Friday 03 / May / 2024
The joyous festival of Christmas is celebrated by a huge chunk of the world’s population. Popularly associated with snow, reindeers, pine trees, snowman, red, greens, and whites, and, of course the gift-bearing, paunchy old man from the North Pole, this is a time of year that I too eagerly anticipate, despite not being a Christian or being brought up in the west. Why? Because it’s fun. See, in my household, I was brought up to see all religious festivals as a way to bring people together, either to be a part of loud celebrations, to reflect on the past, or, in my case, to eat whatever special foods were laid out on the holiday table.
Like most children, by the age of eight, my heart was broken when I discovered that Santa wasn’t real, and so began my tradition of feeding my sorrows, thanks to a bribe from my parents, in which they offered to take me for a grand Christmas feast if I’d only stop crying. The feast stopped my tears and became the main attraction I began to look forward to every Christmas. I’m sure the food itself was delicious, but what I remember about that first Christmas dinner is not a particular dish, but the feel and mood of the Christmas feast, shared with other jovial merrymakers.
For the Brits, the Christmas meal is incomplete without a big, roast turkey accompanied by roasted potatoes and veggies, and topped with traditional pudding. As this was my introduction to the holiday, I assumed for years that this was the standard Christmas meal throughout the world. But over the years, I have enjoyed discovering the diverse ways other cultures culinarily celebrate Christmas, like the Germans, who require roast goose and red cabbage for their tables, along with Grünkohl (trust me, you’re not saying the word right), a kale stew that has to be eaten by all and in good portions to prevent demons from haunting them.
Since Christmas falls in summer time in Australia, people tend to move their Christmas meals outdoor with mounds of barbecued seafood and cold turkey and chicken served with cranberry sauce. In Mexico, traditional stews and fish dishes are on offer, while further south in Peru, Turkey is enjoyed with hot chocolate.
The Americans do their grand Turkey dinner a month before Christmas for the Thanksgiving holiday, so their feast could be anything from crown roasts of beef to dainty Cornish game to regional specialties, like the Italian-American “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” for which seven seafood courses are served in a long and leisurely meal. The meat-free menu stems from the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve, and breaking that fast with the Christmas Day feast. The meal can include all manner of things, from baked clams to prawn linguine, to whole lobsters and baked fish. Pasta is typically one of the courses.
Across the sea, the Spanish influence on the Philippines is still apparent in their festive Christmas meal, called Noche Buena, usually enjoyed after the evening mass on the night before Christmas. Though the centrepiece of the meal has traditionally been a whole roasted hog, many other dishes fill the tables, with Edam Cheese coated with red paraffin wax, fresh and fried lumpia, fried chicken, roast turkey, adobo slow-cooked meats and chicken, steamed rice, fresh breads, along with an array of cakes, ice creams, and fresh fruits.
As Oman becomes increasingly diverse, so does its restaurant scene, providing a unique opportunity for us to go out and explore the cuisines of the world. Christmas is an especially great time to go taste and experience the way the world celebrates. —[email protected]
GO OUT FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER
Italian ‘’Feast of the Seven Fishes’’
Rossini
Location: The Cave Complex, Darsait
Reservations: +968 2465 1066
Menu Highlights
Sea scallops and prawns in creamy lemon garlic sauce
Mix seafood bisque soup
Ocean sorbet
Sea bass with sweet potato mash
Mixed grill of prawns, squid, cod fish,
and sea scallops in a spiced lemon honey sauce
Squid ink ice cream
Price: OMR18 per person net
Filipino-style Christmas Dinner
Palayok
Location: Al Khuwair (behind the McDonalds)
Reservations: +968 2202 4468
Menu Highlights
Selection of fresh breads
Cream of mushroom soup
Roasted beef with mushroom gravy sauce
Fish fillet with lemon butter sauce
Chicken barbecue
Seafood carbonara
Leje flan
Maja laca
Price: OMR5 per person
All-American Christmas Supper
Laval
Location: Ghala Golf Club
Reservations: +968 2450 5112
Menu Highlights
Apple pumpkin bisque soup
Cured meats and cheeses
Butter-basted turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce
Beef Wellington with mushroom, spinach and brandied gravy
Chicken fresh mozzarella, basil, and pesto sauce pastas
Apple sage stuffing
Homestyle mashed potatoes
Candied sweet yams
Grilled beef sausage
Roasted brussels sprouts with dried cranberries and shallots
Pumpkin pie
Cheesecake
Price: OMR25 (Adults), OMR10 (Kids)
