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Original poster

Lighthearted: If you're not British, what's the Christmas food that you just can't eat?

234 replies

BetsyBobbins · 09/12/2023 15:17

I've been in the UK 22 years now, but I can't still bring myself to eat some of the traditional British Christmas food. I tried them once and never again. Mind you, this is coming from someone who got used to, and now loves baked beans among other things. But Good Lord, what's up with the Victorian puddings and cakes?

Christmas pudding: Looks like Elephant poo, smells like stale booze and tastes like soil.

Christmas cake: More of the same. Looks horrid, smells weird and has an even worse texture, a mix of soil and sawdust. Plus, how can you trust something that was cooked months in advance? I don’t.

Mince pies: now, that is the worst of all. Looks good, I’ll give them that, but they smell like vomit and have the texture of baby sick.

Tell me the ones you never got used to

OP posts:
Igneococcus · 09/12/2023 16:11

There is a difference between choosing alternative Christmas dinners and coming here and saying a traditional food tastes like poo.
I just don't think it's necessary but you crack on.

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 16:11

I’m Irish. I hate anything with dried fruits.

Bleurgh.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 09/12/2023 16:12

Clutterbugsmum · 09/12/2023 16:08

Only if they are the professional offended.

If you look at the 'What are having for Christmas dinner' thread very few people have the 'traditional' Christmas dinner

Show quote history

You may be right, but I think it's possible the only people who bother to reply to threads like that are the ones who aren't having the traditional meal. If you look at the Food topic many people seek advice on how to cook elements of the traditional dinner.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 09/12/2023 16:15

I'm English, and have spent most of my life in England. I don't like mince pies, and I'm so-so about Christmas cake and pudding. We lived in the Netherlands for a while so, and I love a good marzipan stollen!

Buffypaws · 09/12/2023 16:16

I’m English and I cannot stand Christmas cake, pudding or mince pies. bloody disgusting. I’ll be making a Yule log with meringue mushrooms and a chocolate chip pannetone bread and butter pudding for my Christmas pudding.

Seainasive · 09/12/2023 16:20

I’m forrin and love all of it! Except parsnips. And Turkey is a bit meh

Ykn · 09/12/2023 16:23

Igneococcus · 09/12/2023 16:04

Can everybody have a pop at your traditional Christmas foods, OP?
I'm not British either but I wouldn't be surprised if some British MNetters would find this thread quite mean-spirited.

What part of "lighthearted" do you not understand? There was absolutely no need to jump on and try to start an argument.

I'm British and don't like many of our Christmas foods including mince pies and Christmas pudding.

Torganer · 09/12/2023 16:27

I can’t stand mince pies, Christmas cake/pudding. I like sprouts when cooked with garlic and chilli. I love cheese and biscuits. I find bread too stodgy. Gooey goats cheese on a charcoal wafer is delicious. I hate cranberry sauce though.

Igneococcus · 09/12/2023 16:38

I don't read the OP as lighthearted irrespective of putting the word in the title @ykn but I'm butting out now, you keep having fun with this thread.

gotomomo · 09/12/2023 16:44

Pigs in blankets I'd never heard of until I was an adult, I'm British!

It's turkey I'm not keen on, but yet again we have it for tradition

Original poster
BetsyBobbins · 09/12/2023 16:45

Igneococcus · 09/12/2023 16:38

I don't read the OP as lighthearted irrespective of putting the word in the title @ykn but I'm butting out now, you keep having fun with this thread.

Thanks, we will 👍🏼

OP posts:
Chilicabbage · 09/12/2023 16:48

gotomomo · 09/12/2023 16:44

Pigs in blankets I'd never heard of until I was an adult, I'm British!

It's turkey I'm not keen on, but yet again we have it for tradition

Go fo goose! They were the OG birds of Christmas before turkeys.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 09/12/2023 16:50

@BetsyBobbins I'm British and hate mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mulled wine Grin

Must be all the spices - bleurgh. I'll stick to chocolate.

SophiaElise · 09/12/2023 16:51

I'm with you OP and others! I don't mind well-made (moist) christmas cake, but mince pies and christmas pudding can go in the bin.

Ittastesvile · 09/12/2023 16:53

I'm British and love most of it. I find Panettone very dry and disappointing though.

I once gave my French penpal ginger cake. She acted like I'd poisoned her!

SwedishEdith · 09/12/2023 16:56

I'm British but pigs in blankets weren't a thing when I was a child. Chipolatas with the dinner and streaky bacon was just draped over the turkey to stop it drying out. I'd never have mash, cauliflower cheese or Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner. And I've never had bread sauce but can imagine what it tastes like - inoffensive.

Only really started to love sprouts, Christmas pudding and cake as an adult. But, God, I love the pudding now with brandy butter or cream. The flambéd pudding is possibly my favourite moment of the day 😄

Dotcheck · 09/12/2023 17:03

I DO like bread sauce, purple cabbage and parsnips though…

PlacidPenelope · 09/12/2023 17:04

Igneococcus · 09/12/2023 16:11

There is a difference between choosing alternative Christmas dinners and coming here and saying a traditional food tastes like poo.
I just don't think it's necessary but you crack on.

I agree with you, I can just imagine the reaction if a thread was started describing other culture's traditional food in the terms the OP has used. No problem with people disliking the taste or look of food but to use the terms OP used is totally unnecessary.

The dismissive attitude towards your objections (and no doubt mine) will continue unabated though.

lollipoprainbow · 09/12/2023 17:06

I've never had a mince pie that smelt of vomit with the texture of baby food. Where are you getting yours from or is this just made up nonsense ??

Brandyginger · 09/12/2023 17:06

Bread sauce. Most of the rest of the Christmas fare made it over to New Zealand but bread sauce didn’t make it. It was a horrible revelation when I moved here and it was plated up at my first work Christmas do. 😫

Original poster
BetsyBobbins · 09/12/2023 17:10

TheWayOfTheWorld · 09/12/2023 16:50

@BetsyBobbins I'm British and hate mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mulled wine Grin

Must be all the spices - bleurgh. I'll stick to chocolate.

Now now, hating mulled wine is a bit of a heresy though 😅

OP posts:
Original poster
BetsyBobbins · 09/12/2023 17:11

lollipoprainbow · 09/12/2023 17:06

I've never had a mince pie that smelt of vomit with the texture of baby food. Where are you getting yours from or is this just made up nonsense ??

The texture is of baby sick, not baby food

OP posts:
PastTheGin · 09/12/2023 17:11

I don’t like stuffing, bread sauce and Christmas cake. I love mince pies and I quite like a little bit of Christmas pudding as an ice cream topping.
I love cauliflower cheese, but not with Christmas dinner!
I have been trying for years to escape the turkey, but apparently nothing else is Christmassy enough. It’s ok, but nothing special.

Globe22 · 09/12/2023 17:16

Santa definitely deserves booze, no soppy milk for him!

Titicacacandle · 09/12/2023 17:21

I don't know why turkey overtook goose. Maybe Americanism?

I love what Jamaica did to christmas cake. Black cake is made with rum soaked and blended prunes and dried fruit is the best fruit cake you can get.

I love christmas food. I suppose if you haven't grown up eating roast dinners and then perfecting them to your tastes as an adukt you probably wouldn't get it! Poor you! More mince pies, fruit cake and christmas dinner for me 😋