Christmas Food... and Drink? Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Breads and cakes filled with dried fruit and spices are a common Christmas treat. Stollen is the German entry to this category, with candied fruits and marzipan. It was originally a pretty staid Advent fasting bread, made with oil from turnips (I know, right?) but German princes negotiated with the Pope for dispensations, and eventually the yummy buttery bread we know emerged. Julekage is the Scandinavian version, usually containing cardamom, and glazed with a sweet white icing. Panettone comes from northern Italy, and is very light, with a distinctive tall shape. The Sicilian buccellato ring is filled with a fig mixture. A Christmas bread from Venezuela, pan de jamón, is another thing altogether - instead of dried fruit and spices, it is stuffed with ham and olives.

Kruschicki (bowties) are a fried Polish cookie, very beautiful, dusted with powdered sugar. Joulutorttu is a Finnish cookie, this one filled with plums, and again dusted with powdered sugar. White Christmas slice comes to us from Australia, again with dried fruit, and rice bubbles (rice krispies to North Americans). It's a no-bake recipe, suitable for the summertime Christmas in Australia.

Lanttulaatikko, a rutabaga (also known as swede or yellow turnip) casserole, is traditional on Finnish holiday tables along with the beloved ham. We're also eating pork in Puerto Rico, with pernil, a garlicky slow roasted pork shoulder. Sopa de galets from northeastern Spain is a hearty broth with shell-shaped pasta that starts a holiday meal. Kutia is one of the twelve meatless dishes of a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve, the svyata vecherya or holy meal. It's a pudding of grains with fruits, nuts and honey.

For the drinks we have a few spiced heated wines. Glögg is the Scandinavian version, and gluhwein the German. Feuerzangenbowle is a kind of gluhwein where a cone-shaped sugar loaf is doused with brandy and set on fire, and the heated sugar drips down into the spiced wine and citrus peels. It's a dramatic presentation and a very tasty drink.

Wassail is the cider version from England and Wales, with citrus, spices, and sometimes brandy or rum. Ponche Navideńo from Mexico has a hibiscus base, and a medley of fruits and spices.

Tom and Jerry is essentially a hot eggnog, with eggs, butter, spices, and usually rum or brandy, though it can also be non-alcoholic. A hot toddy is whisky or other liquor, lemon, sugar, and hot water.

And now, if you'll join me, let's toddle off to the kitchen and see if we can find ourselves a little something nice to eat and drink....