To see whos eating what this weekend, the culinary website Chefs Pencil created a map showing what it says are the most popular Christmas dishes around the world.
Every family in every part of the world serves their own traditional Christmas foods, but in the U.S., some are enjoyed nationwide:Turkey.Prime Rib.Baked Ham.Mashed Potatoes & Gravy.Stuffing.Green Bean Casserole.Candied Sweet Potatoes.Roasted Vegetables.
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Turkey.
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Prime Rib.
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Baked Ham.
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Mashed Potatoes & Gravy.
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Stuffing.
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Green Bean Casserole.
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Candied Sweet Potatoes.
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Roasted Vegetables.
At the end of The Grinch, the title character carves a many-limbed “roast beast” as the guest of honor. My mouth starts to salivate every time I watch him passing that platter. If youre also a meat-eater, theres just no better dish for a big holiday feast than a showstopper of a roast.
Need some inspiration for your own holiday spread? Allow me to share my incredibly opinionated, completely unscientific Christmas food favorites, in order from the treats Im planning to pile high at the buffet table to those you can keep for yourself.
Peppermint bark. Peppermint hot cocoa. Mint chocolate chip ice cream. If theres a better combination than chocolate and peppermint, Ive never found it. When you use this mint chocolate cookie dough recipe as the base for this years gingerbread house, youll finally understand the whole Hansel and Gretel story.
As a kid, I couldnt understand why my mom always resisted making thumbprint cookies. Rolling dough between your hands, sticking your thumb right in the center, dusting with powdered sugar – it made the best mess. Now that I have to clean my own kitchen, I understand why she didnt want to still keep digging sugar out of the countertop grout a week later. Theyre not in my top five cookie choices, but still worth the effort.
We love the way this glazed ham looks and the easy steps it takes to cook. Glaze your ham with (yes!) root beer and serve this main with zero fear. I really like this Christmas ham, but not as much as I like yams.
More countries eat pork
Pork dishes are even more popular than turkey, in terms of the number of countries where both are served, Chef Pencils representative Salomea Restea told CNBC Travel.
Pork is the most popular traditional holiday dish in 23 countries, more than the 17 that focus on turkey, she said.
Suckling pig is the center of the traditional Christmas table in Spain and Cuba, while the Philippines feasts on roasted pork, according to the map.
Filipina Marites Rheme Lopez Javier said “nobody eats turkey” in her hometown of Bangar, La Union on the island of Luzon. Instead, families buy a live pig to cook at home, or a pre-roasted whole pig, called “lechon.”
“Lechon is very expensive,” she said, adding that a pig that can feed up to 50 people can cost more than $300.
Thats why “liempo,” or grilled pork belly, is also popular, she said. It can feed 10 people for 300-500 pesos ($5-9), she said.Source: Chefs Pencil
Roasted pork also dominates in Haiti, Switzerland and Slovenia, while ham is the favored dish in Jamaica and South Africa, according to the map.
Julskinka, which translates to “Christmas ham,” is a cold ham dish accented with mustard and breadcrumbs that is eaten in Sweden, while crispy pork ribs, or ribbe, is served in Norway for the holiday.
In Mexico and other parts of Central America, pork is steamed and wrapped in corn husks to make tamales, according to Chefs Pencil.
But pork joint is another holiday hit in Mexico too.
“In Mexico, a pork joint will be covered with a generous layer of homemade adobo, a thick chili paste with vinegar or citrus juice, and enriched with the flavors of onions, garlic, cumin and oregano,” according to the article.