Christmas is the time of celebrating, loving, sharing and eating! Many countries around the world take this holiday very seriously and thus have their customs associated with it. Naturally, food comes as a part of these traditions. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the smell of yummy foods spreading out from the kitchen, without family dinners, full tables, and amazing flavors. Since eating is such a big deal during Christmas, the food must be both delicious and plentiful. A dinner is not enough; dessert plays an important role too. Here’s a list of 7 Christmas desserts from around the world. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to visit other countries during Christmas and have a taste of their unique traditions. If not, you can always bring the world to your home and prepare an international variety of Christmas desserts. It’d surely make the holidays more enjoyable and original!

  1. Sachertorte, Austria

Elegant and heavenly, the Sachertorte was invented by an Austrian confectioner. In 1832, current Austrian minister asked his kitchen staff to prepare a major dinner which was supposed to be attended by a prince. Because the chef was taken ill, a 16-years old apprentice was given the responsibility to make a dessert. He then made Sachertorte which turned out to be inventive and as royal as the guests. It’s made of thick chocolate and a layer of apricot jam, covered with dark chocolate and served with whipped cream.

Sachertorte

  1. Pavlova, New Zealand

While in many countries Christmas is associated with cold weather, warm cookies, and hot soups, in New Zealand it’s all about the sun, picnics, and fruity desserts. Pavlova is among New Zealanders‘ Christmas favorites. This meringue-based cake consists of a crust (crispy outside and soft inside), fruit and tons of whipped cream. If you want to add some variety to your Christmas dinner, it’s a perfect option, even if you live in a cold climate. This delicious, summer dessert that can make a terribly cold day warmer and sunnier.

Pavlova

  1. Lampreia de Ovos, Portugal

Rather unusual, this Portuguese cake is shaped like… a sea lamprey. Eggs and sugar are the main ingredients, but almonds and caramel are those who add character and flavor to the cake. Although ingredients are simple, the preparation requires a lot of creativity. The more artistically gifted the cook, the more impressing the result.

Ingredients-for-Lampreia-de-Ovos

  1. Stollen, Germany

Stollen is a sweet bread made with an addition of dried and candied fruit, spices, and nuts. Thanks to the dried fruit in the dough, the cake is beautiful and colorful. Powdered sugar sprinkled on the top of the bread, on the other hand, makes it look very winter- and snow like. It’s a simple dessert, but lovely and yummy at the same time.

Stollen-Germany

  1. Russian tea cakes, the United States

Despite their name, the Russian tea cakes are popular in the United States. Nobody’s sure where the name originates from, but possibly the recipe derived from other European desserts or was brought to Mexico by European travelers (that’s why Russian tea cakes are also known as Mexican wedding cakes). The ingredients are rather simple and usually include flour, eggs, sugar, nuts and, optionally, vanilla, caraway or anise. Because they’re coated with sugar, the cookies remind fluffy snowballs.

Russian-tea-cakes

  1. Risalamande, Denmark

Made of rice, milk, chopped almonds, whipped cream, and vanilla, this tasty pudding is served as a dessert during Christmas dinners in Denmark. To make it even more delicious, some cooks add a bit of cherry sauce at the end of preparations. Most importantly, though, Risalamande is not just food, it’s also a fun game. It’s a common custom to hide one whole almond inside of the pudding. Whoever finds it gets a present.

Danish-Risalamande

  1. Three kings cake, France, Spanish-speaking countries, the United States

The three kings cake gained popularity in many different countries, both in Europe and the Americas. It’s associated with the festival of Epiphany held in January, at the end of Christmas season. It’s shaped as a circle, seasoned with cinnamon and adorned with colorful topping. Inside of the cake, there’s usually a little figure of Baby Jesus. The person who finds it, gets specific tasks, responsibilities or privileges, depending on the particular tradition.

Three-kings-cake

Do you know some other Christmas delicacies? Let us know! Then share this article with your friends and wait until one of them invites you to try a dessert they’ve prepared because of your recommendation!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here