Culture
CREDIT^ TK46 NEWSWEEK.COM DECEMBER 11, 2020
04 Laufabrauð
Iceland
The decoration of this treat, which originated
as early as the beginning of the 18th century, is
often a family activity during the holiday season.
Rolled super thin and made to look like the
paper snowʀakes you might have crafted in
elementary school, leaf bread is a very thin and
crispy bread served in Iceland during Christmas.02 Lefse
North Dakota, United States
These potato-based ʀatbreads came to North
Dakota by way of Norwegian immigrants.
Particularly popular during the holiday season,
these rolled crepes can be paired with many
toppings from sweet sugar to savory eggs.01 Ponche Navideño
Mexico
In the days leading up to Christmas,
no Mexican family gathering is
complete without the aroma of this
drink in the home being served to
guests. This festive warm, spiced
(and sometimes spiked) punch
is made by simmering fresh
sugar cane, hibiscus, guavas,
tejocotes and various spices. It
smells like Christmas in a glass.03 Mattak and
Kiviak
Greenland
Greenland is known for
its frozen landscapes—
and the Danes claim it
as the home to the jolly
man himself. But its
additions to the Christ-
mas table are highly
unique delicacies:
mattak—made from
whale blubber—and
kiviak—made by wrap-
ping an auk (a small
Arctic bird) in seal skin
and fermenting it un-
derground for months.Unique Holiday
Foods From
Around the World
For many people, the holiday season is almost synonymous with a never-ending
stream of meals from November until the end of the year. Does your grandma
have a famous recipe for chocolate cake that she makes only once a year? Or
maybe it’s a bachelor uncle’s famous casserole. Even when the extended family
cannot spend the holidays together, almost every family has a unique dish or
two that makes it feel like their traditional holiday. Each corner of the globe also
has special dishes reserved almost exclusively for this time of the year. Whether
it’s celebrating the Chinese New Year or feeding the man in the red suit who
came down the chimney, here are some of the unique ways people around the
world eat their way through the holiday season. —Alexandra Schonfeld123
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