Christmas Countdown AS PREPARATIONS BUILD FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, A TRADITIONAL BAKED HAM IS STILL KING FOR A FABULOUS FEAST THAT HAS ITS ROOTS IN ANCIENT TIMES.
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t may still be months off for most, but berries, beer and the precursor to the if you’re a butcher, chef or caterer it’s Christmas ham – spit-roasted pork. likely you’re gearing up for Christmas The Romans celebrated their own right now – with widespread supply midwinter festival, that of Saturnalia, chain issues, you don’t want to leave and during the Middle Ages these earlier anything to the last minute and be celebrations were allied to the proposed left short. birthday of Jesus, on December 25. While it might be the most wonderful From those beginnings emerged time of the year, it’s also the busiest, and traditions of culinary indulgence, even a large amount of planning is key to among those more well known for their ensuring you have everything you need to abstinence, such as monks and nuns. satisfy demand come the festive season. Christmas dinner increasingly began Above most other things, that to resemble the meal we enjoy includes a healthy stock of ham. today, with additions such as More than 74% of Australians, roast turkey and mince pies, and indeed a similar proportion while pork and ham remained a of New Zealanders, celebrate the mainstay. day with a big lunch or dinner – And when the first Europeans traditionally with a glazed ham as pitched up in Australia in the 18th Scan here to view the centrepiece of a spread with century, they brought with them Lesnie’s range of premium meat side dishes and accompaniments. these same traditions; 18 turkeys netting and cures. Indeed, 55% of Australians even arrived with the First Fleet identified ham as their favourite in January 1788. festive food, while the average time spent The antipodean Christmas dinner has preparing a Christmas meal is an amazing been evolving ever since, better serving 27 hours. the sweltering time of the year and more Rest assured though, this obsession with closely reflecting the diversity of modern dishing out huge servings of grub at the populations, while clinging onto certain end of the year is no modern phenomenon. traditions. In fact, it’s likely we owe the ancient And so, while you’ll find anything from a pagan populations of northern Europe plate of prawns to a panettone at a Yuletide a word of thanks for starting the spread these days, the centrepiece is still celebrations: it was they who first enjoyed likely to be a high-quality, well-prepared a significant feast around the time of ham – harking all the way back to those the midwinter solstice, gorging on beef, ancient beginnings.
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