Origin of 5 indispensable cakes on Christmas day

(Baonghean.vn) - Christmas is a holiday of Western countries that has been introduced to Vietnam and is widely celebrated. In addition to its Christian meaning, Christmas is an occasion for people to express and create common memories in all forms for each other. In your own way, you can build relationships by sharing a common meal, a sleepless night, listening to a story, gathering around the Christmas tree...

During the warm shared meal, in addition to the main dishes typical for Christmas such as turkey, fragrant roasted ham, we cannot ignore the traditional sweet cakes. Let's learn about the origin of the cakes that add a warm flavor to this special holiday.

1. Yule Log

According to legend, on Christmas Eve, Westerners often cut down a large log and bring it home to make a wine offering. The log is placed on the fireplace, sprinkled with oil, salt, hot wine and people begin to pray. It is believed that the crackling fire and the charcoal from the burning log will protect the house from natural disasters and the intrusion of evil spirits. So in 1875, a French baker came up with the idea of ​​making a cake shaped like a log instead of a real log.

Cakes are made from soft cream rolled sponge cakes with a variety of flavors and colors, but in general, the way to decorate them is to make them look as much like a log as possible!

Although Yule log cake is not a traditional cake of Vietnamese people, in recent years, every Christmas, more and more types of cakes are made. The delicious taste and meaning of the cake make the atmosphere of these days more bustling and attractive.

2. Gingerbread cookies

Legend has it that the cake originated in the Middle East and was introduced to Europe. Initially, it was made from almonds, stale bread crumbs, rose water, sugar and ginger. By the 16th century, the British had “improved” the cake recipe by replacing the bread crumbs with flour, adding eggs and rock sugar. In order to show affection to foreign politicians, Queen Elizabeth I painstakingly searched for a simple yet unique cake. And she made the first human-shaped gingerbread cookie in England with a red ribbon around its neck, symbolizing the symbol of love.

Then, inspired by the Grimm brothers' fairy tales (in Grimm's fairy tales, houses made from candies often appear), German artisans developed gingerbread into beautiful gingerbread houses.

Without gingerbread cookies, the taste of a peaceful Christmas would be lost. The crispy cookies with the warm ginger flavor dispel the cold of winter. The cookies can be decorated in many different ways (human, reindeer, heart, snowflake, train...) but to be true to the spirit of Christmas Eve, the cookies usually follow two main tones: red and white with fruits such as pomegranate seeds, strawberries,...

Cookies are also used by children as small gifts for Santa Claus. Since the 1930s, the custom of giving cookies to Santa Claus began to form. Accordingly, each child will leave a few cookies and milk on the table on Christmas Eve as a gesture to express Santa Claus's gratitude for traveling a long distance to bring them gifts.

3. Pavlova cake

It is a cake named after a Russian ballet dancer – Anna Pavlova when she toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Currently, people have not determined whether the cake originated in Australia or New Zealand. However, the consumption of this cake during Christmas is very high and has become one of the indispensable dishes during Christmas in both countries.

The cake is made simply from beaten egg whites and sugar (this mixture is also called meringue), the outside of the cake is a hard but spongy crust, inside is a soft, slightly chewy and pure white marshmallow layer. The cake is often served with whipped cream and fresh fruit, strawberries, kiwi or other fresh fruits.

Nowadays, every Christmas season, the beautiful image of cakes with diverse shapes and sizes becomes much more familiar (especially in Asian countries).

4. Pudding

Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without a rich, creamy Christmas pudding. However, today’s puddings are not quite what they used to be. Around the 15th century, puddings were made with plums, wine, chopped veal, breadcrumbs, herbs, onions, dried fruit and spices.

But by the 16th century, vegetables and meat were gradually replaced. By the 19th century, its ingredients and taste were very similar to today's pudding. People also added beans or coins to the pudding, believing that whoever ate this part of the pudding would have good luck all year.

5. Meat pie

Since ancient times, people have known how to mince meat to use the leftover meat or mix it with other foods to make new dishes, including minced meat pie. Minced meat pie was born in the Middle Ages. The filling of the pie includes minced pork and liver. On Lenten days (Christianity), people make cakes with fish filling. This cake is usually baked or fried.

From the 16th century until now, mince pie has become a special dish for Christmas. The pie is like a “bag” containing minced meat, fruit, a little sugar, some other spices, lemon juice, vinegar or brandy to enhance the flavor. This dish is like the wish of many people, always happy, full, and complete like this pie.

Le Hoa

(Synthetic)