During the end of the year, there are many different holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. There are even different types of Christmas celebrations depending on where you live. For example in Russia they eat “Olivier salad”. This is similar to a potato or ham salad. Another traditional dish is pork roast with herbs and garlic.
Moving across the pond, British people eat “Christmas prime rib”. This is usually paired with “Yorkshire Pudding” which is similar to a “popover”. Even in the USA there is a difference between meals. In Alabama they eat “Crescent rolls” which is like a “bacon wreath”. In Georgia they eat Green Bean Casserole which is a mix of cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and onions.
Moving on to Hanukkah, the Jews eat “Latkes” which is a potato hash pancake. They also eat “Hanukkah Brisket”. This is served sliced with caramelized fennel. Another item is “Challah Bread” which is a sweet bread cooked with egg wash and honey.
The people who celebrate Kwanzaa eat “Jerk chicken” which is chicken with a jerk seasoning. One item is “Mirliton and Gulf Shrimp Casserole” which is cucumber, zucchini, squash, shrimp, and sausage. Lastly they eat “Mac and Cheese”.
Those were just the main courses – there are also wild differences between desserts of the holidays.
In Russian Orthodox households, they eat “Smetannik” which is a multi layered cake. This is multiple layers of honey pancakes with a sour cream frosting. Another dessert that is eaten during Russian Orthodox Christmas is “Pryaniki”, this is a cookie that has cinnamon or nutmeg with a dark brown center.
In the United Kingdom they eat “Christmas Cake” which is a cake made with dried and candied fruits. This cake has an amazing shelf life. As long as you “feed” it brandy every other week. This keeps the cake fresh. Another item British people eat is a “Yule Log” which is like a massive Yodel roll with powdered sugar. “English Trifle” is also very popular in Great Britain. It is layers of vanilla cake, pudding, and fruit.
In the states there is a massive variety of desserts. For example in Arizona the most popular dessert is “Flan”. This is a caramel pudding dish. In Arkansas they eat “Pecan Pie”. This pie is a mix of pecans, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla. In the smallest state they enjoy making “Gingerbread Cookies”.
During Hanukkah, they eat “Cinnamon-Cardamom Sufganiyot”. Imagine if you had a massive pastry and filled it with cinnamon creme. It has a low density so it will be easy to bite through. “Walnut Rugelach with Tahini Glaze” is another item that is eaten during Hanukkah. These are filled cookies with a taper on both sides. Though this is served year round, it is also taken out during Hanukkah.
Some desserts that are eaten during Kwanzaa are Georgia peach pie. This is similar to a pumpkin or sweet potato pie. “Sour Cream pound cake” is another dessert that is eaten during Kwanzaa. This is similar to regular pound cake but you add sour cream to it to add a distinct flavor. Lastly, “sweet potato pie with pecans” is a dessert eaten during Kwanzaa.
All of the food across the world is interesting and unique, making it with family builds memories and traditions for years and generations. Overall food is one of the foundations of the holidays and family traditions around the world.