Rideau Hall‘s annual Winter Celebration has become one of my favourite winter celebrations. It’s a fantastic (and delicious!) way to celebrate the magic of winter around the Northern Hemisphere and beyond. This year, our Governor General hosted it on February 1st, as part of Winterlude.
It was extra special for me because I had the honour of meeting Canada’s Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette.
Besides trying foods from different cultures, it was a fun and unique opportunity to take part in winter sports, such as skating on Canada’s oldest outdoor skating rink, racing on GIANT multi-person Norwegian skis, and kicksledding around Rideau Hall’s beautiful grounds. Tents from Canada’s northern Territories displayed traditional Inuit cultural activities and artifacts. The Canadian Armed Forces and Scouts had demonstrations. European Union members had tents offering foods and visitor information. There was even a bonfire! Take a look below to see some of what I experienced:
First up was a taste of Norway with Jarlsberg cheese. Originating from Jarlsberg, Norway, it is a mild cow’s-milk cheese with large 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. Interestingly, the packaging said were lactose-free!
I also had the opportunity to drink some Solbaer Saft. This is hot black currant juice that is enjoyed during winter. It tastes wonderful, similar to mulled wine, and is packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants that help boost the immune system.
Finally, I had the chance to try havrekjeks, or Norwegian oatmeal cookies. They are thin and crispy and not too sweet. They are seriously addictive and taste great with a slice of Jarlsberg!
From there, I moved on to Finland, where I had the chance to try Hernekeitto, or split pea soup. It is traditionally served on Thursdays and followed by pancakes with cream and jam. There’s an interesting history behind this soup and why it is eaten on Thursdays, which I talked about in last year’s post here. I love how much garlic this year’s recipe had!
Of course, no winter celebration is complete without Iceland! Kjötsúpa is a traditional Icelandic lamb soup, full of meat and winter veggies, like carrots, potatoes, onions, and rutabagas. Hearty and nutritious and I ate a lot of it when I was in Iceland. Every household and restaurant has their own recipe, so I never tired of it. I even make it at home sometimes.
This was quite a full cup, but I drank a lot of the broth so that you can see the different ingredients.
Admittedly, one of my favourite parts of this event is Switzerland’s tent! Serving raclette, this tends to be one of the most popular stalls.
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 half a block of cheese (or slices, depending on the kind of equipment you have), 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).
The first time I ever tried raclette was in France, when I was there as an exchange student in high school. More recently, I enjoyed it at a wedding in Switzerland. It brings back so many happy memories and it’s one of my favourite foods!
Hungary made an appearance this year with three different treats!
Kürtőskalács is a sweet cake that is cone-shaped, hollow, covered in sugar, and roasted over charcoal. Hungarian salami is actually my favourite kind, with meat from Mangalista Pigs (famous for their superbly marbled meat) that is spiced, slow-smoked, then mold-riped using centuries-old techniques. There were also pogácsa, which as savoury cheese biscuits.
South Korea was also there this year, with steamed buns and coffee. They had two different kinds of hopang, or steamed buns: one filled with veggies and the other with red bean paste.
I really like read bean, so I opted for that one. Red beans, or azuki beans, are commonly used in East Asian cuisine. In Korea, danpat is a sweetened red bean paste, made by adding honey or sugar. The paste itself is made by boiling and then mashing or grinding red beans. The bean skin gives the red colour.
Canada was also represented with pouding chômeur. Developed by female factory workers in Quebec during the Great Depression, it is a classic Canadiana dessert. Basic cake batter is cooked in a lot of maple syrup. When the batter rises and bakes into a cake, the syrup oozes out at the bottom, turning the bottom layer into a gooey maple pudding, similar to an upside down cake. Like most Quebec cuisine, this dish combines ingredients from Indigenous cuisine (maple syrup) with European cuisine (fluffy cake).
I was able to balance out all the sugar with a piping cup of erwtensoep or snert, which is Dutch split pea soup. It is a very thick soup, often made with speklapjes (bacon) or rookworst (smoked sausage). Celery root and leaves are also commonly added to this soup, giving it a distinctive flavour.
I warmed up next to a bonfire by roasting marshmallows and turning them into s’mores. I love it when they are completely black and crispy on the outside and practically liquified on the inside. I can’t eat marshmallows any other way!
I also had copious amounts of hot chocolate and maple cookies!
Overall, this was another wonderful Winter Celebration. I loved trying all these different foods and learning about the different countries and their cultures. I can hardly wait for next year’s event!