There is a lot of traditional Christmas food out there. Food is indeed not only a meal shared amongst families and friends but has become a tradition during holidays like Christmas.
Different countries have their own traditional Christmas food that their people enjoy to celebrate the holiday.
If you’re getting bored of the same old traditional Christmas food, then you might want to try one of these traditional Christmas food from around the world. Check it out!
Fried Chicken (Japan)
This traditional Christmas food from Japan might not sound so ‘traditional’, but it is definitely a tradition in the country.
Families in Japan would enjoy KFC Bucket Fried Chicken on Christmas Eve. Oftentimes, people would have to reserve their KFC meal up to two months in advance.
Interestingly, there is a story behind this tradition. In the 1970s, KFC put together a holiday party bucket as a marketing plan.
Japan didn’t have many Christmas traditions at that time so the trend just caught on quickly and becomes a tradition until now.
The KFC Christmas bucket that we see today doesn’t only have fried chicken. It also comes with a Christmas cake, as the Japanese usually eat cakes to celebrate holidays or events.
Julbord (Sweden)
When it comes to traditional Christmas food, Sweden has something called Julbord. Julbord is a three-course meal consisting of various food that people enjoy to celebrate Christmas in Sweden.
Typically, the first dish would be fish (pickled herring is the most common one). The second dish usually is a type of cold cut including Christmas ham.
As for the third course, meatballs and Janssons frestelse (a potato casserole) are served on the table. Not only that, but they also have some traditional desserts, with the rice pudding being the most popular one.
However, there is another treat that the Swedish serve during Christmas, which is Saffron buns. Saffron buns are sweet yellow buns that are traditionally served to the family by the oldest daughter.
Kūčios (Lithuania)
Have you ever heard of Kūčios? This traditional Christmas food from Lithuania is a whole dinner consisting of 12 different dishes and can take up to a week to prepare.
Interestingly, the Lithuanians don’t use any meat, dairy, or hot food in this meal. They usually would use fish, bread, and vegetables instead.
On the dinner table, we would see some dishes like herring served in a tomato, mushroom or onion-based sauce, smoked eel, potatoes, sauerkraut, mushrooms, bread or cranberry pudding, and many more.
Originally, there are only nine dishes in Kūčios. But the pagan practice later expanded to the now 12 dishes after it was appropriated by the Christian church.
Koliva (Bulgaria)
Koliva is a traditional Christmas food that we can find in Bulgaria. This dish is made with boiled wheat with sugar and walnuts.
We can say that Koliva is similar to a pudding. This dish can be prepared in many different ways and is often connected with Orthodox traditions.
Sometimes, we can also see Koliva served with honey, poppy seed, other grains, rice, beans, or even dried fruit. People in Bulgaria often enjoy this dish on Christmas Eve.
Melomakarona (Greece)
People in Greece celebrate Christmas by enjoying Melomakarona. This traditional Christmas food is a must in the holiday season.
Melomakarona is a type of cookie made with sweet orange zest, soaked in honey, and topped with walnuts.
These cookies are said to have a similar taste to baklava. However, nowadays people also dip these cookies in dark chocolate.
Kołaczki (Poland)
At the end of the list of traditional Christmas food, we have Kołaczki. This dish is cookies that are typically enjoyed during the holiday season in Poland.
Kołaczki is made with sour cream or cream cheese, filled with jam, and topped with powdered sugar before serving. Traditionally, apricot or raspberry jam will be used for these cookies.
However, nowadays we can see a wide variety of fillings, such as poppyseed, nuts, or sweet cheese.
So, which one of these dishes that you would like to try? Let us know in the comment section below!