FOOD + DRINK
Christmas Feasts
AROUND THE WORLD
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT LOVE , PEACE AND GIVING . IT ’ S ALSO ABOUT FAMILY . AND , OF COURSE , IT ’ S ABOUT FOOD – LOTS OF IT . FOOD THAT PILES UP IN VARIOUS ROOMS AROUND THE HOUSE AND THAT MUST , UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES , BE CONSUMED BEFORE THE BIG DAY ITSELF ( ALTHOUGH , IN OUR OPINION , A CHRISTMAS EVE CHEESEBOARD AND ACCOMPANYING RED WINE OR TWO WHILE LAST-MINUTE WRAPPING IS ABSOLUTELY ALLOWED ). POST- IT NOTES PROCLAIMING THAT THIS CAKE OR THAT BOX OF CHOCOLATE IS TO BE SAVED FOR CHRISTMAS , AND MOUTHWATERING MORSELS TEMPTINGLY SITTING IN WAIT FOR 25TH DECEMBER , SO THAT WRAPPERS CAN FINALLY BE RIPPED OFF AND THE INDULGENCE CAN BEGIN ; A CHRISTMAS EVE SPENT PREPARING VEGGIES AND BAKING MINCE PIES THAT MAKE THE WHOLE HOUSE SMELL OF FESTIVE FUN .
For many , feeding loved ones is an act of pure love . For others , the chance to eat until you ’ re feeling sick is a once-a-year opportunity that can ’ t be missed . Whatever your reason for enjoying the festive feast , have you ever stopped to wonder what the story is behind it ? Or , what others around the world fill their Christmas table with – it ’ s not all turkey and stuffing , you know …
THE UK
The traditional , 21st-century version of Christmas dinner in the UK consists of a turkey , Brussels sprouts , roast potatoes , a variety of other vegetables such as carrots and parsnips , cranberry sauce , stuffing and pigs in blankets – mini chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon . Cover the whole lot in gravy and tuck in . Turkey might be swapped out for beef , gammon , or goose if you ’ re feeling fancy , but generally speaking , Christmas dinner is a big old Sunday roast made extra special thanks to crackers , paper hats and festive music . It ’ s followed by Christmas pudding – often covered in brandy which is then set alight to ward off evil spirits – and , more often than not , there will be a few other dessert choices on offer such as trifle , mince pies , a yule log , or a load of chocolate .
It wasn ’ t always that way , though .
Christmas dinner became popular in medieval times , but turkey wasn ’ t served – it wasn ’ t even heard of then . Instead , boar was the main ingredient of Christmas dinner , and this evolved into goose by the time we reached the 16th century . It was , however , only for the middle and poorer classes . The upper classes dined on things like swan and peacock ! Turkey finally made an appearance in the middle of the 16th century after the birds were imported from Spain . They weren ’ t particularly well liked , however , until Henry VIII chose to have one for Christmas dinner . After that , they had a surge of popularity , although the goose still won out – at least until the Victorian era . This may have had something to do with Charles Dickens ’ classic , A Christmas Carol . Near the end of the story , Scrooge sends a boy to buy the best turkey hanging in the poulterer ’ s window : “ not the little prize turkey : the big one ”, and it seems his leagues of loyal fans followed suit . As a nation , we ’ ve never really looked back .
93
FOOD+DRINK
Christmas Feasts
AROUND THE WORLD
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, PEACE AND GIVING. IT’S ALSO ABOUT FAMILY.
AND, OF COURSE, IT’S ABOUT FOOD – LOTS OF IT. FOOD THAT PILES UP IN
VARIOUS ROOMS AROUND THE HOUSE AND THAT MUST, UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES, BE CONSUMED BEFORE THE BIG DAY ITSELF (ALTHOUGH, IN
OUR OPINION, A CHRISTMAS EVE CHEESEBOARD AND ACCOMPANYING RED
WINE OR TWO WHILE LAST-MINUTE WRAPPING IS ABSOLUTELY ALLOWED). POST-
IT NOTES PROCLAIMING THAT THIS CAKE OR THAT BOX OF CHOCOLATE IS TO
BE SAVED FOR CHRISTMAS, AND MOUTHWATERING MORSELS TEMPTINGLY
SITTING IN WAIT FOR 25TH DECEMBER, SO THAT WRAPPERS CAN FINALLY BE
RIPPED OFF AND THE INDULGENCE CAN BEGIN; A CHRISTMAS EVE SPENT
PREPARING VEGGIES AND BAKING MINCE PIES THAT MAKE THE WHOLE HOUSE
SMELL OF FESTIVE FUN.
For many, feeding loved
ones is an act of pure love.
For others, the chance to eat
until you’re feeling sick is a
once-a-year opportunity that
can’t be missed. Whatever
your reason for enjoying the
festive feast, have you ever
stopped to wonder what the
story is behind it? Or, what
others around the world
fill their Christmas table with
– it’s not all turkey and
stuffing, you know…
THE UK
The traditional, 21st-century version of
Christmas dinner in the UK consists of a turkey,
Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, a variety of
other vegetables such as carrots and parsnips,
cranberry sauce, stuffing and pigs in blankets
– mini chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon.
Cover the whole lot in gravy and tuck in.
Turkey might be swapped out for beef,
gammon, or goose if you’re feeling fancy, but
generally speaking, Christmas dinner is a big
old Sunday roast made extra special thanks to
crackers, paper hats and festive music. It’s
followed by Christmas pudding – often
covered in brandy which is then set alight to
ward off evil spirits – and, more often than
not, there will be a few other dessert choices
on offer such as trifle, mince pies, a yule log,
or a load of chocolate.
It wasn’t always that way, though.
Christmas dinner became popular in medieval
times, but turkey wasn’t served – it wasn’t
even heard of then. Instead, boar was the main
ingredient of Christmas dinner, and this
evolved into goose by the time we reached
the 16th century. It was, however, only for the
middle and poorer classes. The upper classes
dined on things like swan and peacock! Turkey
finally made an appearance in the middle of
the 16th century after the birds were imported
from Spain. They weren’ Ё���ѥ�ձ�ɱ�ݕ���������)��ݕٕȰ�չѥ��!����Y%%$����͔�Ѽ���ٔ����)��ȁ
�ɥ�ѵ�́�����ȸ��ѕȁѡ�а�ѡ�䁡����)��ɝ��������ձ�ɥ�䰁��ѡ�՝��ѡ�����͔��ѥ��)ݽ����Ѓ�L��Ё����Ёչѥ��ѡ��Y��ѽɥ����Ʉ��Q���)��䁡�ٔ�����ͽ��ѡ����Ѽ����ݥѠ�
��ɱ��)�����ϊd�����ͥ����
�ɥ�ѵ�́
�ɽ���9��ȁѡ�)�������ѡ���ѽ�䰁M�ɽ����͕��́�����Ѽ����)ѡ�����Ё��ɭ�䁡����������ѡ����ձѕɕˊe�)ݥ����胊q��Ёѡ�����ѱ���ɥ锁��ɭ���ѡ�����)����t�������Ё͕��́��́����Օ́�����兰�����)�����ݕ���եи�́����ѥ����ݗ�eٔ���ٕȁɕ����)������������(��