Christmas 2021: 11 Festive Treats From Latin America And Around The World

Pataniscas de Bacalhau or Bacalao — 15 Interesting Facts About Christmas You Probably Didn’t Know Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images

The season of Christmas will always be above anything else, especially when it comes to holiday-approved classic dishes. From family traditional home-cooked cuisine, experimental dishes, up to seemingly weird but surprisingly good recipes, all will be ready to cover your most awaited big dinner this Christmas 2021.

Thinking and planning a Christmas dinner? Below are some mouthwatering traditional and not to be missed food from around the world. You better prepare for the highlight of this season!

Bacalao

Bacalao is the Spanish term for dried and salted codfish; it was later adapted in Mexican cuisine. It is particularly popular in Mexico for Christmas Eve dinner, this can be prepared in many different ways. It can be added with roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions, olives, parsley, and raisins. Leftovers can still be used to make sandwiches.

Ensalada de Navidad

Ensalada de Navidad is widely known all over Latin America, however, Peru levels it up to a whole new style. Vegetables together with potatoes and local specialties like quinoa or huancaina sauce. Peruvian Christmas salad can be replaced for the main dish.

Smalahove

Smalahove is a traditional Norwegian dish, made from steamed sheep's head paired with some potatoes, mashed swedes, beer, aquavit and rutabaga. Traditionally served on the Sunday before Christmas. The head of the sheep would be split in two, then once split remove the brain and the pieces must be soaked in water for two days. Once done with the soak, the head would be salted, dried and smoked, it would then be boiled or steamed ready to be eaten.

Mopane Worms

Mostly prepared and consumed in rural areas of southern Africa. The Mopane Worms are rich in protein, this caterpillar of the Gonimbrasia Belina moth is widely present in festivities. Harvesting starts in the last weeks of November, worms are preserved for the rest of the year, while fresh worms can be dried with onions, tomatoes and chili.

Gingerbread house models at the ArkDes, Sweden — Gingerbread house models are pictured at the ArkDes, Sweden's national centre for architecture and design, during this year's Gingerbread House 2020 competition with the theme 'Distance', on December 7, 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden. - A usually busy annual Christmas competition to build elaborate gingerbread houses held by Stockholm's national centre of architecture and design -- ArkDes -- is taking place virtually this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With more than one hundred entries from members of the public based around the theme of distance, staff at the museum have produced 3D scans of every entry. While members of the public would usually come to visit the exhibition in the Swedish capital, due the the Covid-19 pandemic, the gingerbread houses are stored at the museum and fans can visit ArkDes's website to view the entries, which include models of Sweden's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, climate activist Greta Thunberg, gnomes wearing surgical masks and families making the video calls that have become a more common way to stay in touch since the pandemic's start. Photo by Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

Feast of the Seven Fishes

"The Feast of the Seven Fishes" is their annual Christmas Eve vigil. It is considered the most anticipated seafood feast of the year in all Italian-American households. It started in the past when the Roman Catholics abstain from eating meat and animal fats around Christmas.

Mattak and Kiviak

Mattak is a tough strip of a narwhal or white whale skin, with the blubber still attached. Carved up in small chunks said to taste like fresh coconut. Mattak often has to be swallowed whole because it is too difficult to chew. Meanwhile, Kiviak is from a specific type of seabird found in Greenland, a small arctic bird called auk, wrapped in a lining of seal skin then fermented for several months before serving.

Bibingka

Bibingka is one of the most adored kind of snack mostly available during the Christmas season. It is known as kakanin, a rice-based snack made with rice flour and coconut milk, cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves, placed over hot coals.

KFC Christmas Dinner

Well, in Japan KFC Christmas fried chicken has become a new tradition for most people. An estimated 3.6 million families are reported to order each year, setting orders in advance is a must to avoid long wait hours.

Sweet Potato Noodle

It is known as Korean glass noodles that are made from sweet potato starch and water. Christmas buffets are sought after, especially in Seoul, and sweet potato noodles will always have a place on the table.

Selyodka Pod Shuboy

Selyodka Pod Shuboy originated from Russia, considered one of the more expensive-looking dishes for Christmas celebrations. It is translated to "herring under a fur coat," made up of diced pickled herring layered under diced potato, carrots, beetroot, onions, and mayonnaise then topped with boiled eggs.

Basler Brunsli

Traditional Swiss Christmas cookie meaning "Little Brown Cookies" made with almonds, chocolate and a touch of spice. These cookies are naturally gluten-free. People enjoy the slight nuttiness and its chewy texture, which originated in the 1700s from Basel, Switzerland.