Various countries lodge distinct culinary customs when commemorating New Year's Eve.
As the new year globally dawns, numerous special delicacies surface, accompanied by long spaghetti symbolizing longevity, field peas symbolizing wealth, herring representing abundance, and pigs signifying fortune.
The specifics may differ, but the underlying theme remains consistent: indulge in food and beverages to commemorate a prosperous new year.
Hoppin' John, American South
Hoppin' John, a emblematic New Year's dish in the American South, is a blend of pork-seasoned field peas or black-eyed peas (symbolizing wealth), rice, usually served with cooked greens (representing money) and cornbread (symbolizing gold). It's said to ensure prosperity in the forthcoming year.
A variety of legends anchor the history and the name of this meal, but the current dish has its roots in African and West Indian traditions, presumably introduced by slaves to North America. A recipe for Hoppin' John dates back to 1847 in Sarah Rutledge’s “The Carolina Housewife” and has been continuously reinvented by home and professional chefs.
The dish gained its name in Charleston, South Carolina, and is an integral part of Lowcountry cooking.
Twelve grapes, Spain
Spanish people traditionally watch a broadcast from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where folks congregate in front of the square's clock tower to strike the New Year at midnight.
Participants in the square and those at home take part in an unusual annual custom: At the stroke of midnight, they consume one grape for each ring of the clock bell. Some even prepare their grapes – peeling and deseeding them – to optimize their efficiency as the clock strikes twelve.
The ritual started at the turn of the 20th century and was reportedly conceived by grape producers in the southern region of the country with a bumper crop. Since then, the tradition has spread to numerous Spanish-speaking nations.
Tamales, Mexico
Corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and other delectable treats, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk, are popular at Mexican special occasions. The holiday season, though, is particularly favored for tamales.
In many families, groups of women gather to produce hundreds of the small packets, assigning each person a specific role in the cooking process. On New Year's, tamales are often served with menudo, a tripe and hominy soup famous for curing hangovers.
Those in cities with large Mexican populations shouldn't have trouble finding tamales to go for New Year's Eve and Day at local restaurants. In Mexico City, steamed tamales are sold from street vendors around the clock.
Oliebollen, Netherlands
Oliebollen, deep-fried oil balls, are traditionally sold in the Netherlands from street carts and are primarily consumed on New Year's Eve and at special celebratory events. They are doughnut-like dumplings, made by dropping a dough ball with currants or raisins into a deep fryer and dusted with powdered sugar.
In Amsterdam, Oliebollenkraams, small temporary shacks or trailers on the street, sell packages of hot fried oliebollen.
Marzipanschwein or Glücksschwein, Austria and Germany
Austria and neighbor Germany celebrate New Year's Eve, or Sylvesterabend, with a red wine punch with cinnamon and spices, roasted suckling pig for dinner, and decorating the table with marzipan pigs called Marzipanschwein.
Lucky pigs, or Glücksschwein, made from various materials, are also popular gifts throughout both Austria and Germany.
Soba noodles, Japan
Japanese households consume buckwheat soba noodles, or Toshikoshi Soba, at midnight on New Year's Eve to bid farewell to the passing year and welcome the new one. The custom dates back to the 17th century, and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity.
Another custom called Mochitsuki involves friends and family putting in the day before New Year's to pound mochi rice cakes. Sweet, glutinous rice is washed, soaked, steamed, and pounded into a smooth paste. Then guests take turns shaping the dough into small buns, which are later eaten as dessert.
King cake, worldwide
The custom of a New Year's cake cuts across numerous cultures. The Greeks have Vasilopita, the French the galette des rois, Mexicans the Rosca de Reyes, and Bulgarians enjoy the banitsa.
Most of the cakes are consumed at midnight on New Year's Eve – though some cultures cut their cake on Christmas or the Epiphany, January 6 – and include a hidden golden coin or figure, representing a prosperous year for the one who finds it in their slice.
In areas rich in herring like Poland and certain parts of Scandinavia, people often indulge in pickled herring at the stroke of midnight, believing it brings a year filled with wealth and sustenance. Some prefer it with cream sauce, while others enjoy it with onions.
A popular Polish New Year's Eve dish is the pickled herring preparation called Śledzie marynowane. This entails soaking whole salted herring in water for 24 hours, followed by layering them in a jar with onions, allspice, sugar, and white vinegar.
Scandinavians often integrate herring into a grand midnight buffet, which includes smoked and pickled fish, pâté, and meatballs.
The Kransekage, a cake tower formed from numerous concentric cake rings stacked on top of each other, is a Danish and Norwegian New Year's Eve tradition, as well as for other significant events. The cake is constructed using marzipan, sometimes incorporating a bottle of wine or Aquavit at its core, and may be adorned with decorations, flags, or crackers.
Marnie Hunter from CNN updated this article for 2024.
The first sentence: After savoring the traditional New Year's delicacies, one might consider pairing their meal with a glass of Marzipanschwein or Glücksschwein, a sweet Austrian and German wine drink served on New Year's Eve.
The second sentence: As the clock strikes twelve, it's a custom in some cultures to enjoy a slice of King cake, which often contains a hidden treasure, symbolizing a prosperous year for the fortunate finder.
