Traditional Food Served on Christmas in Greece
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Christmas is one of the most important days not only to Christians in Greece, but to Christians all over the world. As a result, people are in the mood to celebrate, and for Greeks, this means bringing out all their favorite foods! In many families, recipes are often passed down from one generation to another. Here are some of the most common foods found on the Christmas table in Greece:
Stuffed Cabbage
This dish is a traditional food, especially in Northern Greece. Essentially, yiaprakia is a type of stuffed cabbage that is primarily served at Christmas in certain regions. There are many variations to this dish, depending on the family and also the region of Greece. The traditional Kozani version consist of ground pork and cabbage soaked in in brine for a period of 6 weeks.
Christopsomo
This is used to emulate Christ’s bread. In fact, the term Christopsomo (picture above) means Christ’s bread. It is a popular fixture in Orthodox homes in Greece during Christmas. This bread is lovingly prepared by people in the household, but bakeries also sell it for those who don’t want to make their own. Not only that, but there are those who consider this bread to be sacred. It is believed that this bread has to be made well for a family to enjoy peace and prosperity in the next year.
Meat Dishes
In Greece, Christmas is a time when families bring out their favorite meat dishes, particular pork, but other types of meats are also served. Slaughtering hogs usually takes place during winter. This means that it is often a primary source of meat for the Christmas feast in Greece! People who raise and slaughter their own hogs usually prepare their tasty dishes for Christmas around hearths and open fires. Here’s a recipe for Baked Pork Loin and another for Roasted Pork with Celery.
Melomakarona
Melomakarona cookies are very popular in Greece during the Christmas holiday season. Cinnamon, orange and cloves are often used to give these cookies a unique and attractive taste. These cookies are usually dipped in a spiced syrup before sprinkled nut are added on top. In most places in Greece, these cookies are referred t as the Christmas cookies. There are also some versions that have nut centers.
Turkey
Unlike many of the foods that are served on the Greek Christmas table, turkey is somewhat new on the scene. The reason for this is that turkeys aren’t all that common in Greece, and those that are in Greece are also relatively new. Although it arrived in the 1800s, it has become one of the popular foods in Christmas tables. Chicken is also a popular poultry choice for both Christmas and New Year tables. Here’s a recipe for Greek style braised turkey.
Kourabiethes
Kourabiethes
are considered to be a cookie that is served during happy celebrations, of which Christmas is one of them. Made from powdered sugar, they also seem to melt in the mouth with every bite! They are often made using toasted almonds. Other nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts can also be used. These cookies can be made in different shapes. Kourabiethes Cookies are always dusted with, rolled in or buried under confectioner’s sugar.
There are many other traditional Christmas foods in Greece. Christmas foods are often available in plenty when Christians are celebrating Christmas all over Greece. The people preparing these foods laws put their best foot forward to impress their loved ones and visitors.
Categorized in: Greek Christmas Traditions
This post was written by Greek Boston
