Christmas is an opportunity to meet with the family and the most important moment is even the dinner of the 24th where the family meets for dinner together and after waiting for the Mass du Galo that is the Mass that celebrates the birth of Jesus.
During the dinner there are several traditions that are respected and the cod cannot be missed. Depending on the region, there are also gourmet alternatives to cod
In the Algarve, rooster with cabidela (prepared by adding rooster’s blood and vinegar)
In the Beira, the pulp is very popular
Lisbon and Tagus Valley, they also eat baked turkey
Tràs-os-montes and Alto Douro, they also prepare pulp, hake and fried fish
In the Azores, there is canja (chicken broth)
In the island of Madeira traditional meat kebabs
The tradition of Christmas night is to serve boiled cod accompanied by cabbage, potatoes and steamed vegetables
On the 25th they eat the lamb or the turkey in the oven and the “roupa velha” (the old clothes) which is the mixture of cod, potato and cabbage from the previous night, with garlic and enough oil and cooked in a pan
On the Christmas table can not miss the cakes … a lot of cakes!
Of course the Bolo Rei we talked about in the previous article, but also the fried cakes.
The fries are perhaps the most traditional of Christmas and in each region there is a variation in the preparation and the recipes have been passed from generation to generation.
They are normally prepared in large quantities and ahead of time. Besides, they say that when “it smells fried, it smells like Christmas”
According to tradition, at the end of dinner the table should not be cleared and the dishes should not be washed. And dinner leftovers shouldn’t be removed from the table either. They must stay just like during dinner to respect dead family members
And which is your Christmas Tradition?