For Australians and New Zealanders, a traditional Christmas feast could be a little different from traditions from around the world... These two countries share some Christmas recipes, but other dishes are exclusive to each country.
Carving a delicious ham is a Christmas tradition enjoyed by both countries. For Aussies, ham is the meat of choice for the Christmas feast and it is deliciously glazed with honey, maple, or apricot before carving the sweet and smoky meat. Christmas in Australia happens in the heat of summer, so meats are sometimes served cold with sweet sauces. Whether you choose to serve ham or other cuts of pork, it will be delicious with Frenchmaid Maple Flavoured Syrup, Plum Sauce, or Smokey Barbecue Sauce.
For Kiwis, ham is a secondary choice for the Christmas feast. According to Classic Kiwi Christmas Census 2019, lamb is the preferred choice of New Zealanders. The poll of more than 1,300 Kiwis was conducted for the second year by Retail Meat New Zealand. The questions covered a range of Christmas traditions. Lamb was voted as the go-to meat of choice by 34% of respondents. It is typically cooked in ovens and BBQs, capturing 51% and 43% of the votes, respectively. Lamb is commonly served with Frenchmaid Tzatziki or a combination of Wholegrain and Dijon Mustards.
For many Australians, Christmas is not complete without enjoying seafood such as prawns, lobster, oysters, and crayfish. Prawns are a popular choice, from cocktails to platters of king and tiger prawns, to be served raw (cold) or on the barbie (warm). We suggest serving prawns with Frenchmaid Seafood Sauce, Coriander, Ginger & Lime, Tropical Mango Sauce, or even Smokey Chilli Mayo if you would like to add some heat. Oysters are well accompanied by Frenchmaid Peppercorn Vinaigrette or, if battered, with the classic and refreshing Frenchmaid Tartare Sauce.
What makes up the rest of the plate can be almost as important as the meat. The preferred Christmas side dishes are potatoes and mixed salads. Better give a nice treat to them! A potato salad works well with a lot of sauce combinations. To make a creamy potato salad, you can make a Dijonnaise by mixing together Frenchmaid Dijon Mustard with USA Style Mayonnaise. Try adding Frenchmaid Tzatziki Sauce to bring more acidity. Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is another interesting addition. The possibilities to elevate your potato salad with our range of sauces are many!
For both countries, a great way to end overall traditional Christmas meal is with the beloved Pavlova dessert, a meringue-based cake served with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as strawberries, cherries, plums, peaches, kiwifruit and passionfruit. In the Classic Kiwi Christmas Census, Pavlova took the top spot in the dessert category with 71% of votes, followed by trifle (48%), strawberries with ice cream (47%) and fruit salad (46%).
Apparently, despite it being the traditional Christmas meat of choice in other Western countries, turkey is not favoured in Australia or New Zealand, with only 8% of Kiwis choosing the big bird according to the Kiwi Census. Introduced by Italian Australians, panettone is widely available in shops, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. The Italian dessert was virtually unheard of in New Zealand until the late 1990s and is still somewhat rare today.
Groenz wishes everyone Happy Holidays with all the joy the festive season brings.