FOOD / December
Eat, drink, and
be merry
TRADITIONAL
CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS
WORTH TRAVELLING FOR
Panettone in Milan
Each year, a sea of street vendors fills
the Piazza del Duomo with enticing
aromas. But there’s also the unique
Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Christmas market
held on the feast of Sant’Ambrogio
(December 7–9). Literally meaning
‘oh beautiful, oh beautiful’, it’s
what you want to cry out seeing
the alluring panettoni. This sweet,
cupola-shaped loaf of bread
originated in Milan and is a must on
every Italian Christmas table. The
process of making panettone takes
up to seven days, during which the
dough is enriched with candied fruits
and raisins.
Berlin
These days, when so much shopping
is done online or by browsing through
random store aisles, the charming old tra-
dition of Christmas markets is ever more
enjoyable. But while nowadays Christmas
markets can be found all across Europe,
the German-speaking community is the
one responsible for starting them.
It began in the Middle Ages, with
winter markets held in the former Holy
Roman Empire. These gave locals a
chance to come together and stock up for
the cold season. Eventually people started
also buying things like toys and handi-
crafts specially for Christmas. It’s still not
clear which was the first real Christmas
market, and many German cities lay
claim to the honour. For instance, a form
of Christmas market was held in Mu-
nich already in 1310, but some consider
Dresden’s Strietzelmarkt in 1434 to have
been the first real Christmas market. The
name, derived from Strüzel, the fruity
cake sold at the market, also known as
Stollen, indicates that tasty holiday treats
are essential to any Christmas market.
Other common features are cute wooden
huts, fairy lights, and cups of aromatic
mulled wine.
52
Winter markets
were held in
the former Holy
Roman Empire
Words by Ilze Vītola
Photos by iStock
There’s no better way to
get into the holiday spirit than eating your
way through Europe’s Christmas markets.
Mince pies in London
This English Christmas pie dates
back to the 13 th century, when
English crusaders returned home
with recipes from the Middle East
that combined fruits, spices, and
meat. Today the pies are usually
made without meat and come in
all shapes and sizes. During the
merry season, you can find mince
pies at bakeries and Christmas
markets all around London, from
Disneyland-like extravaganzas such
as Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
to smaller events like Kingston
Christmas Market.
Joulutorttu in Helsinki
While the white blanket of
snow is one good reason to
visit Helsinki, another is the
picturesque Christmas Market
in Senate Square. More than
140 vendors offer all kinds of
handicrafts, trinkets, and festive
goodies, including joulutorttu, the
pinwheel-shaped pastries filled
with prune jam that are the Finns’
favourite Christmas sweets. For
the full experience, accompany
them with glögi, spiced mulled
wine upgraded with raisins
and almonds.
X
LONDON, MAY 2018
/ airBaltic.com
RIGA, DZIRNAVU STREET 81