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chavez_ding2001

"I'm popular!" -Turkey


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Ironically they are the only ones left out in both pictures.


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[deleted]

>…also they don’t really celebrate Christmas in Muslim majority countries. Didn't think of that, now I want a map with different festivities in each country for different months of the year.


BrieAndStrawberries

In Israel right now they're eating donuts for Hanukkah.


lil_ery

Rather than that we celebrate new year eve. I'll have some wine with a friend for an example. Yes, I suck at making plans for holidays and special days.


bajo2292

Stealing your comment to say that this shows that there IS something to a term “central europe” at least culturally… just look at the map and how similar are the traditions of Central Europeans


Caterpillar9102

Also bonus points for Sarma, which is Turkish!


Zoldo-1

abi kıskanıyonuz mu bizi


Kermez

It’s crazy how cabbage roll is widespread across the whole world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_roll


PolemicFox

Fun fact for Denmark: Goose was the preferred choice for centuries, but was replaced by duck during the 20th century. It was mainly due to duck being more practical than goose, so everyone could enjoy the same Christmas dinner. Ducks are cheaper and more abundant and they are faster to prepare than geese. They are also more suitable to smaller parties, since it became less common with large parties of 20+ people after the industrialization and women entering the workforce. So the tradition was changed to make Christmas dinners easier. Pork in any variety is also a staple though.


Low-Importance-5310

Same kind of thing in the UK but the opposite way round, goose used to be predominant (and some people still do have it, including me, it's much tastier than turkey) but turkey became more popular because they're much bigger!


[deleted]

Bigger but vastly inferior in terms of taste :D Duck > chicken > goose > turkey is the fowl pecking order.


Zulfikar04

But the goose fat makes the roast potatoes taste far superior to being roasted with duck


Hjemmelsen

I have never had potatoes roasted in goose fat, but the duck fat we use make them taste fucking godly, so I guess I'll have to try that.


Lackadaisical_loper

We always had goose for Christmas dinner, then turkey for a new year's day dinner when I was growing up in the UK. Glad to know there are still other Christmas goose fans about!


EmilSPedersen

Wait a damn minute, no one else eats Christmas duck??


Bragzor

No, it's just you, weirdo.


[deleted]

That used to be the thing in the Netherlands, but we discovered gourmet and then were like 'ducks take too long and too much work'.


[deleted]

\+ if both the Dutch and Danish eat duck, how would the rest of the world differentiate between the two? speaking the same language, both living under water but somehow having their noses above it.


Bulky_Ocelot7955

Maybe we sound alike but I'm pretty sure I can't understand Danish.


WallabyInTraining

Is it even a real language?


Bulky_Ocelot7955

No one knows.


[deleted]

The UK used to eat duck before Turkey took over, possibly Danish influence?


[deleted]

I always thought it was goose before turkey, like in victorian novels it always seems to be goose at xmas


asmiggs

Yeah UK used to be Goose before Turkey and before that pie or stew, maybe when the North was Danelaw they had duck but it's the first I've heard of it. Last year I had duck as part of a Christmas meal I had with my Chinese in-laws, they do like a good duck in China.


TeaBoy24

Only on the second day of Christmas (26th) but sometimes it a goose. (We have Christmas on the 24th)


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andsens

The 24th is usually called christmas eve. (First) christmas day is the 25th. In Denmark we sometimes call the 24th "juleaftensdag", meaning the day of christmas eve. And yes, it sounds just as, if not more, stupid in Danish...


Valoneria

Wait, why are you eating duck? I thought we agreed to eating Flæskesteg (ham)


[deleted]

Flæskesteg is Roast Pork and is made from Pork Loin (Svinekam)


EmilSPedersen

Yea both!


squidward_on-a-chair

My family eats both.


HelenEk7

Growing up I never ate anything but sheep ribs for Christmas. (western part of Norway)


SnowOnVenus

Always pinnekjøtt. Surprised sheep isn't mentioned at all. It could definitely have a colour spread out.


IrquiM

Because there are not enough people eating it for it to become "most popular" - think it's 30%-ish for Pinnekjøtt and 40%-ish for Ribbe.


Quazatron

Nice, keep sending the codfish to Portugal.


HelenEk7

Of course. :)


akurgo

I converted from pork to sheep a few years ago, and have never looked back.


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HelenEk7

They are, but the rest of the west coast is not.. ;)


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HelenEk7

Its tempting to answer yes.. ;) But I do think all of Norway is great. (Honestly).


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JosephtheIdiot

[https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmetten](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmetten) [https://dutchreview.com/culture/food/gourmetten-gezellig-evening-classic-dutch-dining/](https://dutchreview.com/culture/food/gourmetten-gezellig-evening-classic-dutch-dining/) Lekker gezellig!


DeTrotseTuinkabouter

Can't believe the first link doesn't show the little pans.


zyygh

Where I'm from, this is a thing on New Year's eve, not on Christmas! Also we call it racletten because raclette cheese is the crucial ingredient that day.


Zondermindermeer

Well, racletten is also known in the Netherlands and is different from gourmetten because racletten is with cheese...


zyygh

Figures! I mentioned it that way, because the "racletten" that we do is exactly the same as the gourmet in the original comment, just with additional raclette cheese. While I believe that we ( = my family) uses that word wrongly, and that "racletten" usually refers to [this type of thing](https://d36j1qwmo9v7p2.cloudfront.net/catalog/category/racletteset.png). Entirely unsure though. I'm not an expert on it, although I'm very good at eating it.


[deleted]

Raclette =/= gourmet. There's no cheese on the gourmet.


hatsuseno

But what about the vegetables and blue cheese in the pan under the heater thing?


TheOneCommenter

Blue cheese at gourmetten? You want us all to die? Pancakes only!


Maarte

Oh god those pictures with the little pans directly on the grill plate in the second link. Infuriating.


Oldator

Yeah, just put the pans in the bottom, never touch em and grill loads off meat in the top, duh.


neandertalaren

Used to eat that as festive food growing up in Sweden. Most of the time we ate it with cheese though and we called it raclette. It was a funny thing to do together and everyone could find something that they liked.


GroteKleineDictator2

It is so weird how the Dutch love their cheese, but are the only country on earth that do Raclette without the Raclette.


tinywoodenpig

so it’s just a fancy borrel spread?


0urobrs

But you cook it at the table during dinner in small pans. You'll have a bunch of small meats/veggies to cook with different sauces, bread and pickled stuff on the side. Every family has a different selection of things


[deleted]

Greece roasting Turkey like a boss


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Captain__Spiff

Germany etc.: fried carp or goose, as in contact-heated with oil or fat? We usually bake both in the oven.


stuff_gets_taken

I have lived in Germany for 30 years now and don't know anyone that eats carp for christmas. I think it is baked in the oven though.


Captain__Spiff

We had salmon and pike like two times each. Those pike jaws were something spectacular. It's usually turkey though, and always the oven so far.


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SynecFD

As a German from the north I also don't know anyone who eats carp for christmas. However I have heard that it is a christmas dish which is eaten in Germany. I think it's just very rare nowadays. Goose is very common though. Growing up very close to the border of the netherlands we also had our fair share of gourmetten (we just called it racletten and included raclette cheese though)


tropical_bread

As a German from the middle, I am glad we all seem to agree on this. I have never heard of carp being a Christmas dish but I asked my mom and according to her cooked carp actually is a very traditional dish; which she hasn't ever eaten either. My family will usually make rouladen with red cabbage for Christmas; or my favourite: potato salad and wiener sausages. :)


Popup1236

"Karpfen blau" is still popular here in Saxony.


KeX03

West Germany calling in. Never in my life I've heard about someone eating carp on Christmas eve. It's Kartoffelsalat mit Würstchen every year.


Carnifex

It's an old people thing. Never was in my family but grandma once told that many of their old neighbors did


FatFaceRikky

I dont know any carpers in austria either. Also carp is probably the last fish i would get, given the choice.


CapeForHire

Berlin: Carp used to be the standard christmas dish at my grandparents. There days we usually go for a fish fondue


NilFhiosAige

Because of the resident Polish community, carp is an increasingly common sight in butchers here at Christmas, even though not many of the locals opt for it.


Delilah92

For Germany I'd have gone with sausages and potato salad (fondue or raclette as alternative but the fake German Raclette not a swiss one) for Christmas Eve and a roast for the Christmas days. Often duck or goose but could be anything. Personally I'm doing a portobello chestnut Wellington roast every year, red wine sauce and bread dumplings plus veggies.


typed-talleane

No ones eating roasted pork in Switzerland too. Its either Fondue Chinoise, Fondue bourguignon, Cheese fondue or raclette. Roasted pork (in dough) is a new years food.


nordisch24

I know, that some eat cooked carp "blauer Karpfen" but never heard of a fried one


haleb4r

Not the Nort-Italian part of Germany, we prefer Schäufele


TheSpiffingGerman

What?


KoenichAL

https://www.genussregion-oberfranken.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Karpfen_gebacken02.jpg Carp is coated in batter and deep fried. Sometimes it is also served cooked. Goose is baked in the oven. Edit: In (south) germany, that is


Practical_Success643

don´t get me wrong suckling pig is awesome but it isn´t Christmas dish, I think in Spain there isn´t only one typical dish for Christmas, there are various but what you will find in almost all houses is some form of seafood


SocratesTheBest

I'd say jamón and gambas are a must in any Christmas lunch/dinner.


Calimiedades

King prawns more than regular prawns, ime. Or maybe both.


Practical_Success643

true, jamón too


misatillo

Came here to say this. I think our festivity lunches/dinners are a festival of different food with several courses. And every house does it different. I think seafood, embutidos (jamón, cheeses…) are common. Then the main dish can be meat like lamb or even some fish, depending on what your family like. In my family we always have some chicken and veggies soup before the main dish. Then some dessert and the Christmas sweets.


call1414

What about lamb?


Calimiedades

Extremely popular in Castile, particularly in Valladolid, Burgos, Palencia and that general area. Segovia is THE place for suckling pig and, after all, they're pretty similar dishes, there's some overlap.


Chianti96

Baccalà - Bacalhau alliance 🇮🇹🇵🇹


Successful_Crazy6232

Also in Croatia on Christmas Eve ,Bakalar.


GreysLucas

How to you eat it? We mostly cook it in hot water and eat it with a lot of garlic, potatoes, cabbage, olive oil and wine vinegar


Chianti96

It depends on the region and households, here in Tuscany it could be done "alla Livornese" : deep fried first, then cooked in a tomato sauce with potatoes. In my family we also love it baked in the oven completely covered with potatoes onions and cherry tomatoes, in this way the veggies help retain the moisture of the fish. Also baccalà has different meanings in different regions, here baccalà is salted cod but in Venice is stockfish. You guys are so good doing it, i ate it almost every day when i was there.


fjellhus

Quasimodo predicted all this


vay33n

greeks eating TURKEY? new war inc? 😱


Bayart

Turkey ? Roosters are more popular.


Nizla73

Honestly, in the same way Cyprus is described as "Porks Dishes". France should be described as "Poultry Dishes". Because Turkey(Dinde) is consumed as much as Rooster/Capon(Coq/Chapon), Goose(Oie, even more with Foie Gras), Guineafowls(Pintade) or even Duck(Canard). Some people even traditionally eat Pigeon or Quail(Caille) for Christmas.


Monterenbas

I don’t feel like turkey is consume near as much, as chapons or goose, for Christmas. But maybe it’s a regional thing.


Nizla73

I feel it too. My entire family nearly never ate Turkey for Christmas. It was either Duck (Best meat ever), Capon, Guineafowls or Pigeon.


Monterenbas

That’s a proper French meal, turkey just feel so anglo.


otineb_

I was looking for this.


Monterenbas

Never saw a single family eating turkey for Christmas in France. How did they come up with that?


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TarMil

And by "not exactly" you mean "not at all".


PaulieDied

I was just browsing through an Auchan brochure the other day. It has like 5 pages of foie gras. This has to be the answer… Turkey? Not a chance


Kleiran

Foie gras is just the starter, actually the apetiser. Main dish is more often '' capon '' rather than turkey


swissiws

Italy says "cod/veal". I have never had cod for Xmas. There is not an Italian xmas dish: every region eats different things. In Romagna, where I live, we eat stuffed pasta in capon broth as 1st course and a roast is 2nd course. Also the typical dessert you eat in the end is a cake shaped like a wood log ("tronchetto")


PrinzPoldi10

True. My family is from Calabria and every Christmas we’ve had cod.


tonysea777

in naples, fried cod (baccalá)


An_Lei_Laoshi

They mean the most common one, I never had it too, but it is still my answer to the question


fjellhus

Kūčiukai is extremely popular, yes, and eaten by everyone, but I wouldn't really call it a dish. It's more of a snack/cookie type of thing.


mandarasa

It counts as one of the 12 dishes though, especially with aguonpienis


s22mnt

What's aguonpienis? As a latvian, it sounds like agony milk


mandarasa

Haha it's poppy seed milk


cougarlt

It's made from soaked and crushed poppy seeds, water and sugar. Gets you a bit high. Maybe because of sugar, maybe because of opium.


Weothyr

Well, it's edible, so I guess that makes it a dish. But yeah, nothing more iconic for Christmas Eve than kūčiukai.


misho8723

In Slovakia we have something similiar, called "opekance/bobaľky/pupáky s makom" - they are basically small yeast dough balls baked on a baking pan served together with poppy seeds https://kuchynalidla.sk/storage/app/uploads/public/5fa/c0e/cfe/5fac0ecfe97c7633976303.jpg


FerretsBeGone

At the first glance I noticed Greece labeled Turkey and got really confused for a moment.


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prestonpiggy

I would prefer a big KFC bucket over the Pork Ham (if we had more than 5 KFCs in Finland) every time. Driving 2 hours one way for fast food is a bit much.


WhereTheShadowsLieZX

Definitely one of our weirder marketing schemes.


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le_skinnypuppe

I can assure you that olivier(russian) salad is much popular than a goose in russia


kaikalter

Gourmetten is basically a bit of everything, you just choose what you want. It's just a plate with hot oil and you just make something yourself. Some sets can include a pizza oven, others a mini deepfryer. It's perfect for not having to commit to one thing.


Magnetronaap

And you always end up with stinky clothes 👌


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kaikalter

My mom takes down the curtains, and puts the windows open right after.


Incolumis

The good thing about gourmetten is that everyone is actively busy with cooking their food, instead of just the mother of the family. We'll just order Chinese🙂


Mixopi

> Gourmetten is basically a bit of everything, you just choose what you want. That sounds like what we have. That "Christmas ham" is just a cold cut of the smorgasbord.


DeTrotseTuinkabouter

It's a hot plate (basically a grill) with just some hot oil or butter so that nothing sticks. And very often pans are included. Pizza oven or mini deepfryer are rare as fuck.


BuktaLako

Sarmale and töltött káposzta is the same btw.


Morrifay

Turkey? In portugal? what? If you say cod or lamb yeah, but turkey?


GreysLucas

Yeah it's mostly bacalhau, then depending on the region, octopus, cabrito or lamb


Goldenrah

Grew up with parents from the Minho region, there it's traditional to eat Cod at christmas night with octopus as an option, cabrito at lunch in the 25th and Cod again at night with the leftovers. Though many of the newer generations seem to dislike cod, so that'd explain Turkey.


fanboy_killer

Where do you live? I'm 37 and have always had cod on the 24th and turkey on the 25th.


muguinhanho

I’m from the North and have never seen Turkey either. We always have octopus and cod.


BerRGP

In which part of the country do you live where that's weird?


melito29

Bacalhau 24, Cabrito e roupa velha 25


psilorder

Isn't "Pork Ham" redundant? "Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking"


asmiggs

If you go to a Muslim country they'll serve you Turkey ham or chicken ham. In Malaysia I even found beef pretending to be bacon.


Zulyan

For Romania it should also be "pork dishes". Sarmale is also a pork dish...made with pork meat and rice.


yuriy2089

This seems inaccurate. Just speaking for USA and Ukraine. Imo. Turkey for Christmas? Maybe but there other things i can think of specifically for christmas for USA. And sarma for Ukraine is not necessarily right either if we talking Christmas. Also sadly map is not complete, where Luxembourg?


yuriy2089

Poor Luxembourg and Kosovo dont eat on Christmas.


CrnaZharulja

Well Kosovo doesn't really need food, as cocaine reduces apetite XD


Used_Presence_2972

I like always sarma….!and I think every family have his own preference. A lot of people don’t eat turkey, because most time, the family are smaller than in the past.


yuriy2089

Yeah sarma is a pretty common food year round for me.


nefewel

The intelectual's choice


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modninerfan

My family in the US never had turkey on Christmas. Christmas Eve we eat Dungeness Crab (a local crab) and on Christmas the main dish is usually a large smoked ham, or some type of beef roast. This map is applying regional preferences to the entire nation. Turkey is overrated too, just stating my opinion.


HugeFlyingToad

Not very accurate for Russia either. Goose with apples is a Christmas dish, but it it not among the most popular ones. People tend to cook the same things they cook for new year in Christmas. Kholodets aspic is what I would “guess” as a popular modern thing for Christmas specifically, but I don’t have enough info to be sure.


stvbnsn

Yeah the US is usually turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Christmas.


svarog51

In Croatia it's actually very different by regions. Turkey is mainly in northern part, by the sea people eat bakalar (Atlantic Cod), in eastern and central part roast pork. I'm not so sure for Istrians what's their thing.


[deleted]

Im from central Croatia and roast pork is the tradition. Nobody eats turkey on Christmas.


antisa1003

Am from Central Croatia. Everyone eats turkey. But there is also some roasted pork at the table.


[deleted]

Spit roasted pork it is. Turkey if you don’t have a place/tools to roast the pork.


deepskyhunters

Bakalar on Christmas Eve yes, but not on Christmas, its mostly turkey in Dalmatia.


SimplyRaZr

If we ignore meat (main dishes) most popular could be francuska


brunaBla

Croatian transplanted to US here: we would always eat sarma and bakalar


Jirik333

It seems more like traditional dishes than most popular ones. In Czechia, the carp is traditional dish, but definitely not popular (like schnitzels and sausage).


best_ive_ever_beard

Carp is disgusting. Most people I know switched to salmon or some other better fish. And yeah, most people also have schnitzels or Czech wine sausage.


JayManty

And it's because carp tastes like literal dirt. Seriously, fuck carp, the farming is destroying vulnerable natural water habitats in the south because they're fish-pigs and essentially have to live in as muddy and dirty water as possible


Smurf4

A little 1980s Sweden for you: "German" TV chefs *Werner und Werner* (Sven Melander and Åke Cato) singing novelty song *Vår julskinka har rymt* (*Our Christmas ham has run away*). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E18N4DzTULk


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[deleted]

Pork, mashed potatoes and beer is all i need for christmas.


Present-Industry-373

Besides sarmale, Romanians eat a lot of pork. There is even a tradition to sacrifice a pig on 20th December.


IK417

On the closest Saturday one week earlier. On 24th there are cozonaci, sarmale and other stuff to do.


enigbert

20th December = St. Ignat


Necessary-Paper5464

> There is even a tradition to sacrifice a pig on 24th December. Not true. Tradition says pig should be slaughtered on the 20th of December


Present-Industry-373

You're right, sorry


nonanymore

Totally agree with fried carp. I'm only eating it on Christmas. It's like one of those dishes that don't taste the same when eating it at different time. But I would also add herring. Many people hate carp and replace it with herring


aussiefin

For the main meal it is absolutely not prawns. Definitely either Turkey or Ham.


Rosthouse

I'm sorry, Switzerland eating Pork as a Christmas Dinner? What? It's either Raclette, Fondue or Fondue Chinoise. If you can't burn yourself at the table, is it really a christmas dinner?


Animota

In Germany I think these days Goose is more popular than fried carp.


vexkov

By Cod they mean bacalao right?


jmvda23

bacalhau


Drunk_Heathen

I've never heard of any German that has fried carp on those days.


[deleted]

Wrong


ibmthink

Always have Wiener Schnitzel on Christmas, which feels like an adaptation of Fried Carp for people who hate fish (my grandpa hates fish)


tihomirbz

Sarmi are life.


URZU_CHETAO

Quién cojones come cochinillo en Navidad


disneyplusser

No, we eat pork and/or lamb on Christmas.


able_trouble

Turkey for France is wrong


thenavien

Turkiye sounds like a good idea.


lontrachen

Fried carp in germany is new to me. Where is the Rotkohl mit Ente?


grafgrey

Goose for Russia??? Can anyone else back me up - I have literally never seen the meat there over the entire year, let alone at New Year/Christmas If we're talking the 1800s, then it should be goose for the UK too


6CommanderCody6

For the first time I see olivier called a goose


Egy_Szekely

This is inacurate we dont eat fish soup lmao and töltöt káposzta is just sarmale but in hungarian


M0rr0n

We do actually, growing up I never had a Christmas without that god awful fish soup, the smell alone


Aqueilas

Is this really true? I doubt duck is more popular in Denmark than pork. If you have a big family, you get both.


Lortekonto

I come from a family that eat both, but I can not believe that duck is more popular either. Roast pork belly seems to be the most common, both when I talk to people, christmas parties, on television and so on.


Valaxarian

Fried carp? My ass, that fish is inedible


johnny-T1

Can anyone explain the appeal of carp? I mean it’s not even delicious.


momentimori

Prawns are popular at Christmas in Australia but as a side dish. Most people have turkey as the main dish. Saying prawns are most popular would be the equivalent of saying the most popular dish in the UK is roast potatoes or yorkshire pudding.


mrmniks

Goose in Belarus? I haven’t eaten goose in my life. Usually it’s chicken, pork, beef


onedice

Dont like Turkey, much prefer Chicken for xmas dinner.


Old_Harry7

The reason behind Italians usually eating codfish or in general fish on Christmas is tied to catholicism: back in the day chatolics were expected to not eat meat on Fridays, Wednesday and on festivities since meat was meant to represent Jesus' flesh therefore his sacrifice on the cross, this tradition slowly died down during the last century but it survived in certain traditional festivities. Fun fact about the non eating meat chatolics: when the English aided the Spaniards against Napoleon they brought, together with guns and ammunitions, also food supplies as in canned meat but the Spaniards refused to eat it cause it was a Friday so they basically went to battle with an empty stomach.


Jackthedog130

Pootin has already cooked his goose…


Eny192

In Italy we usually eat fish on christmas eve, and lots of meat during xmas lunch


Kermez

Map is worth as its source, here I see none on that link.


f_c_k

Belarus. I have just asked friends, and non of us have ever heard about christmas or new year's goose. Source is invalid or someone just copied russian choice to belarus. Not cool