Since the Yuletide comes but once a year, there are bound to be certain festive foods to look forward to as they will be available only this time of the year.
Over in the West, roast turkey with stuffing is usually a given for the season, but considering our different palates and cultures, you would think Malaysians may have different food preferences.
Here are eight festive foods that topped the list, and surprise, surprise, it turns out our tastebuds, at least when it comes to Christmas offerings anyway, are not all that different from our Western friends after all!
1.Roast turkey
A national dish in the United States that’s eaten during Thanksgiving, and now Christmas, the turkey would usually be stuffed with onions, carrots, celery and cubed bread, marinated with herbs and spices, and roasted for a few hours, making the wait all the more sweet.
“For Christmas, there must be turkey with stuffing and gravy, and cranberry jam too!
For side dishes, I always look forward to baked potatoes and butter roasted Brussel sprouts. Why? Because these are the set expectations of a great Christmas dinner!” — Jonathan, fitness trainer
2.Christmas ham
A German traditional dish, the Yule ham apparently became popular as Christmas food only in the last two centuries in the United States and Britain.
The dry cured ham usually comes with some sort of glaze.
“For me, we can fight over what bird to have on the Christmas table − turkey, duck, goose − but there must be ham! Ham for Christmas has a very traditional place in Germanic culture and this spreads all across Northern Europe, especially with the shared lineages of the royal households.
For me, it was always the highlight of Christmas dinner, mainly because of the way it was prepared – a crispy-chewy crust of ginger and cranberry to balance the saltiness of the meat.
Prepared by cooking the gammon joint submerged in ginger ale then coated with preserves and roasted, it even smells of Christmas!” — Simon, chef
3.Christmas pudding
A traditional Christmas dessert, this consists of sweet, dried fruit pudding that has its origins in medieval England. Also dubbed plum pudding or figgy pudding, there is actually no plum in it at all.
“One of the things that never deviates for my family’s Christmas festivities is the Christmas pudding.
My father is British, and it’s a tradition that my whole family here has adopted.
We always pour brandy or rum onto the pudding and flambé it the traditional way.
It’s probably the only part of Christmas dinner that I’ve never made myself!” — Sarah, chef and content creator
4.Gingerbread cookies
In medieval Europe, gingerbread was a popular treat, tasting of spices and mildly sweet, thanks to the molasses within.
“I love Christmas cookies, especially gingerbread cookies! I usually make my own, but some years, if I’m lazy,
I’ll just buy them from a certain bakery. I like the savoury, spiced element which is quite different from the usual sweet, chocolate-y cookies.” — Jun, recipe developer
5.Panettone
Typically eaten during Christmas, this is a sweet Italian bread made with eggs, fruit and butter.
“I love them and used to bring them back from Perth, Australia, where they sold real Italian ones.
This year, my sister brought one back for me. I like the texture, fragrance of spices and light sweetness from the dried fruits. It’s so light, I can’t stop eating it once I start!” — Marian, food writer
6.Mince pies
An English sweet pie filled with mincemeat made up of a mixture of fruits, suet and spices within crisp pastry, it used to be savoury in the middle ages as actual minced lamb, goose or even beef tongue was used.
“When I was a child, my aunt who is married to an Englishman, always used to make mince pies for Christmas.
I loved them as they were homemade and not so sweet.” — Audrey, early childhood educator
7.Captain Curry
More familiarly known as Curry Kapitan, this chicken curry was supposedly served to captains during the Western colonisation period in Malaya.
A dish popular with the Peranakan and Eurasian community, the gravy is thicker than other curries and carries a tinge of sour from tamarind.
“Only certain households cook this, and each has their own ‘secret recipe’.
I generally love curries, and this version is quite different from most Indian, Malay or Chinese curries.
It has a unique taste of spiciness and is slightly tangy. My Eurasian friend always cooks this for Christmas. Nothing beats home-cooked food!” — Sukhwinder, geotechnical engineer
8.Fish pie
A traditional English dish, also known as fisherman’s pie, it has fish such as cod, salmon, halibut or seafood in white sauce with a mashed potato topping.
“Fish pie has nothing to do with Christmas, just that it’s a dish which my mum always makes for Christmas Eve dinner for family and close friends. Her version is topped with puff pastry, and has potatoes and carrots.
Since it’s a once-a-year dish in my home, it’s something we always look forward to.” — Evan, clinical assistant
