It’s already December, which means Christmas is just around the corner. While we’re all blessed to have reached this point and are excited about the holiday, we must admit not all aspects of it are exciting.
Gifts aside, the most exciting part of Xmas is the food. And yet, we’ve got several traditional food trends that either don’t make sense or are unusually dull. Here are the worst Christmas food trends we need to stop encouraging:
Candy canes
You might be surprised to see candy canes on the list because we all paint a merry picture with them. Yet, candy canes are among the worst Christmas trends because they encourage bad eating habits and food waste.
Allow us to elaborate. While some people like candy canes, their flavor isn’t universally liked, so they’re mainly used for decor rather than eating. This promotes food waste. Those who do eat candy canes often overeat, which is also dangerous.
Mince pie
Although British cuisine is delightful, it often includes unpleasant foods. Mince pies are one of these distasteful foods. Their unique meat and fruit filling gives them an acquired taste, so they’re not well-liked in the U.S.
This isn’t the only reason mince pies are one of the least liked Xmas food trends; it’s challenging to balance their contrasting flavors perfectly, so only a few people can bake them to perfection, making them laborious.
Ribbon candy
It’s rare to find people who like ribbon candy because this unique sweet has a weird texture and an even unpleasant taste. Its lack of popularity should explain why ribbon candy makes the list, but let’s take a deeper look.
Ribbon candy is lethargically chewy and hard, so most of our time is wasted attempting to bite the candy safely. Its texture is unpleasant enough, but it doesn’t taste particularly well, making the challenging chewing futile.
Eggnog
We all love to sit by the Christmas fire and enjoy eggnog, right? As surprising as it sounds, this Christmas-special beverage isn’t the most beloved. In fact, its taste and texture can be off-putting for many.
Eggnog has an intense sweetness that can cut through everything and leave a slightly sick feeling at the back of the throat. Its dense, creamy texture can be too heavy to digest correctly, especially during a food-centric holiday season.
Eggnog-flavored foods
Eggnog is terrible enough, but imagine trying eggnog-flavored foods. You might think such foods are better than the rest because they lack the thick texture, but eggnog-flavored foods are equally disgusting.
Eggnog doesn’t have a particular flavor; it tastes like an intensely sweet cream. This flavor combination isn’t popular with most folks, so every eggnog-flavored food tastes disappointing. They might contain artificial flavoring, which can be harmful.
Ambrosia salad
If there’s one food trend that’s gotten too old, it’s ambrosia salad. We’ve seen this food make it to every Christmas dinner, but we can all agree it’s not worth the effort or indulgence. It’s gross and unappealing.
The salad contains one of the weirdest food combinations, so it’s not attractive in the slightest. Eating the salad is jarring and unpleasant for most, so removing it entirely from the menu only seems suitable.
Figgy pudding
A traditional Christmas pudding, figgy pudding is one of the most abhorred items on the table. It might be because this black, overturned, dried, sponge-like structure doesn’t match the aesthetic of the rest of the table.
But figgy pudding also contains various odd ingredients, most of which we avoid. The combination of dried fruit, figs, and suet often puts people off and can even invoke some revolting reactions because of its acquired taste.
Cranberry candles
Luckily, we’re already quite far from cranberry candles, but many families still prepare this infamous Christmas delicacy. The 1960s recipe includes mayo, fruits, cranberry sauce, and gelatin.
The unusual ingredient combination feels jarring and off-putting. Mayonnaise doesn’t fit well with sweet ingredients, so most people find it disgusting. The jello-like texture that dissolves into chunks isn’t helpful either.
Fruitcake
Let’s all admit it: we’ve never liked fruitcake and only bear it for the sake of our hardworking parents. A classic Christmas dinner typically features fruitcake, but this dessert is unpleasant and dull.
Most of us prefer cakes with icing or fresh fruits. Even if we add syrup, a dried fruitcake doesn’t sound too appealing. The only reason this exhausting Christmas food trend is still happening is because it matches the aesthetic.
Gingerbread cookies
The best part about Christmas for some people is making a gingerbread house. And while we’re all a little giddy to do it this time, we must admit that’s the only fun part of the food trend.
Gingerbread cookies have an acquired taste, so they’re rarely a universal favorite. This means more and more families are wasting gingerbread cookies by throwing them away after their house falls apart, which encourages bad food habits.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is a staple at many American Christmas dinners, but it has garnered mixed reactions due to its rich texture and sweet flavor.
This dish traditionally consists of mashed sweet potatoes, topped with a layer of marshmallows or a crumb topping made from nuts mixed with brown sugar. While some people love the unique blend of flavors, it is overly sweet for some palates.
Oyster Stew
Many of us do not like the slimy taste of oysters. And imagine eating that in a stew? Well, we cannot even think of it.
This creamy stew made with oysters is made for Christmas dinners in many homes across the States, especially in regions where oysters are a local delicacy.
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This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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