Christmas season is fast approaching, and it’s a time of celebration, shopping and of course - the most important activity as far as us Chow Luckies are concerned - is feasting.
With New Zealand’s long association and close ties to the UK, of course, many say Christmas is not Christmas without ham and turkey.
But migration also heralds the arrival of new Christmas feasting traditions, which can be markedly different from what Kiwis are traditionally used to.
Growing up in Singapore, my Peranakan family’s Christmas Eve dinner has always been one with this little-known dish called “ayam buah keluak”. It’s a type of chicken curry whose origins can be traced back to the Nyonyas in Malacca, Malaysia and made popular as a festive dish by the Portuguese Eurasians in the state.
Here’s looking at festive foods from around the world and the Christmas food traditions of our migrant communities here.
ROAST TURKEY (UK)
The golden roasted turkey is most definitely the culinary symbol of Christmas, but it hasn’t been the case not long ago.
The “must have turkey for Christmas” tradition only came about in the early 20th century. Before that, the BBC reported that Christmas meals in English families differed greatly among wealth levels and social classes.
The turkey was introduced to England by landowner William Strickland in 1526, and Charles Dickens wrote about the roast turkey in his 1843 novel A Christmas Carol.
Similar to a mega-social media influencer of today, Dickens was credited with starting a new tradition and popularising the roast turkey dinner among the British middle and upper-crust.
By the 1930s, the roast turkey became a mainstay on the Christmas table largely due to increased affordability.
Then with British colonisation and establishment of British settlements across the globe, the tradition spread and today has become an essential part of any Christmas feast.
KFC (JAPANESE)
I had this conversation recently with Kamanie Silochan, the master franchise owner of Wicked Chicken in New Zealand, about how KFC - yes the fast-food chain formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken - had turned their KFC Bucket meal into a Japanese Christmas tradition.
It all started in 1974 when KFC launched its “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign with buckets filled with its signature fried chicken.
Apparently, a tourist who came to Tokyo over Christmas said they could not find roast turkey and had KFC on Christmas Day. KFC seized on the customer’s remark and turned the “eating KFC for Christmas” into a marketing opportunity.
Using today’s term, the concept went viral, and now people in Japan have to book their KFC Christmas party bucket - which includes pieces of fried chicken, side dishes and chocolate cake - way in advance so they don’t miss out.
LECHON (FILIPINO)
The star of any Filipino Christmas feast is no turkey - it’s the golden-skinned, crispy, crackly roast pig known as lechon.
The name lechon was given by Spanish colonizers in the 1600s, who chose that name to describe the suckling pigs they saw native Filipinos roasting over open fire.
Unlike Japan where Christmas is not even a public holiday, the festival is massive in the Philippines where 90% of the population are Christian.
Merry-making starts as early as October, and feasting culminates with a Christmas Eve dinner called Noche Nuena.
Filipinos love their pork, which was said to have been introduced by the Spanish, and lechon is the hero of the Filipino Christmas table.
The word ‘lechon’ comes from the Spanish word ‘leche’ which means ‘milk’, and originally used because the pigs used for lechon were suckling pigs which still drank their mother’s milk.
It’s rare to find suckling pigs sold commercially in New Zealand, so often whole adult pigs are used and cooked over an open charcoal grill until the skin crisps up to perfection.
DORO WAT (ETHIOPIAN)
Earlier this year, during an interview for a New Zealand Herald article with Fetehalow Zomo and Fantaye Aga, co-founders of Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant, they shared some very interesting Christmas traditions from their homeland.
About 23 years ago, Zomo came to New Zealand aged 12 as a refugee and Chef Aga, came in 2012. Their restaurant’s name Gojo, means “hut” in the Ethiopian Amharic language.
A special dish served at Gojo is Doro Wat, which is what Ethiopians have for Christmas.
In Ethiopia, Christmas is observed on January 7, but people go on a vegan diet for 40 days before the day of celebration. During this period, some Christians are allowed only one vegan meal a day.
Doro wat is essentially a chicken stew, and although it is served throughout the year, a rooster is used to cook the festive Christmas variant instead of a hen.
A chilli called berbere and plenty of onions are used for the sauce, and the rooster is simmer over low heat for up to six hours.
When cooked, the chook is cut up into 12 pieces to represent the 12 apostles and served as a centrepiece of the Ethiopian Christmas feast.
TTEOK GUK (KOREAN)
Christmas in Korea is celebrated more as a couples’ day than a family festival. It is even referred to sometimes as “Valentines' Day with Santa”.
So couples go out on Christmas on a private date, cherishing winter and the Christmas tradition.
There is a large number of Christians in Korea, which explains why Christmas is a national holiday there.
For Koreans who celebrate with a Christmas feast with family and friends, you’ll unlikely find turkey, eggnog or ham on the table.
Instead, you’d find Korean BBQ, Jjolmyeon, and one of the festive favourites is tteok guk - a rice cake that’s filled with meat or seafood and served with clear broth.
But whether it's a couple on a winter date or a family feast, their meals usually end with a beautifully decorated Christmas cake.
With all these deliciously exciting ways to be feasting at Christmas, the question is why not embrace some of these new traditions and don’t just have your typical turkey and ham Christmas fare?
Merry feastmas, Chow Luckies!
