Christmas pudding |ˈpʊdɪŋ| (Great Britain)

Christmas pudding or plum pudding is the main dessert at the traditional

English Christmas dinner in Great Britain, Ireland, and other Commonwealth of
Nations countries. Despite the name, it is not made of plum. In the Middle
Ages, people used to refer to raisins by this word. The pudding consists of
raisins, breadcrumbs, sugar, butter, spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg). Before
serving the dessert, they pour brandy, rum, or other strong alcoholic
beverages on it and set it on fire. Another peculiarity of the plum pudding is
that it is cooked a few weeks before serving, giving it time to ripen.

Kūčiukai (Lithuania)
Kūčiukai is a small Lithuanian cookie with poppy seeds. It is usually served with
poppy or cow's milk to make the structure softer and the taste more intense.
They are served at traditional Christmas dinners, which are called Кūčios
in Lithuania. On this evening, it is customary to serve 12 dishes, which mainly
consist of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and fish. Meat, however, is not
present on the table.

Latkes (Israel)
Latkes are an essential part of the festive table on Hanukkah in Israel. These
are pancakes made of grated potatoes, fried to golden crust in large
quantities of oil. They are commonly eaten with sour cream or apple sauce. It
is cooked as a reminder of the miracle, when the temple lights oil was burning
for eight days, instead of one. The first versions of latkes, though made of
cheese, were cooked back in the Middle Ages.

Christmas carp (Czech Republic)

Christmas carp is a must-have dish on the traditional Christmas dinner on
Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic. This tradition dates back to the Middle
Ages when carp scales were considered a symbol of wealth. Now it is
customary to carry them in your purse for good luck, and they are placed
under each plate at the festive dinner. It fish started to be cooked on
Christmas in the XIX century. Usually, carp is served in the form of fried slices,
fully baked or stuffed. Just like in Lithuania, you can't find meat on the Czech
festive table. More and more frequently, the Czechs buy two carps. They cook
one carp, and put the second one in the bathtub, and then release it, which is
not very useful for fish.

Fried Plantains (Cuba)

In Cuba, as in many Latin American countries, Christmas Eve is an occasion to
gather the whole family for a festive dinner. On this evening, the table usually
contains rice, black beans, rice pudding, and rum cake. The brightest side dish
is fried plantains, which perfectly complement fried piglet and rice. They are
cooked on melted fat and traditionally eaten with sea salt. Sometimes they
add pepper for spiciness.

Fried chicken (Japan)

Japan is a specific country with unique traditions, so it is not surprising that
this is where the most non-traditional Christmas dinner in the world takes
place. Since the 1970s, Japanese people have been going to the fast-food
restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), famous for its fried chicken in a
special pan with a secret recipe. The festive table is also served with osechi-
ryōri — a seafood set that includes fish, shrimp, oysters, caviar, lobsters, and
seaweed. The composition may vary. It is served in special lacquered boxes.
Each element of osechi-ryōri has its symbolic meaning.

Roasted turkey (USA)

American traditional Christmas food is very similar to the Thanksgiving meal,
with baked turkey at the head of the table. The braise is marinated for about a
day and baked in the oven for three to seven hours. Sometimes, the bird is
stuffed with bread crumbs, potatoes, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms. They
serve mashed potatoes as a side dish. Sauce — cranberry and gravy — play no
less important role than the turkey itself.
Smoked salmon (Ireland)
The most favorite Christmas food of the Irish is smoked salmon with shrimp
cocktail, which is laid on fresh green salad leaves. Salmon can be served
simply with sauce or vegetables. During the winter holidays, such smoked fish
is considered a great gift for colleagues, friends, and family.

Tamale (Mexico)
Tamale is one of the most popular dishes in South America. The Mexicans love
to cook it as a traditional Christmas meal. Basically, these are corn flour scones
wrapped in a corn leaf. Meat, vegetables, cheese, and even fruit are also often
put inside. They usually steam tamale. You should unwrap the corn leaf before
eating. It is used only to give shape to the stuffing.