Horizon : Christmas specialties from around the globe
【明報專訊】After chowing down your finger-licking gingerbread men cookies, do you want more tasty dishes on your Christmas table?
■Kolivo (Eastern Europe) (picture A)
In Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria, Kolivo is a starter for Christmas Eve dinner. This traditional pudding is typically made from boiled wheat and berries sweetened with honey. Some people add other ingredients including cinnamon, mashed poppy seeds, dried fruits, raisins and nuts.
In the past, Kolivo was given to the poor as a gift. In some families, a handful of Kolivo is thrown up to the ceiling. If it sticks, it is believed to have a fruitful harvest.
■Panettone (Italy) (picture B)
Panettone, meaning "large bread", has been a hallmark of Italian Christmas celebrations for centuries. In cupola shape, this sweet dough is enriched with butter, eggs and sugary ingredients including fruits, chocolate, raisins and nuts. It is made using an acidic fermented starter to raise the dough. Then, it goes through the process of proofing for a couple of days, giving the bread a fluffy texture.
More than 7,000 tons of panettone are produced every year. According to the law in Italy, a panettone must contain 20% of its weight in fruits, 16% in butter and at least 4% in egg yolk. No preservatives can be used. Only the authentic ones can have the Pasticceri Committee of the Milanese Tradition's logo on their package. That is why the panettone is popular despite the high price.
■Hallaca (Venezuela) (picture C)
Hallaca means "to mix or blend". It looks like the sticky rice dumplings we usually eat at the Dragon Boat Festival, but the ingredients are very different. Other than stew beef, pork, chicken and indigenous corn meal coloured with annatto seeds, it combines ingredients from different cultures, such as raisins, nuts and olives from Europe and African smoke plantain leaves for wrapping as well. It tastes sweet and salty.
As for its origins, the most common one states that it was invented by the slaves back in the days colonised by the Spanish Empire. After their master's Christmas festivities, the slaves put the leftovers in corn meal dough, then wrapped them with banana leaves and boiled them to mix the flavours.
■Gear up
Which two ingredients are used in common in the above Christmas dishes?
(Suggested answer on next text)
■Glossary
chow down (phrasal v)……大快朵頤
finger-licking (adj)……非常美味的
cupola (n)……圓頂
indigenous (adj)……當地的
Photos: TYNZA, wmaster890, Gonzalo Calle Asprilla@iStock
(Criticisms on this publication, if any, are aimed at pointing out the errors or defects of certain systems or policies with a view to rectifying or eradicating such errors or defects, as well as prompting improvement or remedy for them via lawful means. There is absolutely no intention of inciting hatred, discontent or hostility towards the government or other classes of the community.)
[Smarties' Power English 第395期]
