Traditional foods, hot soups for the extreme cold, and a seafood platter to beat the heat are among the choices of special foods for this time of year. This is what Epoch Times reporters from Sweden to California discovered when they asked locals: “What is your favorite/special food for this time of year?”
Falticeni, Romania
Anca Cenusa, 17, High-school Student
I prefer sarmale. It’s a delicious traditional food that we don’t eat everyday. I usually associate Christmas and winter holidays with this special food. I especially love it when my mom makes it, and I also like helping my mom to prepare them. Yummmy!
Note: Sarmale are traditional Romanian stuffed cabbage rolls. Ground meat and rice are wrapped in cabbage leaves and then boiled in spiced tomato sauce.
Anca Cenusa, 17, High-school Student
I prefer sarmale. It’s a delicious traditional food that we don’t eat everyday. I usually associate Christmas and winter holidays with this special food. I especially love it when my mom makes it, and I also like helping my mom to prepare them. Yummmy!
Note: Sarmale are traditional Romanian stuffed cabbage rolls. Ground meat and rice are wrapped in cabbage leaves and then boiled in spiced tomato sauce.
Malmköping, Sweden
Gun Eriksson, 57, Chef
Meat and potatoes served with a very tasty horseradish sauce! The meat must be veal. The sauce is made of gravy, horseradish, and cream. The meat is cooked with carrots and it is important that the carrots be cut diagonally because this brings out their natural sweetness.
Gun Eriksson, 57, Chef
Meat and potatoes served with a very tasty horseradish sauce! The meat must be veal. The sauce is made of gravy, horseradish, and cream. The meat is cooked with carrots and it is important that the carrots be cut diagonally because this brings out their natural sweetness.
Nitra, Slovakia
Emil Samko, 43, University Professor and Businessman
I eat the same things all throughout the year. I like domestic sausages and meat products the most, but I try to eat more healthy food. From time to time I add vegetables, fruits, and vitamins to my diet.
Emil Samko, 43, University Professor and Businessman
I eat the same things all throughout the year. I like domestic sausages and meat products the most, but I try to eat more healthy food. From time to time I add vegetables, fruits, and vitamins to my diet.
Venice, California, United States of America
Tony Trincanello, 38, Restaurant General Manager
On Christmas Day, my family makes what’s called Bollito Misto. It’s this mixed, simmered meat—veal shank and a bit of chicken. It simmers for hours, and then it is served with Salsa Verdi, an herb sauce; and Mostarda, preserved fruits in mustard.
Tony Trincanello, 38, Restaurant General Manager
On Christmas Day, my family makes what’s called Bollito Misto. It’s this mixed, simmered meat—veal shank and a bit of chicken. It simmers for hours, and then it is served with Salsa Verdi, an herb sauce; and Mostarda, preserved fruits in mustard.
Lahore, Pakistan
Shaheryar Bhutta, 31, IT
My favorite food for this time of year is soup. Originally soup used to be just chicken and chicken stock, but now there are many Chinese-style soups that people make. Most people including me have soup about three times a week in the cold weather. The other favorite of mine, which is served at weddings, is Briyani (a rice dish with meat). There are a lot of weddings in the winter; I have attended six in the last month.
Shaheryar Bhutta, 31, IT
My favorite food for this time of year is soup. Originally soup used to be just chicken and chicken stock, but now there are many Chinese-style soups that people make. Most people including me have soup about three times a week in the cold weather. The other favorite of mine, which is served at weddings, is Briyani (a rice dish with meat). There are a lot of weddings in the winter; I have attended six in the last month.
Maroochydore, Australia
Julie Lowry, 49, Teacher
I love fresh oysters with some sea salt and a touch of lime juice, the more the better. Prawns, but they’re not always special; they’re quite affordable. We always have seafood on Christmas Day.
Julie Lowry, 49, Teacher
I love fresh oysters with some sea salt and a touch of lime juice, the more the better. Prawns, but they’re not always special; they’re quite affordable. We always have seafood on Christmas Day.
Cartagena, Colombia
Edwin Rutherford Ramos Henry, 30, Systems Engineer
The recipes from grandmother’s cookbook are the best for this time of year…
The most representative dish is rondon made with fish, pigtail, snail, plantain, cassava, and coconut milk. I also like to eat crab backs in the evening; a crab shell stuffed with cooked crabmeat, paprika, onions, garlic, and coconut oil. For dessert one can’t miss out on a plantain tart, which consist of a bread shell filled with sweet banana cream.
Edwin Rutherford Ramos Henry, 30, Systems Engineer
The recipes from grandmother’s cookbook are the best for this time of year…
The most representative dish is rondon made with fish, pigtail, snail, plantain, cassava, and coconut milk. I also like to eat crab backs in the evening; a crab shell stuffed with cooked crabmeat, paprika, onions, garlic, and coconut oil. For dessert one can’t miss out on a plantain tart, which consist of a bread shell filled with sweet banana cream.
Note: Cassava root, also known as yucca or manioc, is a starchy tuberous root common in some traditional South American and African cuisines.
Trebic, Czech Republic
Zdenka Malenova, 48, Receptionist
I enjoy breaded carp with potato salad for the Christmas dinner. When my girls were young, I prepared fish fillets for them, and we adults had carp. I also bake a cake and some sweets; I very much like those too. When it comes to Christmas food, we keep it traditional.
Note: Carp is a common name for various species of oily freshwater fish, which are native to Europe and Asia.
Zdenka Malenova, 48, Receptionist
I enjoy breaded carp with potato salad for the Christmas dinner. When my girls were young, I prepared fish fillets for them, and we adults had carp. I also bake a cake and some sweets; I very much like those too. When it comes to Christmas food, we keep it traditional.
Note: Carp is a common name for various species of oily freshwater fish, which are native to Europe and Asia.
Puerto Mont, Chile
Marcelo Oyarzo Gallardo, 39, Newsagent
For this time of the year, lamb is my favorite food. Well, I do not eat it during the rest of the year, so this is a good opportunity. In addition it is a wonderful occasion to share with family members and dear ones around a good roast on a stick. This is why lamb is one of my favorite dishes.
Marcelo Oyarzo Gallardo, 39, Newsagent
For this time of the year, lamb is my favorite food. Well, I do not eat it during the rest of the year, so this is a good opportunity. In addition it is a wonderful occasion to share with family members and dear ones around a good roast on a stick. This is why lamb is one of my favorite dishes.
Zaragoza, Spain
Charo, 41, Bike Messenger
As a first course, thistle with pine nuts or almonds and Béchamel sauce, and lamb with potatoes as a main course. This main course is made by baking the leg of lamb with sliced potatoes, wine, and spices. It’s delicious, very easy to prepare, and very traditional here in Aragon.
Charo, 41, Bike Messenger
As a first course, thistle with pine nuts or almonds and Béchamel sauce, and lamb with potatoes as a main course. This main course is made by baking the leg of lamb with sliced potatoes, wine, and spices. It’s delicious, very easy to prepare, and very traditional here in Aragon.
Lima, Peru
Sol Ramón, 23, Student
You could say that I don’t have a favorite dish at this time of the year, but that would not be correct. What I do not have is a dish that I could eat every day over two continuous weeks, which happens after every Christmas, almost without exception. However, having to choose, my mother’s stuffed turkey is one of the few things that I might be able to lunch on for a long time.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. The Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “What is your New Year’s resolution for 2011?”
Sol Ramón, 23, Student
You could say that I don’t have a favorite dish at this time of the year, but that would not be correct. What I do not have is a dish that I could eat every day over two continuous weeks, which happens after every Christmas, almost without exception. However, having to choose, my mother’s stuffed turkey is one of the few things that I might be able to lunch on for a long time.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. The Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “What is your New Year’s resolution for 2011?”
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