Christmas is just around the corner! As usual, that means lots to look forward to, but also lots to organise and prepare. And it’s not just the presents that need bought and wrapped and the decorations that need hauled down from the attic and put up all around the house. We also need to start thinking about what we’re going to cook, eat and enjoy on the big day!

Of course, depending on where in the world we are, what we’re planning to feast on may be entirely different. In the UK and the US, it’s all about having a big, fat, plump, juicy turkey in the middle of the table. In Puerto Rico, meanwhile, it’s the suckling pig that reigns supreme, while in Japan, KFC has the hottest table in town.

In this month’s festive edition of the blog, we’re going to look at the Nordics and what you will typically find on the Christmas table in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. In a way, this follows on from our festive blog post last year on Nordic traditions in general, where we mentioned the almond rice pudding that Danes love to make at Christmas time. That post got a lot of us excited to enjoy this gem of a pudding, with Tina making it for her family in Spain (as she always does) and Michael introducing it to his family in Ireland (they loved it!).

So, read on below and who knows, maybe you might just find some inspiration to Scandify your Christmas dinner this year?

 

Ribbe (Norwegian Pork Ribs)

Depending on where in Norway you are, it’s a toss-up between this beautiful pork-belly centrepiece and the perhaps more well-known (at least internationally, and especially in the US) lamb-rib dish known as pinnekjøtt for the title of most quintessential Christmas main. But today, we’re sticking with ribbe – a bountiful slab of fatty pork belly laid out on the table with an impressive and mouth-watering layer of scored crackling on top. The goal is to get that perfect combination of crispy crunchy crackling and tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.

Traditionally, ribbe is often served with a Norwegian Christmas gravy that contains seasonal beer and acidic fruits such as oranges and apples. Also on the table, you will usually find a bright, vibrant bowl of red cabbage and some medisterkaker – a traditional Norwegian meatball that is especially popular at Christmas time. Traditionally, the pork ribs are seasoned only with salt and pepper, but a version of the recipe made popular in the UK by Nigella Lawson also includes dill and juniper berries for an extra festive and Nordic touch.

 

Lussekatter (Swedish Saffron Buns)

Another tradition we covered last year was St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden. But it’s not just processions, candles and atmospheric church services that mark this day. For many, the highlight is actually the classic saffron buns that Swedes tend to bake and enjoy around this date in mid-December.

The name Lussekatt literally means Lucia cat, and these buns have a distinctive S-shaped curl that (admittedly, with a bit of imagination) resembles a cat all curled up and cosy, with two raisins adorning the delicacy and representing a set of feline eyes. As the translation indicates, one of the primary ingredients in this bun is saffron, and the smell of this exclusive spice wafting out from the kitchen is strongly associated with Christmas in the minds of most Swedes.

Although St. Lucia’s Day is strongly associated with Sweden, it is a holiday that originates in Syracuse, Sicily.Similarly, the distinctive buns that mark the day also seem to have a foreign origin. According to popular belief, their beginnings lie in an old practice from Germany whereby the devil would appear in the form of a cat to dish out beatings to children. The saffron in the buns was thought to ward off the devil. According to a curator at the Nordic Museum, however, the name actually comes from a Dutch midwinter feast bread known as duivekater.

Whatever the origin, one thing’s for sure – these buns will make for a sure-fire and delicious way to spice up your Christmas baking, wherever in the world you live!

 

Lanttulaatikko (Finnish Rutabaga/Swede Casserole)

Like in many other parts of the Nordic Region, the pièce de résistance in the centre of the table is a big, juicy ham. So, nothing distinctively Finnish there. But the same cannot be said about this traditional casserole which is strongly associated with Christmas in Finland and almost always found somewhere on the Joulupöytä – that’s Christmas Table to the rest of us!

Rutabaga is a very popular root vegetable in Finland, where it is often known as a Swedish turnip. Lanttulaatikko puts a sweet and wholesome spin on this widespread Brassica by combining it with traditional winter flavours such as cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as some treacle and breadcrumbs for texture and balance. Patterns are usually forked into the top of the casserole for decoration before a final sprinkling of breadcrumbs is added.

Although not well known or especially popular outside of Finland, everything about this dish just screams Christmas, and its heartier texture and sweet touch may make it a welcome alternative for those of us who tend to pass on the red cabbage or Brussels sprouts. In Finland, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a dish of Lanttulaatikko on the table!

 

Almonds and Rice Pudding (Again!?)

Yes, I know, we’ve done the Danish rice pudding thing already. Don’t worry! This bit isn’t just going to be a rerun of how much we love Risalamande. Instead, what we wanted to say was that Denmark doesn’t have a monopoly on either rice pudding or almonds! Both feature elsewhere across the Nordic Region on Christmas – sometimes together and sometimes separately.

For example, a classic dessert in Iceland which is particularly popular at Christmas is Mondlukaka. This kitsch and colourful sponge cake is often made in a Bundt-like mould, and together with its bright pink icing, it almost looks like a giant iced donut. But what really makes it special is the use of almond extract to flavour the sponge, imbuing the dessert with its distinctive flavour.

Elsewhere in the Nordic Region, meanwhile, rice pudding is a staple of the Christmas season, and so too is the tradition of hiding a whole almond somewhere inside. While in Denmark, the rice pudding is often eaten cold and topped with a hot cherry sauce, in other countries this contrast of temperatures is reversed. In Sweden, for example, it is common to eat warm rice pudding for breakfast, topped with a hearty spoonful of cold jam.

In Finland, finally, rice pudding is often sprinkled with cinnamon and served with a dollop of butter, while in both Sweden and Norway, a popular variant is called Apelsinris – often served cold, and with orange zest and sometimes chocolate for flavour!

 

Happy Christmas!

So, there you go – four unique and interesting Nordic dishes to brighten up your Christmas table this year. Which ones would you most like to try? But no matter what you end up setting on the table this December, we hope you will enjoy a great and relaxing Christmas with your nearest and dearest. And once you’re feeling relaxed and rested and you’re ready to get back to localising for and from the Nordics in the new year, you know who to contact! We’ll be back in the office and ready to work off all that pork, rutabaga and rice pudding by going that extra mile to meet your translation needs!

And so with that, all that remains is to say glædelig jul, god jul, hyvää joulua, feliz navidad and a very merry Christmas from all of us here at Comunica!! And bon appetit!

Oh, and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Christmas video for this year and play along in our competition for your chance to win a €50 gift voucher for some delectable Danish liquorice! You can watch it here!