A change from the usual turkey this year?

Christmas is a time for traditions and many are shared as part of the festive season. Here in the UK this can include attending a carol service, a nativity play, gift giving, decorating a tree, mince pies and of course the ubiquitous turkey.

Tastes change and in the UK of yesteryear the highlight of the Christmas feast was more likely to be a dressed boar’s head or brawn followed by marchpane. In Scotland (before Christmas was officially banned in 1640 which is a whole other story) Yule bread was very popular.

Over time the more usual Christmas meal changed to huge sides of roast beef, goose, then towards turkey as the traditional fare.

Our collective penchant for oversized poultry is not however universally shared. Around the world others have their own unique ways of celebrating Christmas through the food they eat. So if you are fed up with the usual turkey dinner then for a change why not try out classic dishes from somewhere else:

Anyone for cabbage soup, fried carp and potato salad? A staple in the Czech Republic.
Roasted stuffed lamb or puffin? In Iceland they also have another very traditional roast meat but not one to mention in this country near Christmas or Santa’s sleigh!
Kentucky Fried Chicken, yes really. In Japan, as the result of a very successful advertising campaign in the 1970s, people now book weeks in advance and queue to get KFC at Christmas.
Do as the Australians do and throw those prawns on the BBQ with lime and sage for that taste of Christmas in the sunshine on the beach. Not perhaps as enjoyable in Saltcoats or St Andrews at minus 2 in the snow.
Go Danish (officially the happiest country in the world) and have a rice pudding, but hide an almond in this very sweet pudding and whoever find it gets a present.
Spiced apples, given and shared because the word for ‘apples' is almost the same as the word for ‘Christmas Eve’ in Chinese.

Whatever you choose to eat, enjoy!

Joyeux Noel, God Jul, Feliz Natal, Nadolig Llawen, Sung Tang Chuck Ha

Julie Barr