It need not be turkey all the time. Let us turn to other countries and see what they can be up to. It is all from here
Carp in the bath tub
Fresh food is always better, right? In Slovakia, Poland, and Czechia, living carps are bought before Christmas and kept in the bathtub for several days until it is eaten.
It’s a symbol of good luck and a traditional meat-free meal in Central Europe. It probably started as a way to keep the fish fresh in the days before refrigeration.
The scales are often kept in the wallet of family members after Christmas for good luck.
Some Jewish families also keep fish in bathtubs and use them for making gefilte fish for Passover and Rosh Hashanah. It is not that common anymore but was featured in the 1972 children’s book “The Carp in the Bathtub”.
ears, and even hooves), then chicken is added to make a soup that chills into a jelly-like texture. Also known as Aspic, it predates Jell-O by several decades. The meat broth thickens when it cools into a not so appetizingly looking lump of jelly. The polish version is called Zimne Nóżki.
KFC for Christmas
In 1974, KFC took advantage of the fact that turkey was is not readily available in Japan and started advertising chicken for Christmas. The idea took off and it has become a real Japanese custom to eat at KFC for Christmas.
This is the only country where the fast-food outlet offers a set meal for Christmas (which includes cake and champagne along with the famous fried chicken). Even though it is ordered in advance, there are long lines waiting for the Colonel on Christmas Day.
Holodets
Holod means cold in Russian and this is a meat jelly made by cooking pork parts that contain a lot of bone, skin, and cartilage (such as legs,
Mopane worms
(what other people write about us)
One of the Christmas foods of choice in Southern Africa is mopane worms, the caterpillar of the Emperor Moth.
The ideal harvesting season for these protein-rich maggots is around Christmas, but they are eaten throughout the year. The yellow flesh has been described as tasting just like salty potato chips, or a mix of leaves, earth and salt.
