The Philippines may have the longest celebration of the Christmas season in the world, but of course, celebrations in other countries also have their own unique quality to them, including the food they feast on.
There's actually a plethora of different Christmas dishes from other parts of the world that people enjoy with family and friends during Christmas Eve or on the actual day of Christmas.
So, if you're curious or would like to take inspiration for something new to serve your loved ones this coming Noche Buena, below are photos of the traditional Christmas foods from around the world.
Although fruitcake traces its roots to Europe, the iconic dessert also known as Christmas cake is a traditional food eaten by Americans during the holiday season. It is also a favorite edible Christmas present not just in the U.S., but also in other countries such as the Philippines.
Christmas Turkey is the lechon of the Americans. It's usually the centerpiece of their Christmas dinner table and is also served during Thanksgiving.
The centuries-old dessert called stollen is basically Germany's version of the fruit cake. It is a long, sweetened bread made with dried fruit and marzipan and dusted with icing.
Greeks enjoy the sweet pastry dessert called baklava during the holiday season. It contains layers of filo, chopped nuts and held together with honey, syrup or frosting. It is also a popular dessert in other countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Iraq.
The tamale is a traditional Mexican dish made of maize dough or masa and has meat or vegetable stuffing and steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. Some Mexican families even host a tamalada or tamale-making party a few days before Christmas.
The julbord or “Christmas table” is actually a meal that consists of cold fish dishes, meats, hot food, and dessert. Usually, the Swedish Christmas centerpiece is a Christmas ham, which is boiled then glazed with eggs, breadcrumbs, and mustard and served cold.
Austrians have a classic cake called sachertorte, which has become a big part of their holiday tradition. It is a chocolate cake that has a thin layer of apricot jam coated with dark chocolate icing.
In Denmark, they have a special rice pudding served as a dessert on Christmas Day called Ris a la mande. It is made with milk, rice, almonds, vanilla, and whipped cream. What's amazing about this dessert is that it has a whole almond hidden inside and whoever finds it gets a Christmas gift!
The Christmas pudding is the star of the British Christmas dinner. It is a dark steamed pudding usually made with flour, bread crumbs, dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple, and citrus zests.
It has been a tradition for Italian-Americans to abstain from eating meat on Christmas Eve, hence they consume seafood instead. This is where the traditional meal called Feast of the Seven Fishes or Festa dei Sette Pesci or La Vigilia originated from. It is a seven-course meal that consists of seafood dishes such as octopus, clams, mussels, and eels. The last course is usually reserved for desserts.