Most people can agree that one of the most enjoyable things about the holidays is gathering with loved ones to consume an elaborate feast featuring seasonal favorites. Home cooks spend days prepping for the big meal, kitchens alive with the sounds, smells, and flavors of Christmas. Around the world, different dishes make their way to the table, highlighting the diversity that makes the planet great. Consider adding a traditional dish from one of these countries to make Christmas dinner even more special.
10 Kholodets - Russia
Russians putting together a traditional Christmas meal will have to make sure they're up early to get started on the kholodets. The dish is a process that takes several hours of prep time and over 24 hours in total. A natural, gelatinized broth forms slowly as bits of tendons, skin, and bones from different animals boil on the stove. Typical aromatics like garlic, onion, celery, salt, and pepper are added to the mix for flavor.
It takes a trained eye to know when the broth is done, and some chefs suggest rubbing the broth on one's lips to see if it leaves a sticky residue. The meat is removed from the pot, chopped finely, and put into the bottom of a dish. The strained broth is poured over the meat in batches, placed in the fridge to set for 24 hours, cut into squares, and served cold.
9 Vitel Toné - Argentina
Vitel toné made its way to Argentina from Italy, where it has remained a traditional Christmas dish ever since. There are several ways to prepare it, but the foundation remains the same. Veal is simmered alongside onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and garlic. The meat is thinly sliced and plated, and on top goes a creamy sauce containing hard-boiled eggs, oil, tuna, anchovies, mayo, lemon juice, and mustard. A sprinkling of capers finishes it off. A few hours of refrigeration marries the flavors, and the dish is typically served cold or at room temperature as a refreshing appetizer.
8 Imbuljuta tal-Qastan - Malta
Move over hot cocoa; it's time to make some room for some imbuljuta tal-Qastan. The comforting drink comes from Malta, a country whose cuisine is flavorful and diverse. Dried chestnuts soak in water to soften for several hours and are placed in a pot with mandarin orange rinds and warming spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and cocoa.
The mixture simmers for around an hour until the chestnuts soften, and a bit of cornstarch and sour cream are added as thickeners. The nuts are mashed into smaller pieces, and the beverage is poured into glasses or small bowls. The result is a rich and soul-soothing drink you can eat.
7 Tamales - Mexico
Like so many traditional Christmas dishes, tamales are a labor of love and usually a family affair. A corn-based dough made from masa flour, lard, and broth is tended to until it reaches the perfect consistency. The dough is spread across soaked corn husks and filled with various things. Popular stuffings include bean and cheese, chicken, and pork. The corn husks are carefully wrapped and commonly secured with a corn husk string and steamed until done. They are perfectly-sized pockets of flavor that are delicious on their own but often topped with avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
6 Pierogis - Poland
Pierogis are a traditional Polish dish that keeps on giving. It's not uncommon for families to set aside a whole day to put together batch after batch of these plump and delicious pasta dumplings. The unleavened dough is rolled out and cut into circles. The circles are then loaded with an endless variety of fillings, including sauerkraut, potato and cheese, pork, and blueberries.
The dumplings are boiled until they rise to the surface. While they're ready to eat at this point, it's best to toss the pierogis into a pan filled with butter and fry the bad boys up until they get that beautiful, golden crisp crust. They are typically served with a generous sour cream dollop and sprinkled with chives, caramelized onions, or bacon bits.
5 KFC Fried Chicken - Japan
There would be plenty of people disappointed to see their Christmas spread consist of fare from a fast-food chain, but that's not the case in Japan. For several decades, it's been a tradition for Japanese people to enjoy a hearty feast served up by KFC. A campaign led by a KFC owner in Japan took off in the 1970s and has remained popular ever since.
At KFCs around the country, the Colonel dons some festive gear and promotes his "Party Barrel" of fried chicken for Christmas dinner. With sides like biscuits, macaroni and cheese, salad, cake, and even wine, the fast-food giant makes sure its patrons have everything they need for a fully loaded yuletide dinner.
4 Ghapama - Armenia
In Armenia, several of Christmas' favorite flavors come together inside the shell of a pumpkin. The beautiful presentation matches the delicious taste of the dish known as ghapama. Rice that has been partially cooked is mixed with savory butter, nuts, and chopped fruits like apricots, cherries, and plums. The combination gets an additional boost of flavor from honey and cinnamon. Everything is placed into a hollowed-out pumpkin and baked for a couple of hours until the skin is soft and the flesh is tender.
3 Panettone - Italy
It's popular in America to see the bright yellow boxes of Pannetone on the shelves of grocery stores everywhere, but don't be fooled. There is nothing like some homemade Italian panettone. The sweetbread gets its signature flavor from a combination of rum-soaked dry fruits and the zest and candied peels of fresh oranges.
The dough is left to rise overnight, rolled into a rectangle, and embedded with the drained fruit. It's then carefully folded into the perfect panettone shape, left to rise again, and baked to perfection. The dish is typically served as is with dessert, but some people enjoy toasting it with some butter in a pan.
2 Doro Wat - Ethiopia
The unique blend of spices known as berbere gives the Ethiopian dish Doro wat its to-die-for flavor. Berbere is a fiery and multidimensional mixture of dried red chiles and 13 spices, including black peppercorns, turmeric, cloves, allspice, and cumin. Ethiopian-style ghee called nitter kibbeh goes into a pan with onions, garlic, and ginger to sautée before adding chicken broth, honey wine, and chopped-up chicken thighs. Hard-boiled eggs finish the dish, and the result is a hearty and delectable stew that pairs well with rice and sourdough flatbreads called injera.
1 Mattak - Greenland
Greenlanders would be the first to admit that mattak isn't for everyone, but whoever has the opportunity to give it a try should. The delicacy is simply pieces of whale skin and blubber cut into strips or cubes. While many people consume mattak raw, it's common to see breaded variations, and some enjoy it pickled or deep-fried.