Happy New Year 2022: New Year’s Eve is a day of celebration and new beginnings. People around the world celebrate the occasion in their own unique cultural way which also includes sumptuous food and drinks. Let us take a look at what makes it to the plates of people around the world on New Year’s Eve.
Tamales, Mexico
People of the central American region welcome the new year with a delicious dish called Tamales. This dish consists of corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese and other mouth-watering additions. Tamales will usually be wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk and is a staple dish especially during the holiday season. This Mexican festive dish is often served with menudo, a tripe and hominy soup that is famously good for hangovers.
Marzipanschwein or Glücksschwein, in Austria and Germany
These European countries like to celebrate the beginning of the new year with several festive foods, one of which happens to be little pigs made of marzipan, called marzipan schwein. Known as the good luck pigs, or Glücksschwein in German, these miniature biscuits or pastries are made of all sorts of things, and are common gifts throughout both Austria and Germany.
Soba noodles, Japan
In the far east, new year is often celebrated with a steaming bowl of flavourful noodle soup dish. The Japanese like to slurp on a bowl of buckwheat soba noodles, or toshikoshi soba, at midnight on New Year’s Eve to bid adieu to the year gone by and welcome the year to come. The long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity in Japanese culture.
Cotechino con lenticchie, Italy
The Italians mark the beginning of the new year with a traditional cotechino con lenticchie. This dish consists of a sausage and lentil stew that is believed to bring good luck, as the lentils represent money and good fortune.
Kransekage, Denmark and Norway
In the Nordic region, the new year is marked with a wreath cake or the Kransekage as it is called in Danish. The cake tower composed of many concentric rings of cake layered atop one another is made for New Year’s Eve.
