Every culture celebrates holidays, and many find brightness in the shortened days of fall and winter with festivals and family gatherings. While some festivals are religious and some are secular, some big and some small, one thing almost every one has in common is special food and drink, and in large amounts. One of the most fun parts of an assignment abroad is discovering the meaningful meals of your new culture.
Just a few of the holiday foods and drinks you can find in Living Abroad’s content are:
Barszcz
This beet soup is a typical starter for Poland’s 12 dishes of Christmas Eve.
Christmas Cake
Though Japan is not a Christian country, this strawberry shortcake and its use of butter, sugar, and flour grew in popularity along with the country’s prosperity in the 20th century.
Colada Morada
An Ecuadorean drink for the Day of the Dead, Colada Morada is made with Andean fruits and berries, herbs and spices, and the purple corn flour that gives it its signature color.
Jollof Rice
This one-pot rice dish spiced with chilies, curry, and thyme is a common centerpiece of Nigerian tables at Christmas.
Moon Cakes
China’s famous moon cakes are traditionally made with dough wrapped around salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste and served during the mid-autumn festival.
Sarmi
These stuffed cabbage (zelevi sarmi) or grape leaf (lozovi sarmi) rolls can often be found on Bulgarian menus during the holidays.
There is a wide range of delicious foods to discover and enjoy on assignment. Find more information on traditions and dishes in the Holidays and Local Cuisine sections of the International Relocation Center…but warning, you may leave hungry!
Written by Kate Havas, GMS-T, Content Manager
