Interestingly, the first tent was from Mongolia! Winters there are long and harsh, with temperatures here typically ranging from -20°C to – 45°C degrees. Camel races and camel polo are popular winter events over there. The one pictured here is a Bactrian camel, which is native to the steppes of Central Asia. Because of its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, it enabled the travel of caravans on the Silk Road.
I had the chance to try a Buuz, a type of Mongolia steamed dumpling filled with meat (mutton or beef), onion, garlic, and salt. Occasionally, they are flavoured with sprouted fennel seeds, seasonal herbs, mashed potato, cabbage, or rice. It is traditionally eaten at home on Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian New Year, although it can be found in restaurants around the capital all year now.
I warmed up at the bonfire by roasting a marshmallow and turning it into a s’more. I love it when they are black and crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. I can’t decide if I prefer having these in the winter or the summer!
I had a taste of Norway with Jarlsberg cheese. Originating from Jarlsberg, Norway, it is a mild cow’s-milk cheese with large regular holes. With a buttery texture, it tastes slightly sweet and nutty. This cheese can be used in cooking or eaten alone as a snack. The big wheel was actually just a prop, but the small snackable sticks make it easy to have something healthy on the go.
Hot spiced elderberry juice was served too, and tasted similar to mulled wine! Besides being delicious, elderberry is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them great for treating colds and flus (it’s a very popular natural remedy across Europe). When I was in Poland, my cousins gave me elderberries and syrup to help me get over a nasty bug. It worked.
I was more than a little excited to visit Switzerland’s tent! Serving raclette, this is one of the more popular stalls… I’ve always had to skip it because the lineups are so long. This year though, I absolutely HAD to visit: last September, I had the opportunity to visit Geneva and the Jura region and really wanted another taste of delicious Swiss raclette.
Raclette cheese is a semi-hard cow milk cheese, and is similar in taste and texture to gruyere. The dish is traditionally Swiss (but also popular in France) and involves heating the cheese, then scraping off the melted part. It is usually served with small potatoes, cornichons (small pickles), pickled onions, and dried meats like jambon cru (prosciutto), salami, and Viande des Grisons (like a beef version of prosciutto). It’s probably one of my favourite foods! Big ‘thank you’ to the embassy staff who gave me extra crispy cheese and rind. Sooooooo good!
Is there anything better than a piping bowl of soup on a cold winter day? Pea soup is a Nordic favourite and is very popular in Finland. It is traditionally served on Thursdays and followed by pancakes with cream and jam.
Why Thursdays? In Finland, pea soup is connected with the arrival of Christianity. During the Middle Ages, Fridays were fasting days, so people would eat heavily on Thursdays. Since pea soup is hardy and filling, but inexpensive to make, it became a favourite dish.
It is usually topped with ham/bacon, onions, and mustard, and served with dark rye bread with butter on the side.
I grabbed a photo of the recipe they provided:
Pouding chômeur is a classic dessert from Quebec, Canada. The name literally means unemployed person’s pudding, in reference to its creation by female factory workers during the Great Depression.
Basic cake batter is cooked in maple syrup (or caramel). When the batter rises and bakes into a cake, the syrup oozes out at the bottom, giving a the dessert its distinctive texture (similar to an upside down cake, minus the fruits). Like most Quebec cuisine, this dish combines ingredients from Aboriginal traditions (maple syrup) with European foods (fluffy cake).
Maybe it’s the Eastern European in me, but I was ecstatic to see a BBQ full of sausages at the Czech Republic tent! Similar to Polish kiełbasa, Czech klobása is a pork sausage prepared with salt, black pepper, garlic, paprika, and/or marjoram. Sometimes it is smoked.
The sausages were served hot, with caraway rye bread, ketchup, and Czech mustard on the side. Czech mustard, or hořčice, has a distinctive flavour, like a sweet and spicy dijon, due to being made of both white and black mustard.
Denmark offered their famous Danish butter cookies (Brysselkex), and warm cups of elderflower lemonade. Elderflower drinks are popular in Denmark, as their bushes grow everywhere there. During the old days, drinking elderflower beverages was supposed to ward off evil spirits and provide relief from common ailments. In modern times, elderflower lemonade is a healthy and refreshing drink that is part of Danish tradition.
Iceland knows all about long winters and how to brighten them up. Kjötsúpa is a traditional Icelandic lamb soup, full of meat and winter veggies, like carrots, potatoes, and rutabagas. It’s very nutritious, helping to wards of SADs (seasonal affective disorders, like feeling down during winter). Every household has their own recipe.
This is definitely something that I want to try making on my own. Lamb is one of my favourite meats and I love a good hardy soup. It was a pleasure to chat about visiting Iceland with Ms. Ólöf Sigvaldadóttir, Acting Head of Mission of the Embassy of Iceland. She gave me so many useful tips! I can hardly wait to visit.
I can’t forget to mention that there were hot cocoa stands everywhere too, which was very welcome in the cold!
Overall, this was another fantastic Winter Celebration. It reminded me why I love winter so much and it made me feel proud to live somewhere where I can experience this season. Looking forward to next year’s event!