From an idyllic Nordic feast (yes, there’s gløgg!) to tamales, pierogi, and tortellini―the dishes families come together to make each year―these recipes are our favorite feasts and treats from Christmases all over the world.    

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  Recipe

  Spice-Cured Salmon with Beets & Horseradish Cream

  Cured salmon (gravad lax) is quintessentially Scandinavian. Danish chef Trine Hahnemann has a recipe for every season, but this is her Christmas favorite thanks to the festive warm spices and orange zest. Get the whole menu.

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  White Wine & Elderflower Gløgg

  Throughout December, Scandinavians meet outside to drink hot gløgg and sing carols—it’s like a cocktail party in the snow. Red wine is traditional in this spiced wine punch, but white wine is a nice change of pace. Get the whole menu.

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  Roast Pork with Crisp Crackling & Red Currant Gravy

  The crown jewel of a Nordic Christmas Feast is a stunning roast pork with fragrant onion-orange stuffing and crunchy crackling.

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  Sweet & Sour Braised Cabbage

  Braising cabbage with butter, apple juice, red currant jelly, and spices gives it amazingly rich flavor (the dish is an essential part of a traditional Scandinavian holiday meal). Leftovers are delicious on our iconic open faced sandwiches, smørrebrød. Get the whole menu.

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  Caramel Potatoes

  Now here’s a traditional Scandinavian side dish we should all work into our Christmas dinner menus. It may seem odd to cook potatoes in caramel, but they’re incredibly delicious. Get the whole menu.

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  Pork Tamales with Double-Chile Sauce

  In Latin America, tamales are a celebration food served at Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Wrapped in corn husks and served with a smoky chile sauce, these are traditionally Mexican.

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  Red Pozole with Chicken (Pozole Rojo Con Pollo)

  This Mexican stew featuring chiles and hominy is perfect Christmas party food: it feeds a crowd and the toppings passed around the table add to the festive nature of the dish.

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  Chocolate-Covered Sandwich Cookies with Dulce de Leche (Alfajores)

  When baker Andy Corson traveled to Argentina with his wife, he fell in love with alfajores—delicate shortbread cookies with a gooey dulce de leche filling and a coating of dark chocolate. He recreated them at home, just the way they tasted in Argentina.

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  Tortellini en Brodo

  Chef Biba Caggiano’s whole family pitches in to make this traditional holiday starter (with roots in Northern Italy). Listen to Biba walk you through the steps to making her old family recipe for tortellini en brodo.

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  Triple-Orange Pecan Biscotti

  These twice-baked Italian cookies smell divine and are a must for every cookie platter.

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  Cabbage & Mushroom Pierogi

  These meatless pierogi are a Christmas tradition (as are the potato-cheese version). If you’re lucky, you’ll be invited to a pierogi-making party leading up to Christmas. They’re as fun as the actual Christmas dinner.

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  Bow-Tie Cookies with Apricot Preserves

  These tender cream cheese-pastry cookies with their sweet-tart apricot filling are inspired by Polish kolache cookies.

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  Fresh Ham with Rosemary, Garlic & Lemon

  America knows how to make a Christmas ham. With just a few seasonings rubbed on a day ahead, this slow-roasted ham becomes a juicy, fork-tender, and fragrant holiday centerpiece.

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  Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragoût

  In many American households, Christmas dinner is planned around this prized cut of beef. The sauces, sides, and dessert might change, but the tenderloin tradition stays the same; guests (and cooks!) look forward to it all year.

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