Christmas Dinner in America

Local ingredients and customs play a large part in what's on the holiday table.

Photo by Libby Penner on Unsplash

If you’ve been binging on the Hallmark Channel, then you know there are certain holiday tropes: big city “boss babes” really want to hang out with Christmas tree salesmen, it always snows on Christmas Eve, and every family gathers around a perfectly roasted turkey and ham, fresh from the oven.

And, while we don’t want to be total Grinches, it turns out that Americans have more varied palates than the good people who sell greeting cards and dreams would think.

A recent survey from the recipe site, Miss Wish, revealed the top choices for Christmas dinner in the United States, by state and the findings were far more interesting and delicious than the bland food TV Americans chow down on. The site tallied up responses from 3,000 participants who offered their favorite holiday dish.

“Every Christmas table unfolds a story — a rich narrative of heritage, community, and creativity. Our survey of foodies paints a portrait of America's diverse and vibrant culinary scene”, says Anna Young from Miss Wish.

The survey showed that our country is much more varied than we would think — with dishes taking cues both from regional ingredients and the people who live there.

For instance, it might seem intuitive that Virginians would set the table with a Virginia ham, but did you know that in Missouri toasted ravioli is a favorite on the Christmas table? Or that knoephla soup is a tradition in North Dakota?

And, while it’s true that many people still prefer the usual turkey, duck, or ham, they’re prepared very differently according to the region — most using local fruits, herbs, and even spirits to dress and season their centerpiece proteins.

In Delaware, chickens are glazed with local apples, while turkeys are stuffed with local cheddar in Vermont. In Arizona, the prickly pears that grow in the desert are used as a glaze, while Hawaii uses pineapple and papaya for its huli huli chicken.

So, whether you’re sitting down to a feast of elk meatballs with huckleberry sauce in Wyoming or wild berry glazed salmon in Alaska, there’s one thing the Hallmark channel does get right — the holidays are for gathering around the dinner table with family and friends.

If you want to see the entire list (and it’s pretty interesting), click here.