The festive season is finally here and, although life may not be quite the same as it was last year, some things never change – like our Christmas and holiday traditions. Trees and decorations have gone up. Christmas lights are still twinkling. People are shopping up a storm and planning family gatherings. Memorable meals and tantalizing treats are still being cooked and baked in kitchens all over the world. Stockings are being stuffed. And gifts and cheer will still be shared in the warmth of loving homes.
In the Northern Hemisphere, people are getting ready for another white Christmas complete with hot cocoa and gingerbread. And don’t forget about the turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, mince pies, steamed puddings and mulled wine. Nothing beats hot, tasty food in cold weather.
But it’s a little different in the Southern Hemisphere where Christmas is right in the middle of summer. And while some people in these countries still enjoy a traditional hot meal, others often prefer to have a barbecue along with salads, cold meats, prawns, ice cream, trifle and eggnog. And who can blame them when it’s too humid outside to be consuming hot food?
Personally, I still favour the traditional, hot, Christmas meal despite the climate here. There’s something so comforting and moreish about crispy potatoes, succulent meat dripping with gravy and spongy pudding smothered in custard. Who cares about the heat when the food is that good! But I guess what you like to eat over the holidays depends on where you live and your family’s traditions.
That said, you may be surprised to hear that when I think about Christmas, I don’t actually think about turkey, gingerbread or fruit cake. I think about chocolate, cherries and chestnuts. And while these may sound like unusual Christmas cravings, it makes perfect sense to me.
Firstly, I love chocolate. So I never miss an opportunity to buy myself an advent calendar. After all, who wouldn’t want a reason to eat a chocolate every day and why should kids get all the fun? In fact, in my house, it’s an all-out war each day to see who can find the correct date and grab their chocolate first – and, of course, there’s plenty of cheating that goes on. In short, it’s tons of crazy fun and, no matter what happens, you get rewarded with a chocolate in the end. Now that’s what I call festive joy.
Next, there are cherries. I adore cherries! They are just so beautiful with their dark, shiny, wine-stained skins and juicy interiors. When it comes to fruit, cherries are definitely among my top five favourites. The only problem is cherries are only available here for one month of the year. That’s it! If you don’t buy your cherries in December, you can forget about eating them for another year. And a year is a long time to wait for something you love to eat, which is why I can’t wait to put those cherries in my shopping basket when the festive season rolls around.
Finally, the chestnuts… oh, the chestnuts! I was introduced to chestnuts by a French lady who used chestnuts as part of her traditional Christmas meal and her secret Christmas dessert. One bite and I was hooked! As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing that can beat a French Christmas meal with chestnuts. I have hearts in my eyes when I think about chestnuts. However, chestnuts are not readily available here. I have searched high and low for my beloved chestnuts and there are basically only three specialty stores in the whole country that sell them. Hence, they are not cheap, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay to get my annual chestnut fix. And that lovely French lady eventually shared all her chestnut secrets with me for which my taste buds are eternally grateful.
After a topsy-turvy year, it’s time to be fat and merry – or, at least, to indulge ourselves a little bit with sweets and treats. I think we deserve it. Whether it’s chocolate, cherries and chestnuts or gingerbread, turkey and eggnog, I hope you enjoy every bite and remember to savour the taste of Christmas, because it only comes once a year. Happy holidays!
Audrey Whyte 
Leave a comment