Fish-based Christmas Eve dinner for 78% of Italians, according to a study published by Coldiretti/Ixe in 2019: after all, Italians consume on average 28 kilograms of fish per person per year, well above the European average of 25 kilos and the global average of 20 kilos.But while for most Italians Christmas Eve isn’t Christmas Eve without fish dishes, the situation is not very different in other countries.
MSC Marine Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes ocean health through a certification program for sustainably caught seafood, has sought to discover Christmas fish traditions from different countries around the world. Here are 10 fish-based Christmas dishes.
United States of America: the Feast of the Seven Fishes
A tradition proudly maintained by the Italian-American community nostalgic for the Bel Paese and derived from the Catholic custom of avoiding meat on Christmas Eve, the Feast of the Seven Fishes involves a seven-course Christmas Eve dinner typically based on fish (shrimp, mussels, squid or scallops) accompanied by pasta, sautéed vegetables, and of course good wine.
Japan: fish brings good luck
A New Year tradition celebrated by Japanese Americans is the osechi-ryori, traditional foods enjoyed on New Year’s Day served in boxes called jubako (similar to bento) including herring roe, seaweed, cooked shrimp, yellowtail teriyaki, fish cakes and many more. For example, kobumaki (salmon wrapped in kombu) which, explains Yuko Suzuki, who manages MSC communications in Japan, sounds like ‘yorokobu’, a term meaning to rejoice and is therefore eaten to pray for a long life and good fortune. All osechi ingredients have meanings of good luck, health or prosperity. Kazunoko (herring roe), for example, is eaten to pray for the prosperity of descendants, as it contains many eggs (small fish eggs); while ebi (shrimp), being bent backward with long whiskers, is compared to an old person and people eat it to wish for their own longevity.
Australia: sustainably caught shrimp
Fresh, sustainable shrimp are a must on Australian Christmas tables. 40% of all shrimp consumed by Australians in a year is eaten at Christmas; a new culinary trend for a warm summer Christmas (in Australia Christmas falls in summer) is larb of shrimp, a fresh and fragrant Thai salad served in lettuce cups that offers the perfect balance of salty and sweet, sour and spicy.
Denmark: marinated or cured herrings
Christmas is not Christmas in Denmark without herrings; these can be marinated in vinegar and sugar with onions, dill and pepper or with warm spices like nutmeg and allspice, or cured in a curry mayonnaise served with eggs, but the essential thing is to choose herrings with the blue label on the package. They are generally served on dark rye bread with a generous layer of pork fat or butter and accompanied by akvavit, a caraway-flavored distilled spirit.
Mexico: sustainable cod stew
Among Mexican Christmas traditions there is the fish stew, prepared with sustainable cod, olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato, almonds, bell pepper, olives, cambray potatoes, parsley, chili pepper, cloves, cinnamon, oregano and cane vinegar. Cod with the MSC blue label is sustainably caught, a key aspect to ensure local and global fish stocks for the future.
United Kingdom: fish pie
On English tables at Christmas Eve dinner, there is always a good fish pie, the fish pie, to which every family loves to add their own personal touch. Hake maintains texture and flavor inside the pie, and you can give it a special touch by adding scallops and brown shrimp, which have a stronger taste compared to smaller ones. It is good to blanch the fish and scallops before adding them to the pie mixture, before baking it.
Belgium: shrimp or salmon?
A popular Belgian appetizer at Christmas is the fresh tomato filled with shrimp and mayonnaise crowned with a decorative tomato top, but an alternative that also involves the little ones is salmon in puff pastry, prepared by wrapping spinach and a large piece of MSC certified salmon fillet in puff pastry which is baked until nicely pink. Children can have fun decorating the pastry with herbs and Christmas-shaped dough.
Russia: herring under a fur coat
Herring under a fur coat is a traditional salad in Russia served at Christmas and New Year’s: temperatures can drop to -39°C and even a herring needs to wear a fur coat! A very tasty salad that is also pleasing to the eye thanks to the color given by beetroot in the mayonnaise. It can be enriched with chopped hard-boiled egg yolks or decorated with carved beetroot or carrot roses. It is served in slices like a cake or meat jelly or simply served in large spoonfuls.
South Africa: on the beach with fish stew
While it is true that the potjie (a stew typically cooked outdoors in a three-legged pot) is a popular dish all year round in South Africa, the Christmas one always has a special flavor. And since Namibian hake fishing has received MSC certification allowing the local community to maintain and strengthen its livelihoods, there is one more reason to prepare the potjie with MSC certified hake!
Canada: devil lobster
With just its presence on the table, lobster gives a special touch to the holiday table, but it can also be prepared simply, accompanied by pappardelle or spaghetti. A simple and quick way to enjoy a beautiful sustainably caught lobster with your loved ones.
