10 Traditional Winter Meals from Around the World

Guest Blogger: Annie Beurman
If you live somewhere in  the world where you experience harsh winters,,,, surely you have to have some form of comfort against the mountains of snow and the cold winter wind. For some it’s sweaters, fireplaces, blankets, the great indoors, but for some it’s food. No matter what part of the world you’re from, if you’re looking for some traditional cold weather food when the weather outside is frightful, here are some ideas for delicious dishes:.
French Onion Soup
This French soup is fairly well known for a reason. The several onions, spices, oils, baguette slices and more blend together seamlessly to create a five star culinary masterpiece.
Oden

A common and delicious Japanese winter hotpot, there’s more than one way to craft this dish. Some common pieces include daikon, hard boiled eggs, chikuwa, fishcakes and more. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this delicacy.
Jambalaya

You don’t have to be in New Orleans to get a taste of down south. Like Oden, there is more than one way to make this dish a masterpiece. There are recipes involving pasta, wild rice, soup, slow-cooking and even some that combine this dish with another famous one; gumbo.
Tteokbokki
Also known as spicy stir fry rice cakes, Korea takes plain old rice cakes and literally spices them up with ingredients like red pepper, plenty of vegetables and fishcakes. Korea has also gifted the common man with, you guessed it, more than one type of tteokbokki. There’s some for seafood lovers, cheese lovers, noodle lovers and more.
Flädlesuppe

Also called Flädle, this German dish translates into “broth with pancake noodles.” That may sound strange, but the Germans have found a way to make this into a delectable treat. If you can’t decide whether to have pancakes or vegetable soup for dinner, this dish is the perfect solution.
Borscht
Served either hot or cold, several countries in Europe have made a name of this mostly vegetable (though you can add meat or seafood) composed dish. It’s most often served with hard boiled eggs, potatoes, or a dollop of sour cream on top. This soup may be sour, but it will provide some sweet relief for the winter blues.
Potato Soup
A creamy soup to warm your insides while it snows, this recipe usually takes less than an hour to create. Like a regular baked potato, you can load this delicious soup up with all the cheese, onions, bacon bits or anything else you want.
Chicken Noodle Soup
You can’t go wrong with this classic. Whether created from scratch or microwaved straight out of the can, any variation of this soup will warm your body and your heart from the winter chills. And don’t forget the crackers.
Fondue
A pot filled with warm cheese perfect for dipping breads and other foods into? How can this not be on the list? Originally a Swiss creation, this treat caught on like wildfire all around the world. If you have less than half an hour to make a crowd pleasing dish, then this is just the right pick.
Snow Cones
You might call me crazy for this one, but believe or not, snowy days are the second best time to have snow cones. Why? Free refills. Just scoop up some freshly fallen snow and add some flavoring. The bigger the snowfall, the less likely you are to run out of this classic dessert.
For more great recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays and Special Occasons -2nd edition