Latin American cuisine is a highlight of Christmas celebrations in our countries. Family and friends gather around a dinner that typically features a variety of dishes. Read more about culinary traditions for this time of year at Hispanos Emprendedores.
Shared tradition
Christmas recipes in Latin America are a mixture of flavors that includes European, indigenous and African heritage. Each country took some of these customs to shape its own Christmas gastronomy, with flavors and ingredients typical of each region.
There are similar dishes that are repeated from north to south, such as cakes, pork or turkey. But always with the seasoning of each country. From the starters, the main course, dessert and even the drinks, everything is always planned for those days.
Latin American culinary traditions are closely tied to family gatherings. And, generally, everyone contributes something to Christmas or New Year's dinners, whether they all get together to prepare it or bring it ready-made to the celebration.
We are going to take a tour of the traditional foods of Latinos during Christmas to learn about some of these dishes so popular in our culture.
Latino meals for Christmas
Let's start with North and Central America. Mexicans have a deeply rooted culture, especially when it comes to gastronomy, in which indigenous heritage plays an important role. Even so, when Christmas arrives, the Spanish legacy also comes out. And the last few years have also seen the American influence in their Christmas dinners.
If you are Mexican, Christmas will surely make you think of tamales, cod, stuffed turkey and moles with romerito. To accompany the apple and pineapple salad and the punch with chop for the drink. The churros and the rosca arrive for dessert.
If you own a Mexican restaurant, you should include some of these dishes on your Christmas menu.
Several Central American countries share tamales with Mexico, but with different preparations. In Nicaragua, for example, they are filled with pork; Guatemala prepares them with beef, chicken, suckling pig, or turkey; in Honduras they are made with pork or chicken, and in El Salvador they are made with hen.
The tamale dough in Costa Rica contains potatoes as well as corn, as well as other condiments, and is boiled wrapped in a banana leaf. It is among the Latin foods for Christmas that cannot be missed on the table.
Panama differs in part from this gastronomy since in this country the tradition is seafood and fish.
Christmas dishes in the Caribbean
While traveling through the Caribbean, we will also find some of the best Christmas recipes in Latin America.
In Cuba, the star of the dinner is the roast suckling pig, which is cooked whole for several hours. To accompany it, they eat yuca with mojo, congrí, rice and black beans.
The suckling pig is the main dish in Puerto Rico, which differs from the Cuban one by the seasoning and is accompanied by rice with gandules. Chicken stew and banana cake are other dishes on the Puerto Rican table. After dinner, the dessert includes rice pudding.
The Dominican Republic also celebrates with its version of the stick pig and sheet cakes. The dishes are similar to those of Puerto Rico, but with different preparations.
Christmas food in South America
For the Colombian dinner they prepare Tolima suckling pig that is stuffed with rice, peas and pork, there are regions where turkey is also prepared. During the entire time that the Christmas celebrations last, you will find donuts and custard in the homes of Colombians.
In Venezuela, the main dish is the hallaca, a cornmeal cake filled with a stew of chicken, beef, and pork. It is boiled wrapped in plantain leaves. It is among the best Latin American Christmas dishes , and its preparation varies in different regions of the country. It is served with roasted pork leg, chicken salad, and ham bread.
The typical Venezuelan desserts for this time are the dulce de milchosa (papaya) and the black cake. Panettone and nougat are also served. For the date, cream punch is also prepared, a drink similar to the North American eggnog.
In Ecuador the main dish can be pork, turkey or chicken stuffed or baked with sour; Bolivians usually eat picana, a spicy soup, and then roast pork loin; in Peru they prepare suckling pig and the panettone is also placed on the table.
Chileans celebrate Christmas dinner with roasted red or white meat. In addition, they prepare a variety of salads, among which the Russian one with potato and mayonnaise stands out. The Chilean Easter bread is also eaten, which is a classic on the table along with the monkey tail, a sweet drink.
Finally, in Argentina and Uruguay there is a broad European influence. As they are in summer they prefer fresh dishes, such as cold salads.
These are the Latin foods for Christmas that are consumed in some of our countries. Which of these is your favorite dish?
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