If you’re traveling abroad this Christmas, you may not find your favorite holiday food on the menu.
This is because traditional holiday fares vary around the world.
To see who’s eating what this weekend, culinary website Chef’s Pencil has created a map of what’s inside. The most popular Christmas dish in the world.
Where turkey is traditional
According to the map, travelers vacationing in the United States, Canada, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom can expect turkey on their Christmas table this year.
Those heading to parts of South America can do so too – the map shows turkey is the top Christmas dish in Brazil, Chile and Peru.
Yet, according to Chef’s Pencil research, each country has its own take on how turkey is traditionally served.
“For example, in Peru, roasted turkey slices are served with whipped cream, chicken broth, lime juice, jalapeño peppers, fresh coriander and cayenne pepper melange,” the website says. “In Chile, it’s traditional to stuff a whole roasted turkey with apples.”
However, there is one similarity. According to Chef’s Pencil, roasted potatoes are served with turkey “almost everywhere.”
More countries eat pork
Salomea Restair, head of Chef Pencil, told CNBC Travel that pork dishes are more popular than turkey dishes, and even more so in terms of the number of countries where both are served.
Pork is the most popular traditional holiday dish in 23 countries, more than 17 countries focused on turkey, she said.
Suckling pigs are the centerpiece of the traditional Christmas table in Spain and Cuba, and roast pork is common in the Philippines, according to the map.
Philippine Marites Leme Lopez Javier said in her hometown of Bangar in La Union, Luzon, “nobody eats turkey. Instead, the family buys live pigs to cook at home. Buy or buy a pre-roasted whole pig called “lechon”.
“Lechon is very expensive,” she said, adding that a pig that could feed up to 50 people would cost over $300.
That’s why ‘liempo’ or grilled pork belly is also popular, she said. For 300 to 500 pesos ($5 to $9), she can serve a meal for 10 people, she says.
Roasted pork is also popular in Haiti, Switzerland and Slovenia, while ham is a popular dish in Jamaica and South Africa, according to the map.
Jurskinka, which means “Christmas ham,” is a cold ham dish accented with mustard and bread crumbs that is eaten in Sweden, but crispy pork ribs, or ribs, are served in Norway on holidays.
According to Chef’s Pencil, in Mexico and other parts of Central America, pork is steamed and wrapped in corn skins to make tamales.
But pork joints are also a popular holiday season in Mexico.
“of MexicoAccording to the article, the pork joint is covered in homemade adobo, a thick chili paste with vinegar or citrus juice, and is rich in onion, garlic, cumin and oregano flavors.
where other meat predominates
According to the map, ducks predominate in Denmark, and geese in Belarus and Russia.
However, Malta and Uganda prefer chicken as a celebratory dish. Brazilians also eat Chester chickens, which are larger than the average chicken and smaller than a turkey, according to The New York Times.
In Holland, an assortment of meat and vegetables grilled at the table is known as a celebratory meal. gourmet ten.
Italians traditionally eat veal, while Rwandans grill both beef and goat for Christmas.
Other countries prepare meat combinations for the holidays. For example, Bolivians love picana soup. This soup is often made with chicken, lamb or beef, seasoned with wine and beer.
rice, fish, shrimp
According to the map, in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, etc. on the Black Sea coast, stuffed cabbage rolls decorate the Christmas feast.
It also depicts Nigerian and Ghanaian residents celebrating by eating jollof rice, a dish of long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, and spices.
As the map shows, carp, a freshwater fish, is popular in Central and Eastern Europe, while saltwater cod tops holiday menus in Italy and Portugal.
A post about Christmas in Portugal on a travel website Portuguese state of the day“Christmas isn’t Christmas without cod on the table!”
Paula Williams of Sydney Cider said Australians feel the same way about shrimp.
The Sydney Fish Market draws crowds to buy shrimp before Christmas. This market will be his busiest week of the year before Christmas.
James D. Morgan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
“Shrimp is a Christmas staple for Australians,” she said. “People are queuing up at the fish market for shrimp. The lines are huge.
Christmas in Australia is “all about the outdoors,” she said, as it marks the beginning of summer.
“It’s about Barbie sitting in the sun and swimming,” she said. “It’s too hot to eat turkey.”
