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It is quite difficult for these dates to catch us away from the family. The Christmas it is a powerful magnet that draws us to where we belong, no matter how far away we live. Even so, we could fancy a change in the menu, a last minute trip or, why not, go from the stove and open the door to a most exotic Christmas dinner.
We take a walk through the gastronomic customs Holidays from ten countries around the world for inspiration.
The most elegant Christmas: Belgium
Any evening that begins with a plate of oysters carries a certain air of exclusivity. It is the typical start of a Christmas dinner in Belgium, surprising country under many points of view.
Other specialties are Christmas turkey, the turkey roasted in the oven, the Boeuf en croute au foie gras, round beef covered in foie gras and then wrapped in puff pastry, the Rabbit with plums or with chocolate sauce and pears in wine to accompany the dishes.
For dessert, the Christmas log, a sweet that we find in many European countries and especially in French-speaking ones. Its peculiar shape is due to the ancient ritual of burning a log of wood in the fireplace to celebrate the winter solstice, a holiday linked to the end of work in the fields and the darkest days of the year. A sweet return to life.
Christmas delicacies made in Peru
Peruvian gastronomy has been tempting us for years with specialty such as Chili pepper, Las Causas, Tiradito and, of course, Ceviche, its flagship dish.
At Christmas Eve dinner, Peru usually prepares a baked turkey, marinated in sweet or a suckling pig a la Caja china, roasted suckling pig with a marinade that can be sweet or salty. They are served with sweet and savory salads, buttered potatoes and Arabic rice, with almonds, raisins and garlic.
Throughout the month of December and on request, the Peruvian restaurant Tiradito is offering its customers the possibility of enjoying an authentic peruvian christmas dinner preparing the suckling pig a la Caja China with its Peruvian garnishes. They also take it home.
In Spain, a luxury Christmas
If we had to make a luxury menu Very Spanish, this would include the Lechazo de Castilla y León, the Suckling Pig, the Barnacles and the Angulas, an authentic delicacy whose price has sometimes exceeded a thousand euros per kilo.
If we are not satisfied with the traditional desserts, we can opt for the Nougat of the Vicens brand signed by Albert Adrià: from Tarta Tatin to Churros with chocolate. Or for a “limited edition” ice cream from Rocambolesc premium ice cream parlors with green tea, pistachio, pine honey and gingerbread topping and Bambolas (nuts covered in chocolate) of almonds, Pecans and hazelnuts.
El Atrium restaurant in Cáceres, with 2 Michelin stars, it opens its doors for a different and very exclusive Christmas Eve. Duck foie cappuccino with boletus and crispy corn, Creamy rice with mushrooms and little paper and Roast kid with potatoes on the fork are some of the dishes on the menu. It costs 175 euros per person without a drink.
Brazil, exotic Christmas
The geographic spread and ethnic mix make it impossible to speak of a single Christmas in Brazil. Dishes of Italian, Portuguese or African origin enliven the Christmas tables depending on the area in which we are.
What can not be missing are roast meats such as turkey or pork, ham, fruit, rice with raisins and Farofa, cassava flour mixed with various ingredients. For dessert, tropical fruit and ice cream.
Christmas Pudding and other English Christmas delicacies
In England the Christmas Evebut rather Christmas. It starts with some soup or some smoked salmon and continues with a roast turkey served with potatoes and vegetables: Brussels sprouts and parsnip are a must!! The Mince feet, mince pies, accompany all the Christmas festivities, as well as mulled wine.
For dessert, a typical Christmas Pudding, with breadcrumbs, spices and nuts, among other ingredients, served with a typical sweet sauce with Brandy. For the children, a Yule log, a Christmas Log. To finish, a bite of the best Stilton cheese.
In recent decades, Japan has been incorporating and interpreting in its own way some Western traditions linked to Christmas. Apart from the many lights in the streets, here Christmas is celebrated by gathering with friends and family to eat fried chicken in the restaurants of the American chain Kentucky Fried Chicken. There are even Christmas menus with fried chicken and cake as protagonists!
It is also customary to eat a Christmas cake, a cake with cream and strawberries that lovers usually eat for dessert on Christmas Eve. If we want to enjoy an original Christmas under the seal of Japan, Experiencia Kirei, the home delivery service of the Kabuki Group, is in charge of making it happen. There are three Christmas menus, from 92 to 260 euros, which include dishes such as Miso Soup, Spicy Salmon Tartare or Sashimi di Santiaguiño. And, to toast, sake.
The long Italian Christmas
In Italy, as in Spain, Christmas is a culinary marathon. The Christmas Eve It is undoubtedly the most important date, the meal in which more money, energy and expectations are invested. Fish is usually the leitmotiv: appetizers based on salmon and prawns, a first based on crustaceans and shellfish (a classic Risotto alla Pescatora or long pasta such as spaghetti or linguine with clams), a baked fish, a salad, sweets, fresh fruit and nuts. On Christmas Day, fish give way to meat with a great classic like the Tortellini in capon broth and some roast.
In Naples, the Capitone is usually prepared, the female of the eel, fried. December 26 is also celebrated by eating, this time with something lighter (within what is expected of a festive meal).
Desserts deserve a separate chapter: Pandoro (egg and butter bun), Panettone, nougat and fried sweets covered in honey (they have different names according to the regions of Italy) are just some of the sweet options to finish off an authentic “made in Italy” Christmas menu.
Grilled meats and cider in Argentina
At the table in the Argentine Christmas Eve can not miss, of course, meats: roast, suckling pig, matambre (meat rolled with hard-boiled egg and vegetables) and Vitel Tone. The latter is a specialty of Italian origin based on a somewhat daring marriage such as that of veal (roasted and thinly sliced) and a cream based on mayonnaise and tuna.
Then there are the eggs, the stuffed tomatoes, the Russian salad and the salty Piononos stuffed with tuna. For dessert, a fruit salad and a glass of cider to toast.
Iceland, a different Christmas
In Iceland, Christmas looks very tasty. The Smoked lamb, roast lamb, served with confit potatoes, peas and sugar bechamel. Nor can you miss partridge, smoked salmon and Hamburgers, smoked ham. To accompany these dishes, red cabbage and pickle and For dessert Fromage, a kind of rice pudding served cold with fruit and hot cherry sauce.
For Christmas, a whole almond is usually hidden in this sweet. The diner who has the joy of finding it in his portion, will win a prize. A tradition that is very reminiscent of the surprise hidden in the mass of the Roscón de Reyes. Of course, in Iceland the real beginning of the Christmas festivities is marked by dinner on the 23rd, when a rather peculiar delicatessen is served: the fermented ray.
Mole de fiesta and romeritos
In Mexico there is not one Christmas, but many. On Mexico CityThe most traditional thing for Christmas Eve is to get together with family and friends and eat, for example, cod, turkey, romeritos (a type of edible herb) and mole. It is one of the standard bearers of Mexican cuisine, a complex stew, usually accompanied by a thick sauce.
The most famous is the Poblano mole, a dark thick sauce based on chocolate, spices and chili peppers that usually accompanies poultry dishes, but there are moles of all colors, flavors and textures. Starting next January, this specialty will return to the kitchen of the Mexican restaurant MX point, whose authentic cuisine (in the most elegant surroundings) earned it 1 Michelin star. It will be, they say, the best mole of Oaxaca.