Some traditions change over the course of time, while others tend to stay true to their beginnings. But however you look at it, the way things were done in the past is different than what we are used to today.
This is especially true when it comes to dishes served at the dinner table during the holidays.
In past centuries, cooking techniques and resources were much more limited, and society’s standards of what was appropriate to eat were much different — as seen with these foods people used to have for breakfast.
What we would consider weird today might have been a delicacy back then, and most likely vice versa: having a turkey or ham as the main meat might have been unheard of.
From a cake containing dried beans and peas to a hollowed-out seal filled with fish, we’ve rounded up a bunch of one-of-a-kind seasonal dishes that would seem quite out of place at a holiday feast today.
Have we missed any historic dishes that your family still whips up at home? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
Thumbnail sources: Flickr, Wikimedia
1. Peacock Meat
During the Medieval times in Europe, it was common for the wealthy to have peacock as their meat at Christmas dinner. There was peacock pie, roasted peacock, and many other variations that included the feathered bird. But that all changed in the 16th century when England's Henry VII decided to have turkey for the annual feast — what a trendsetter!
2. Birds Inside A Hollowed-Out Seal
Now this is one that’s going to make you cringe a bit. This traditional dish from Greenland is called kiviak and dates all the way back to some of the very first men to roam the Earth. It is made up of hundreds of little birds preserved inside a hollowed-out seal.
It does seem gross, but it might taste better than it sounds. After all, there must be a reason some Europeans kept the tradition going for so long!
3. Cake With A Single Dried Bean And Pea
This delicacy was served throughout the 18th and 19th centuries on January 5, which was one of the most important nights on the festive calendar. Although this dessert — also known as the Twelfth Cake — looks fairly normal, it has a few ingredients and an old tradition that make it extremely unique.
Inside this dessert is a dried bean and a dried pea, according to Mirror. Whoever found the bean was deemed king for the night, and whoever found the pea was queen. Who wouldn't want to be crowned royalty for the evening?
4. Vegetable and Tuna Gelatin
This one is a bit more “modern” than the rest, since it was extremely popular in the 1960s — where it seems to have stayed.
This retro mold is made with exactly what’s in the name: gelatin, tuna salad, and celery. Let’s just say most of today's kids have never seen a “wreath” quite like this!
5. Goose Pie
This baked good dates back to the late 18th century when it was the epitome of a meat pie. Not only did this dish have goose meat, it also contained rabbit, turkey, and duck.
Then why did they call it goose pie, you ask? Well, the traditional preparation in the recipe was to stuff a bird within a bird, and a large goose was always the one to carry the load.
6. Sheep's Head
Although this dish and concept might seem quite gruesome, the old recipe was the norm for Norwegians back in the day — and it actually just recently made a comeback. Known as smalahove, this meal has moved up the societal ladder over the centuries. So what used to be a poor man's meal is now a delicacy!
7. Fried Caterpillars
An old South African tradition was to eat emperor-moth caterpillars fried to a crisp during the holidays. The insects are said to have an abundant amount of protein, and since they were harvested around this time of the year, they were nice and fresh for feasting.
8. Jellied Confetti Chicken
Throwing another gelatin-related recipe your way, but this time, it's from the 1950s. For this dish, mix some veggies, mayo, chicken and lemon juice with the gelatin, then top with a heavy cream to make it look like snow. Some say that this dish even resembles a dead bird — happy holidays indeed!
9. Dried Whitefish
This recipe is a long-time favorite for Norwegians, dating all the way back to the Viking days. It was basically a dried codfish that had been drenched in lye solution (potassium hydroxide) for several days, then baked, fried, soaked, and dried again. Hopefully all that preparation was worth it!
10. Shrimp On A Christmas Tree
While it wasn't as gross as some of the others, it definitely was just as bizarre. This was a favorite from the 1970s, and it resembled a Christmas tree with a twist. First, sprigs of parsley were woven into wire-mesh screening on a styrofoam cone, according to Bon Appetit. Then, the fixings were added (a little bit of shrimp, a little bit of green olives), and then you had an edible tower! Whether or not they wanted to eat it was another matter.
Did we just skim the surface when it comes to strange holiday foods? Let us know what we missed in the comments, and be sure to SHARE with your friends and family on Facebook!
