One of the most important parts of Christmas is the coming together of families around the dinner table. In the UK, traditional Christmas dinner most often consists of roast turkey or goose, vegetables, pigs in blankets and stuffing, followed by Christmas pudding, mince pies and trifle. While many countries around the world share the same foods as the UK, other countries have very different traditions.

In many European countries such as the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland, carp is a popular dish that is normally roasted, fried or stuffed. Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine serve a ritualised meal of twelve meatless dishes, whereas families in the Netherlands often follow the tradition of ‘gourmet’. This is an evening-long event where families gather around a gourmet set and use small, individual frying pans to cook and season their own food, which has been prepared by the host – this usually includes finely chopped vegetables and a variety of meats and seafood.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls in the summer-time. While turkey and ham are still popular down under, the summer heat means many Australians and New Zealanders prefer to have barbecues in order to avoid the heat of the oven.
Seafood, steak and chicken are commonly cooked on the barbecue, with pavlova and fruit being served for dessert.

North American countries traditionally serve tamale, which is a starchy dough that is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. Tamales can be stuffed with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables or chilies depending on the preference of those eating them.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different this festive season, why not try an ‘International Christmas’ and sample some foods that you wouldn’t normally cook.