We all have special treats that we enjoy when the holiday season comes around. But depending on where you live in the world, your idea of a holiday treat can look drastically different from a different country’s holiday treat.
It’s said that the tradition of the Christmas tree came to be in Germany. Some countries have other traditions like vegetable stews or brussel sprouts or fish… Whatever it is, check out what treats look like all over the world. Your mind is about to be blown!
1. Kimchi Dumplings (South Korea)
South Korea uses several different fillings, like tofu or pork. But kimchi (fermented napa cabbage) is one of the most popular. After they’re steamed or boiled, they’re then added to manduguk, or Korean dumpling soup.
2. Crepe Tower (Argentina)
This is quite literally a tower! In Spanish, this is called Torre de panqueques and consists of layers of different crepes. Salad leaves, cheese, ham, eggs, veggies — you name it — and usually served cold.
It might look off-putting if you don’t know what it is, but it’s actually a delicious dessert. Made of a soft rice pudding base and mixed with chopped almonds and whipped cream. It’s decorated with cherry sauce for extra flavor and festive color, and usually served after the main course at dinner.
4. Glazed baked ham (Jamaica)
This dish is usually enjoyed twice a year in Jamaica — once on Easter and then again on Christmas. Sometimes they decorate it with pineapple, and they’ll make the glaze out of cranberries, pineapple, orange, brown sugar, and mustard.
5. Toshikoshi Soba (Japan)
For Japan, New Year’s Eve (Ōmisoka) is a very special time of the year. They enjoy what is considered to be a year-crossing noodle, AKA a traditional bowl of buckwheat noodles, as they reflect on the past year and prep for the next. It’s easy to cut with chopsticks, which is a metaphor of letting go of anything bad that happened that year.
6. Spiced Hot Chocolate (Peru)
Picture the hot chocolate you know. Now picture it but way richer and creamier — that’s what this is. First, mix regular milk with evaporated and sweetened condensed milk. Then add chocolate, cocoa, and a delicious mix of spices.
Also called muktuk, this is an unusual delicacy in Greenland. It’s usually eaten raw and is made of beluga, narwhal, or bowhead whales. It has a nutty taste and is very oily.
8. Feast of Seven Fishes (Southern Italy)
This one is so popular, a lot of people in America celebrate with seven fishes. And it is exactly that — a feast of seven different fishes. It is also called Festa dei sette pesci.
This delicious stew is made with chicken and a whole lot of spices, which makes it super hot. It’s also served with a flatbread made from fermented batter, called injera.
10. Puto bumbóng (The Philippines)
This is an important Christmas treat that is usually served in the morning for breakfast in the Philippines. It’s made out of a glutinous rice that has a purple color. It’s prepared in bamboo tubes, steamed and then served on banana leaves.
11. Poppy Milk (Lithuania)
This dessert can be sipped out of a glass or eaten like a soup. It’s typically eaten after a traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Poppy seeds get boiled in hot water and drained, and then mixed with sugar and poppy seed treats.
12. Jansson’s Temptation (Sweden)
Also known in Swedish as Janssons frestelse. It is a traditional casserole made of layered potatoes, anchovies or sprats, bread crumbs, onions, and heavy cream. It’s a big traditional treat on Christmas Eve!
13. Herring under a fur coat (Russia)
This layered salad is loved in both Russia and the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It’s made of layers of herring, carrots, boiled potatoes, onions, apples, beetroots, and mayo.
14.Houbový kuba (Czech Republic)
This is a mushroom and barley risotto. On Christmas, people used to fast, and then a meatless kuba became a great dish for this. Black pepper, fried onion, garlic and fat are all used to create a richer flavor.
15. Brussel sprouts (Canada)
Winter means brussel sprout season in Canada! They are made extra delicious when roasted with maple syrup, shallots, bacon, and/or pecans. What a perfect winter snack.
We guess you could say these snails are a hit in France all year-round… But especially on the holidays. They are usually topped with garlic and parsley butter and served as the starter before dinner.
Pasta
and dessert, all in one? Sign us up! This is a sweet angel hair dessert made out of fine vermicelli, milk, eggs, and sugar.
This is made with pork or chicken. Then it’s also mixed with several different kinds of veggies, garlic and eggs, and then is put into a meat stock. Then it’s refrigerated so that the stock turns into a jelly-like substance.
19. Oliebollen (The Netherlands)
These are literally translated to “oil balls” and they are a very popular snack in The Netherlands. All they are — balls of dough dropped into oil to fry, and then served with sugar frosting.
Also popular in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, this is a special type of shortbread ginger cookie. It’s thin, crunchy, and usually in the shape of some sort of figure.
21. Fisherman’s Soup (Hungary)
This is a bright red soup that warms up a lot of people in Hungary in the winter. It’s hot and spicy, made with paprika, carp or other river fish, hence its name. Apparently, this is one of the spiciest dishes on the European continent.
This is also known as meat wrapped in cabbage, AKA a very popular dish in Poland! Typically served as the main course at Christmas with a tomato-based sauce.
Also known as Kransekake. In Norway and Denmark, it appears during a lot of special occasions like Christmas, New Years, weddings, etc. 18 cookie rings are made out of almond flour and then layered on top of each other and decorated with frosting.
This is basically Brazil’s French toast. Made with fresh bread, eggs, sweetened condensed milk and then deep-fried in oil. Then they’re usually sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar!
25. Eight-Treasure Rice (China)
This is rice that is combined with eight different fruits that are meant to bring good health. There’s usually dried red dates, lotus seeds, dried longan, plums, red bean paste, a variety of beans, nuts, and winter melon.
26. Goose, turkey, or duck (Germany)
If you’re in Germany, you’re most likely having a bird for dinner. Goose, turkey, or duck are all common meats on Christmas day. Usually served with bread, cabbage, and lots of wine.
This is a popular treat, but especially during the holidays. It is made of a corn-based dough that is then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. Other fillings like veggies, cheese and meat are also added.
In Spain, people eat a lot of different things. But on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it’s very common that along with whatever they’re eating, they’re also serving it with a side of cheese, meat, morcilla (black pudding), etc. And lots of cava!
29. Chingri Malai Curry (Bengal)
This is also known as prawn malai curry. Very popular in Bengal, it consists of a curry base (made from spices and coconut milk), and shrimp. It’s likely you’ll see this during other special occasions too, like weddings.
This dessert is just as popular in England, where it originated. The filling is called mincemeat but actually requires no meat at all. Instead, it’s made with a mix of veggies, fruits and juices.
Are you surprised by any of these foreign treats? Now we’re pros and know exactly what the world is enjoying around this time of year. Pretty cool!
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We all have special treats that we enjoy when the holiday season comes around. But depending on where you live in the world, your idea of a holiday treat can look drastically different from a different country’s holiday treat.
It’s said that the tradition of the Christmas tree came to be in Germany. Some countries have other traditions like vegetable stews or brussel sprouts or fish… Whatever it is, check out what treats look like all over the world. Your mind is about to be blown!
