It does not matter whether we call our favorite holiday Christmas, Bozic, Weihnacht, Noel, Navidad or Vanoce, around the globe it is celebrated in the most beautiful way. Christmas is all about forgiving, exchanging presents and celebrating with loved ones and over nice food. On Christmas Day,which is either 25th December or 7th January, families gather at the festive table where the finest dishes are served, many of them prepared according to ancient recipes, which may have been modified over the years.

It is interesting that a number of hearty festive meals, whether they are prepared according to the old recipes our grandmothers used in their kitchens or if they are found on culinary web-pages, are all enriched with Vegeta stock. The favorite blend of spices, indispensable on any shopping list of holiday dishes. 

Of course, with traditional Christmas menu there come many beautiful and interesting Christmas customs, which both derive from ancient times.

Some parts of Croatia maintained the old Christmas custom - festive dining ceremony begins with extinguishing a candle with a piece of bread soaked in wine which a host gives to everyone at the table to be shared. Menu consists of roasted poultry, most often turkey with "mlinci" (pasta tatters), just like in old times (according to ancient belief, poultry throws scratched earth behind, so symbolically all bad things are left in the past). In Serbia, besides inevitable paprikash and "sarma" cabbage rolls, rich Christmas table often contains "česnica", ancient Christmas cake made of thin pastry with a filling in which a silver coin is placed, and Christmas bread richly decorated with figures made of dough. Turkey often stuffed with chestnuts is favourite Christmas baking in Slovenia, served with steamed red cabbage, apples or plums, and sweet cranberry. Also inevitably, on the table there is "potica", cake made of puff pastry filled with poppy seeds, walnuts or even buckwheat "potica" with "čvarci" (pork rinds).  In Russia it is customary that Christmas table contains 12 meals (representing the 12 apostoles). Most popular Christmas meals in Russia are fish in aspic, roast pork stuffed with buckwheat porridge, chicken or duck with sautéed apples, roasted lamb or rabbit, ham, sausage, pates, and inevitable "blini", pancakes made from dough with yeast and "pirogi", stuffed dough cake. In Czech Republic the number of people at the table must be even, otherwise the one who is odd numbered, will not live long enough to welcome the following Christmas. Czech traditional Christmas menu consists of fish soup, carp (prepared in a various ways), potato salads, mushroom recipes and sour cabbage, apple strudel and Christmas bread, which is so popular that it can be purchased all year. In Poland, the menu should cosist of ingredients found in the forest, fields, gardens and water; thus they serve fish, most often carp or herring, soups (such as beetroot and almond soup), side dishes (sour cream with mushrooms), desserts and pastries. At the table one place setting is left empty for the unexpected guest. The dinner commences with breaking and sharing a piece of thin bread and wafer, which symbolizes love and harmony. In Spain children are given Christmas presents by Biblical Magi, and Spanish Christmas menu consists of finest seafood dishes, fish and lamb, stuffed turkey and desserts, including the "turron", sticky sweets made ​​from almonds, honey, sugar and egg whites . In some parts of France children put their boots in the window on Christmas Eve and their Christmas table is a traditional "buche de Noel". The goose stuffed with chestnuts and liver, goose pate, and dishes of fish and shellfish. In England Christmas celebration cannot be without a turkey stuffed with bread and minced meat or apples and prunes, and a traditional pudding (plum pudding) with dried fruit and spices, which is prepared up to three weeks prior to Christmas. A coin is placed in the pudding with a belief that it will bring wealth to the individual who bites into the piece containing the coin. Germany, the home of the Advent calendar, wreath and decorated Christmas trees, German Christmas table consists of roasted meat, goose or carp with various side dishes and salads, and various cakes and pastries including the traditional "Stollen" cake made with dried fruit.

In Italy, the festively decorated tables include roast poultry, pork, lamb and game. Also some traditional Christmas sweets such as bunt cake made with dried fruit (panettone), cakes in the shape of a snake (il serpentine) or dessert similar to dohnuts covered with melted sugar (struffoli).

Find your Christmas Eve recipe ideas on www.vegeta.com.au. Here are some of our recommendations: 

• Champignons and Button Mushroom Spread 
• English Style Trout  
• Marinated Salmon in a Sauce
• Stuffed Calamari
• Chickpea Salad  

Try  some of our recommendation recipes for Christmas:

• Veal Soup
  
• Turkey Fillet Roll
  
• Chicken from the oven
• Fillets Stuffed with Cheese and Walnuts  

 

Vegeta wishes you happy holidays!