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    You are here: Home / Destinations / Europe / 7 European Christmas Market Foods To Taste This Holiday Season

    12/06/2018

    7 European Christmas Market Foods To Taste This Holiday Season

    The holidays are not only the season of giving, it’s also the season of eating! The Christmas Markets in Europe have so many delicious treats to indulge in this time of year. Here’s a list of our favorite Christmas Market foods.

    7 European Christmas Market Foods To Try

    Raclette

    Raclette is a swiss cheese that’s melted over an open fire and typically served with potatoes, bacon, and gerkins. You’ll see raclette in the markets as a half wheel of cheese propped up next to a coil burner or even an open flame. The hot melted cheese is scrapped away from the cheese wheel onto a serving plate. And what can be better than melted cheese?

    Christmas Market Foods - Raclette

    Spätzle

    Spätzle is a bit like the German version of homemade macaroni and cheese. It’s savory dish of free-formed egg noodles that look a bit like dumplings. In the Christmas markets we’d see vendors cooking big batches of spätzle on open griddles. It was the perfect hearty comforting meal to have to keep your energy going for exploring the market.

    Christmas Market Foods - Spatlze

    Reibeckuchen 

    Reibeckuchen are fried potato pancakes typically served with a side of applesauce, though we also tried them with savory dipping sauces too. They’re a bit like American style hashbrowns.

    Christmas Market Foods

    Chimney Cakes

    These delightful winter treats are named after their tubular shape that looks similar to a chimney or stove pipe. Chimney Cakes are made by wrapping dough around a wood cylinder that’s slowly rolled above heat from smoldering embers. After they’ve been baked, chimney cakes are covered in various toppings, though cinnamon sugar seems to be the most popular. Hungarian in origin, it’s only appropriate that I tasted my first chimney cakes at a Christmas market in Budapest where they’re known as Kürtőskalács. But I’ve seen chimney cakes all over Europe during Christmastime.

    Glühwein/Vin Chaud

    A cup of hot spiced wine is the best way to warm your hands and put you into the spirit of Christmas. In Germany, there’s an abundance of  glühwein stands, traditionally made with spiced red wine and served in a souvenir ceramic mug. It’s actually quite fun to collect glühwein mugs from all the markets you visit! (If you want to make something similar at home, try out our recipe for Holiday Sangria)

    Christmas Markets Mug

    In the Alsace region of France, bordering Germany and Switzerland, mulled wine is called vin chaud (which literally  translates to wine hot). You can find the traditional rouge, or red vin chaud, but what’s special about the Alsace region is that they also serve a citrus spiced white wine version too.

    Grilled Sausage

    Of course, you can’t visit a German Christmas Market without trying one of the various sausages Germany is famous for. The smoky scent of barbecue will lure you to booths with large cauldron-like grills piled high with bratwursts, knackwurst, frankfurts, and toasted buns.

    Roasted Chestnuts

    Roasted chestnuts are a great little snack for warming up your hands on a cold winter day and their protein-packed meaty texture is perfect for when you’re feeling a bit peckish. Ordering chestnuts always puts The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole in my head (I’m prone to tune worms that way). Chestnuts roasting on an open fire … Jack Frost nipping at your nose … yuletide carols being sung by a choir … and folks dressed up like Eskimos.

    European Christmas Market Foods

    European Christmas Market Foods

     

     

    Filed Under: Europe, Travel & Food Blog Tagged With: Christmas, Germany, Holidays

    About Rachelle Lucas

    Rachelle is the founder of TheTravelBite.com and was named one of USA Today's 10Best Food and Travel Bloggers. She believes the best way to learn about a destination is through its flavors and collects recipes from her trips to recreate them here on The Travel Bite. In her spare time she enjoys running and yoga to balance out her food obsession.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jordana says

      12/13/2017 at 1:30 pm

      This is fantastic! I am going to spend Christmas and New Years in Prague, with a 2 day trip in Vienna! Any recommendations there? I am sure I can find raclette (which I love) and I will be definitely trying all the typical holiday foods from each place! My blog is about travel and food as well so check it out when you have a change! Love your content by the way! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
      • Rachelle Lucas says

        12/13/2017 at 2:02 pm

        Enjoy Prague! They’ll have all kinds of yummies at the Christmas Market. I remember getting a cheese and potatoes dish that was amazing! Also, chimney cakes!

        Reply
    2. Dana Ionescu says

      12/16/2017 at 12:37 pm

      Thank you for giving me some food to experience!

      Reply

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