04 September 2026
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World Kitchen Journal
Most Popular Christmas Dishes Around The World
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Most Popular Christmas Dishes Around The World

Christmas is that magical time when friends and family come together for fun, togetherness, and fantastic food. While many of us enjoy our Christmas meal on December 25th, Christmas Eve is at the center of the celebrations in many countries. In the Christmas tradition, December 24th was the final day of the 40 days of …

By World Editors · Turkey · 3 min ·

Most Popular Christmas Dishes Around the World Popular Christmas Dishes in the Americas Popular Christmas Dishes in Europe Popular Christmas Dishes in Africa, Australia and Asia Each country with a Christian heritage has its proud tradition of food prepared for its most memorable meal. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular choices at the center of the Christmas meal and the many memorable and delicious ways in which they’re typically prepared. Turkey In the USA and Canada, turkeys are not only synonymous with Thanksgiving, but as well with Christmas.

However, turkey is at the center of Christmas dinner in many other countries around the world from Brazil to France and New Zealand. In the US, Canada, and the UK, roast turkey is served with various stuffings and sauces to offset the fact that the meat can quickly become a little dry while preparation.

Sage and onion stuffing is popular in the UK, while in the States, it’s rare to find a roast turkey without fresh cranberry sauce on the side. Turkey is almost always the centerpiece of Christmas Eve feasts in France , where it’s served with chestnut stuffing and sometimes surrounded by roast chestnuts and stuffed apples. In Spain and Cuba, roast suckling pig is the centerpiece of the traditional Christmas table.

It’s typically served with caramelized potatoes and onions cooked under the meat and seeped in the succulent juices. In Moldova (where Christmas is celebrated on January 7th), pork features in the most popular dishes on the festive table – because it symbolizes the desire for wealth and success.

This significant cut of boneless pork is first cooked on the stovetop with vegetables and finished off in the oven. This fiery pork stew is cooked, then left to marinate for several days before it’s proudly served – so that the flavors of the vinegar, spices, and chilis have time to mix together and tenderize the meat.

In addition, in some places, Christmas Eve is viewed as the final day of fasting, so meat is off the menu – and fish is the protein of choice. In Europe, two kinds of fish are traditionally served for the festive meal: carp (a river fish) and cod (a sea fish). But in Central and Eastern Europe, carp fishing and farming have a long tradition and it’s the Christmas food of choice in many households.

For many Latinos living in the USA, tamales are also part of their heritage and synonymous with the Christmas holidays. In Germany and Austria, while fish is eaten on Christmas Eve, the goose remains a popular choice on Christmas Day.

Chicken In Brazil, one of the most popular Christmas alternatives to turkey is a “ chester “. Often too large for the household oven, it would be prepared in a casserole with the requisite potatoes and vegetables before being taken to the local bakery to roast.

Key facts
  • Who: Christmas · Christmas Eve
  • Figures: 16 million · 29 million

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