Are you excited for Christmas? I definitely am. With all the Christmas carols, from Santa is coming to town to Feliz Navidad and fa la la la la, the spirits are at its peak at this time. The thing that gets me most excited is the idea of a Christmas special feast. Be it lunch or dinner, the table is laden with some of the best foods. The roasted and stuffed turkey with a side of the best wine in town along with a few sweetmeats to satiate the sugar cravings. Each of these foods has a history of its own. Take the eggnog, for instance.
The popular Christmas cocktail has journeyed from being a warm ale punch that was drunk by the British monks to a festive drink for the masses when it was paired with rum by the end of the 17th century. The thick egg-based drink was named through a string of words like noggin and grog and egg, clubbed together to be called eggnog. Interesting, right? Similarly, there are several other quintessential Christmas foods which have a tale to tell. However, overtime, with globalization and the intermingling to cultures, Christmas is not limited to Europe and America alone. Several parts of India like Kerala and Goa also celebrate the festival with a lavish feast.
Around the world, people have adopted various traditions which have come to be associated with the festival. Japan’s fried chicken eating tradition is a case in point. With introduction of KFC in the country, the Japanese craze for fried chicken increased, which was fueled by the special Christmas bucket, which finally ended up becoming a ritual on this festive day.
While we may think of the typical Christmas feast to revolve around these few foods only, there are some others that have vanished from dinner tables over the course of past few years. This Christmas, let’s dig in and reminisce some of the traditional delights associated with the day.
1. Oysters
While the feasts of today are quite meat-intensive, back in the 1800s, oysters and fish formed the core of the meal. Half-shell oysters were served along with lemon wedges as the first course of the Christmas meal. Oysters were an inexpensive delicacy and the tradition of eating an oyster stew on Christmas eve was brought about by Irish immigrants who settled in the US during the 19th century.
2. Roasted Goose
Now, you must be wondering when there’s turkey why are we talking about geese? Fair point, however, you are not aware of the ancient tradition maybe. Although turkey has come to be associated with a Christmas dinner time and again, it is roasted goose that dates back to the ancient Greeks. The dark meat of the goose was considered to be auspicious to be consumed on Christmas as they were the largest in size right after harvest period. The rich and flavourful gravy of a well-roasted goose really amps up the feast.
3. Mince Pies
Well, it would be wrong to say that mince pies have completely disappeared from the Christmas scene. You will find a corner of the table stacked with these sweet pies but that’s not how they used to be in the 12th century. Originally, mince pies were stuffed with meat instead of fruits and spices. The meaty pies of those days were quickly replaced with a sweet dish made of suet and butter.
4. Wild Boar Head
Sounds like quite a wild dish, doesn’t it? The master piece of Roman Christmas spreads in the 1500s, the wild boar’s head was considered to be a delicacy where the boiled head was slathered with wine and roasted. The black sauce that was served with it was made of a combination, cherry syrup, ginger, cinnamon, raisins, almonds and wine.
5. Spritz Cookies
These interesting cookies were shaped in various ways, from trees to colourful hangings. The name is derived from the German word spritzen, meaning to squirt. The technique of pushing the dough through a cookie press gives these cookies their name. They were quite popular in the 1600s in Germany. These short-bread style cookies were quite loved during the holiday season.