Christmas menu in 5 world countries: Korea, France, Italy, Russia and Brazil
Italy
Don’t expect any roasts in Italy. Instead, you can look forward to the luxurious taste of freshly prepared fish, octopus and seafood. In Rome, they serve fried pieces of ricotta or artichokes, broccoli and zucchini. In Naples, the traditional course is a mix of broccoli and seafood. Like cheese is to France, pasta is to Italy! You will also find anchovies and parmesan on the table. The most common dessert is panettone, which is similar to our Bundt cake.
Brazil
Unlike Italy, you will definitely enjoy a good roast in Brazil! Here, the Christmas table features special genetically modified chickens called Chester. They are feed to produce the largest quantity of luxurious breast meet. You won’t ever see these chickens running around in Brazil, but almost everybody likes to eat them at Christmas. They are served roasted, sprinkled with nutmeg and served with olives, potatoes, onion and peppers.
The Brazilian Christmas spread also features fruit (pineapple, cherries, mango), nuts, cold potato salad with apples and raisins, and Christmas rice. You might also encounter a traditional Portuguese dish called “rabanadas”: stale bread soaked in milk and eggs, fried and sprinkled with plenty of sugar and cinnamon.
You can refresh yourself with cold beer and the most common celebration cocktail is a luxurious caipirinha.
Korea
Although Korea is largely a Buddhist country, Christmas is becoming increasingly popular. People go out to restaurants for Christmas dinner in this Asian country much more often than we do. What do they like to savour at Christmas?
The Christmas buffet includes all sorts of things, from perfectly roasted turkey to crab legs and sushi. You will look for a traditional Christmas meal in vain here, but Koreans enjoy popular Korean cuisine at restaurants: sweet potatoes, noodles, rice soup, grilled beef (bulgogi) and spicy fermented cabbage (kimchi).
Russia
A lot of eating gets done in Russia during Advent, so Christmas dinner is often meat-free. This tradition is upheld mainly in orthodox families. But don’t think the tables are empty. On the contrary! Usually, up to 12 courses are served in honour of the twelve apostles!
First up is dry bread, which is dipped in honey and then in garlic. These ingredients symbolise the sweetness and bitterness of life. Kutya or Sochivo is the first course, which is something like Christmas pudding. This is followed by mushroom soup, borsch or pelmeni.
The courses also feature sterilised vegetables, and in unorthodox families a portion of fish with salad. Then there is a cereal course, rice or dumplings. Sometimes, the desserts consists only of fruit and nuts, elsewhere there are pastries and cookies.
France
In France, you will enjoy a truly refined and luxurious menu. There is foie gras, oysters (usually served raw) or smoked salmon. Naturally served with wine! The main course is turkey with chestnut stuffing, served with mushrooms and vegetables. In Alsace, the turkey is usually replaced with goose.
The festive Christmas menu in France cannot make do without cheese and salad and a fine red wine.
The tasting trip is over!
Have you been inspired? Will you prepare something exotic for the Christmas table this year, or will you stick to the classic Czech carp? No matter what you serve, we hope all the people you love meet around your holiday table.
