Collection
Christmas Recipes
Across the Christian world the Christmas table is the year's most anticipated meal, and every country keeps its own version. Here are authentic Christmas dishes from around the globe, from Iceland's layered Vinarterta and Denmark's risalamande to Guatemala's tamales colorados, Colombia's natilla, and the slow-simmered pepperpot of a Guyanese Christmas morning.
29 recipes
Arroz con GandulesSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 60 minRice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, and pork in one pot, forming a prized crust, Puerto Rico's national dish.
Bermuda Cassava PieHamilton, Bermuda · advanced · 190 minBermuda's essential Christmas dish: a sweet, spiced cake of grated cassava enclosing a savoury layer of chicken, baked slowly and basted with stock until set.
Bermuda Rum CakeHamilton, Bermuda · medium · 80 minA dense, buttery cake soaked in dark Bermuda rum, the island's signature celebration dessert.
Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)Masovia (Warsaw), Poland · medium · 175 minSauerkraut and fresh cabbage slow-cooked with assorted meats, mushrooms, and prunes, Poland’s national stew, better each day.
Bolo PretuWillemstad, Curaçao · advanced · 130 minA dark, dense fruitcake of rum-soaked fruit and browning, the celebration cake of Curaçao and the Dutch Antilles.
Cappelletti in BrodoCity of San Marino, San Marino · advanced · 120 minLittle hat-shaped filled pasta floating in a clear, rich broth, the festive first course of San Marino.
Fougasse MonégasqueMonaco, Monaco · medium · 65 minA sweet anise-and-orange-blossom bread topped with nuts and tiny red-and-white sweets, Monaco's festive bake.
FrituleDalmatia, Croatia · easy · 40 minLittle rum-and-citrus doughnut balls studded with raisins and dusted with sugar, a Croatian festive fritter.
Grey Peas with BaconRiga, Latvia · easy · 70 minNutty grey peas simmered soft and tossed with crisp bacon and fried onion, Latvia's unofficial national dish.
Guyanese PepperpotDemerara (Georgetown), Guyana · medium · 170 minMeat slow-simmered in cassareep, cinnamon, and hot pepper until glossy black, the Amerindian-rooted Christmas classic.
HavregrötSkåne, Sweden · easy · 12 minWarm oat porridge topped with lingonberry or blueberry and a splash of cold milk.
Janssons Frestelse (Jansson’s Temptation)Skåne, Sweden · easy · 80 minA creamy gratin of matchstick potatoes layered with sweet onions and Swedish spiced sprats, baked in cream and milk until golden.
MulgikapsadTartu, Estonia · easy · 135 minSauerkraut braised with pork and pearl barley until soft, sweet, and deeply savory, southern Estonia's pride.
Natilla ColombianaAntioquia, Colombia · easy · 35 minA firm, sliceable cinnamon custard set with cornstarch and sweetened with raw-cane panela, Colombia's Christmas sweet.
Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)Caracas, Venezuela · advanced · 75 minA soft, lightly sweet enriched loaf rolled into a spiral around smoked ham, bacon, green olives and raisins, the Venezuelan Christmas bread.
PavlovaCanterbury, New Zealand · medium · 95 minA cloud of meringue, crisp shell, marshmallow heart, piled with cream and summer fruit. The dessert two nations claim.
PernilSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 390 minPuerto Rico's holiday centrepiece: a bone-in pork shoulder seasoned to the core with garlic, oregano, and adobo, slow-roasted until tender with crackling cuerito.
Pierogi Ruskie (Potato & Cheese Dumplings)Lesser Poland, Poland · medium · 70 minTender dumplings stuffed with potato and farmer's cheese, finished in butter with golden onions.
QuesilloCaracas, Venezuela · easy · 75 minA dense caramel-topped custard set with whole eggs and condensed milk, the Venezuelan flan of every celebration.
RisalamandeZealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · easy · 60 minA cold almond rice pudding folded with whipped cream and cherry sauce, the Danish Christmas dessert with a hidden almond.
Sarma (Sour Cabbage Rolls)Šumadija (Belgrade), Serbia · medium · 190 minSour-cabbage leaves rolled around spiced meat and rice, braised low over smoked ribs, the dish that anchors every Serbian slava.
SarmaleTransylvania, Romania · medium · 240 minFermented sour-cabbage leaves rolled around minced pork and rice, layered with smoked meat and slowly braised, served with polenta and sour cream.
SernikLesser Poland, Poland · medium · 95 minA dense, rich baked cheesecake made from Polish twaróg curd cheese, a cornerstone of every celebration table.
SheqerparePristina, Kosovo · medium · 50 minSoft semolina cookies soaked in sugar syrup until melting, a popular sweet across Kosovo and the Balkans.
Spaghetti alle VongoleCampania, Italy · medium · 35 minSpaghetti tossed with clams, garlic, white wine, and parsley, the Bay of Naples in eight ingredients.
Tamales ColoradosSacatepéquez (Antigua), Guatemala · advanced · 150 minSoft corn masa tinted with a red recado of tomato, chile, and toasted seeds, wrapped around pork with an olive, and steamed in banana leaf.
TemblequeSan Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 25 minA wobbling coconut pudding set with cornstarch and dusted with cinnamon, a light Puerto Rican holiday classic.
TourtièreQuébec, Canada · medium · 100 minThe Québécois meat pie of the Christmas réveillon: ground pork and beef bound with mashed potato and warm spices, baked in a double crust.
VínartertaReykjavík, Iceland · medium · 70 minA striped layer cake of thin cardamom shortbread and spiced prune filling, an Icelandic Christmas heirloom.
← Browse all collections