December 2018 – Eat and Drink Like A European

Five Traditional Christmas Foods of Europe

December 24, 2018/in Belgium, Christmas, cougnou, Czech, eat like a local, food, lutefisk/by Craig Bresett

1. Vánoční Rybí Polévka (Czech Christmas Fish Soup) – Czech Republic
Harking back to a simpler time when meat was a luxury to most Europeans, the tradition of eating carp (a freshwater fish) for a treat at Christmas has remained strong in the Czech republic. None of the fish was wasted – most recipes for this soup call for the head and viscera to be boiled to make the stock. Even today the mayor of Prague doles out this soup to the needy on the Old Town Square on Christmas Eve.

First the stock is prepared for vánoční rybí polévka

2. Les Treize Desserts (The Thirteen Desserts) – France
Here’s one for the kids (and those of us adults with a sweet tooth). In the Provence region of France, Christmas Eve is epic meal time, or Le Gros Souper. The table is set with three candles (representing the trinity) and a large dinner of fish, vegetables, bread and cheese is shared. The thirteen desserts (representing the number of diners at the Last Supper) are then laid out to finish the feast. The desserts consist of various fresh and dried fruits, nuts, nougats, cakes, and sweet wine. After all that, everyone heads to the local church to try to stay awake through Midnight Mass!

3. Pandoro (The Golden Bread) – Italy
This Italian sweet bread, traditionally from Verona, is a favourite at Christmas. By its appearance you would think it is a cake, but it is in fact a leavened yeast bread, sweetened with sugar or honey, and dusted with icing sugar (some say to resemble the Dolomite peaks just north of Verona). Pandoro is typically served with a side of whipped cream, or even better, vanilla gelato, and a strong Italian espresso. Yum.

Pandoro gets its golden colour from the egg yolks used in the simple recipe

4. Lutefisk (Lye Fish) – Norway
It is hard for a non-Scandinavian to understand the appeal of this dish… however it remains very popular at Christmas throughout the Nordic countries, especially Norway. Dried cod is soaked in a solution of water and lye for a number of days, which changes the texture of the fish, making it more like a fish “jello” (jellyfish?). At this point, the fish is inedible because of the lye, so it has to be rinsed in clean water for several days to remove most of the lye. Then it is ready to be baked or parboiled, and served in all of its odoriferous, gelatinous glory.

5. Cougnou (Baby Jesus Bread) – Belgium
This sweetened yeast bread, dotted with coarse granules of sugar, is made in the shape of “the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Luke 2:12). A children’s favourite at Christmas, it is usually served with another Belgian specialty – real hot chocolate.

This looks so good, I’m going to try to make it myself.

Europe – home to so many different culinary traditions. Isn’t it time you made the trek? Join one of our specialized tours of Europe and enjoy regional cuisine at its finest. Go to Eat and Drink Like a European for details.

What Child Is This?

December 21, 2018/in Christmas, Europe, Europe Tour, European, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

The famous Christmas carol, penned in 1865 by English writer William Chatterton Dix on his “death bed” (he later recovered), asks the question “What child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?” and answers “This is Christ, the King”. Interspersed in his thoughtful lyrics, set to the tune of the medieval English song Greensleeves, are references to shepherds, angels, ox and ass, incense, gold, and myrrh – familiar figures and objects in a traditional nativity scene (also called a crèche).

Two German children admire a small nativity just as their ancestors have done for generations.

Nativities are very popular during the Christmas season – millions of people have small versions in their own homes (we have six!), and many larger scenes are set up in church parking lots, town squares, library courtyards, and front lawns. One of our local churches has a crèche display in their community hall with over 100 different nativity scenes from all over the world.

There amongst the red-nosed reindeer and Santa Claus is an illuminated nativity in the yard of our neighbour, known affectionately as Mr. Christmas.

Where did this tradition begin? Many expect the answer to be Germany because so many of our modern Christmas traditions come from the Germanic world, but in fact the nativity originates in medieval Italy.

Built straight out of the stone, the Greccio Franciscan hermitage is an extraordinary fusion of architecture and nature. It was here that St. Francis first recreated the Christ birth scene on Christmas Eve, 1223.

In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi was visiting the small village of Greccio. As Christmas approached, he was struck with the idea of creating a scene to represent the birth of Christ for the people of the village. This was a novel idea, and as such he requested and was granted permission from the pope to create the first nativity scene, to be displayed during Midnight Mass. It was a live scene – real baby, real donkey, real hay. According to his biographer, “St. Francis stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy.” The scene so moved the great monk that he could not bring himself to even utter the name of the Lord, instead referring to him repeatedly as the Babe of Bethlehem in his sermon that night – indeed, the whole village was moved to tears. News of the spiritual outpouring reached the Vatican, and the tradition of the nativity scene was spread throughout Europe.

Famous pre-Renaissance Italian artist Giotto painted a history of the life of St. Francis in the monastery of Assisi. This piece is called Institution of the Crib at Greccio – a scene depicting St. Francis creating the first nativity.

This tradition has continued to today, where you will find beautiful nativity scenes in cities, towns, and villages throughout Europe during the Christmas season. Europe is the home to so many of our traditions, both Christmas and otherwise. Below are some great nativity scenes from around Europe. Enjoy! To join us at the Basilica of St. Francis sign up for our Sacred Heart of Italy Tour.

Every year the Vatican sets up an elaborate nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square.

A detailed crèche on display in Budapest, Hungary.

This 1476 fresco by Sandro Botticelli is in Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy.

The nativity in stained glass in the Saint Eustache church of Paris, France.

A live nativity in a Dolomites mountain village in Italy.

Christmas Markets of Germany

December 9, 2018/in Bavaria, Beer, Christkindlmarkt, Christmas, Germany, Kathe Wohlfahrt/by Craig Bresett

Nobody does Christmas like the Germans, and for good reason. All over German speaking Europe,but especially in Bavaria, the tradition of the Christkindlmarkt (Christmasmarket) goes back 700 years. In town squares throughout Germany right now, local craftsmen and merchants are setting up Christmas markets as they have done since the middle ages.

Warming up with some mulled wine in Berlin

Unlike our modern “Black Friday” Walmart riots, the traditional Christmas market is a peaceful shopping experience where you can buy unique hand-made crafts, sip mulled wine, and enjoy good music. And there is an unapologetic focus on the spirit of the season, and on the Christ child – Christkindlmarkt literally means “Christ child” market. It was actually the German Protestant reformer Martin Luther who decreed that gifts should be given on Christmas Day in celebration of the birth of the Christ child rather than on St. Nicholas’ Day (Dec. 6) as had been the tradition.

With a central nativity display (an imported tradition from medieval Italy – details in a future blog) and a beautifully decorated Tannenbaum (Christmas tree – a German original), the Christmas market is an oasis of light and love for locals and visitors alike.

Choosing the right ornament in Nuremberg.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a walled medieval town on Bavaria’s Romantic Road,attracts visitors from all over the world to its Christmas market. The town itself is a beauty all year round, but with a light dusting of snow and the ambiance of the market, it becomes irresistible. And even if you don’t visit during the Christmas season, you can experience it year-round in the seemingly endless rooms of the Käthe Wohlfahrt store across the street from city hall. The store offers every conceivable Christmas ornament, decoration, doll, window display… you’ve never seen anything like it!

The grandeur of the the Cologne Cathedral (a featured stop on our Ultimate Beer Tour) is the perfect backdrop for the annual Christmas Market.

Deep within the store is the Rothenburg Christmas Museum – 2700 square feet of Christmas history that will have even the youngest visitor nostalgic for the“old days”. A visit to the museum evokes a light-heartedness, a feeling of warmth and goodwill, with none of the “stresses” of our modern holiday, even in July! I’ve seen many of my tour members walk out of the museum into a warm midsummer Rothenburg street humming “Silent Night” and pining for cold air and hot chocolate!

Five Traditional Christmas Foods of Europe

What Child Is This?

Christmas Markets of Germany

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Archive for month: December, 2018