the Scandinavian country. To prepare, first the skin and fleece are torched and the brain is removed for the time being. After three hours steaming the head is ready and the brain is put back in place. Although this is the main attraction of the meal it is advised that the ‘less tasty’ eye is the first thing to be eaten. The Norwegians have some interesting dishes, but this may be the strangest of them all.
A whale of a time. Credit: Flickr
Greenland: Mattak
If the sheep head made you feel queasy then let me allow your stomach to settle for a second before telling you about mattak. First, a heart-warming fact about Christmas in Greenland. In this icy country, it's tradition for the man of the house to serve the festive dinner, a custom which I’m sure would be giving my mum ideas if word got out about it! So it falls to the man to serve up the mattak, also known as whale skin and blubber. Back in the day, it would be eaten raw, but with the appliances in Greenland kitchens these days it isn’t unusual to deep fry or pickle the furry looking fatty fries.
Japan here, continuing to astound the Western world. Credit: Wikipedia
Japan: KFC
Yes, that’s right. In Japan, it has become tradition to take a family trip to everybody’s favourite fried chicken shop on Christmas day. It has been reported that almost four million locals will spend their Christmas day tucking into the colonel's recipes due to the ritual, which started to take hold back in the 1970’s. Pre-orders have to be made as early as October whilst on the day queues stretch for yards outside the front door. Think UK Subway stores when they offer free food on Valentine’s Day and you get the picture.
Still, what you've seen above has to be better than Christmas Tinner... right?