Foods for the Holiday December 3, 2013

The Christmas season is also the ‘festive’ season. Festive, not only because of the sharing of gifts. But festive, for it’s sharing of food as well. Christmas dishes tend to be similar to Thanksgiving dishes. Common dishes include, Pumpkin pie, Apple pie, Apple cider, Christmas cookies, Christmas ham, Roast turkey, Stuffing, Eggnog, Hot chocolate, Gingerbread, Mashed potato, and Chocolate fudge.

Pumpkin pie is very traditional. The pumpkin, actually, is native to the continent of North America. By the seventeenth century, pumpkin pie recipes were found in English cookbooks. They weren’t found in American cookbooks until the early nineteenth century. At that time, the English pumpkin pie was prepared by stuffing the pumpkin with apples, spices, and sugar and then baking it whole.

The Christmas ham tradition is said to have begun among the Germanic people as a tribute to Freyr, a god in Germanic Paganism associated with boars, harvest and fertility. It was later popularized by the Catholic Church as a test of truthful conversion from Judaism.

Modern Christmas cookies trace history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits. By the 16th century Christmas biscuits had become popular across Europe. Children have left cookies and milk on the table for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve, since the 1930s. Often, the cookies are cut into the shapes of candy canes, reindeer, and holly leaves. Christmas cookies are fun!

Turkeys, traditionally, are the main course of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. It was eaten as such as early as the 16th century in England. Typically, turkey is served with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Turkey contains more protein per ounce than other meats.

What are your favorite foods for the Holiday?

PC TECH: English Language School in New York City