Seasons and holidays

Warming winter comfort foods

When temperatures drop, people turn to simmering stews, bubbling pots and melted cheese. These hearty dishes bring warmth and are often shared at the table.

Hot pot
People's Republic of China
A simmering pot of broth at the center of the table, cooked with meat and vegetables.
Hot pot or hotpot, also known as steamboat, is a dish of soup or stock kept simmering in a pot by a heat source on the table, accompanied by an array of raw meats, vegetables and soy-based foods which diners quickly cook by dipping in the broth.
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Sukiyaki
Japan
A Japanese pot dish generally eaten in winter, common at year-end parties.
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style.
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Oden
Japan
Fish cakes and vegetables simmered in dashi, usually regarded as a winter food in Japan.
Oden (おでん or 御田) is a type of nabemono (Japanese one-pot dishes) consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon or konjac, and processed fish balls stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth.
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Shabu-shabu
Japan
Thin slices of meat swished in a hot broth, a Japanese hot pot.
Shabu-shabu (Japanese: しゃぶしゃぶ, romanized: shabushabu) is a Japanese nabemono hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces.
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Fondue
Switzerland
Melted cheese in a communal pot for dipping bread, a Swiss winter classic.
Fondue is a Swiss dish of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot (caquelon or fondue pot) over a portable stove (réchaud) heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread and sometimes vegetables or other foods into the cheese using…
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Raclette
Switzerland
Melted cheese scraped over potatoes, a Swiss and Alpine cold-weather meal.
Raclette is a dish of Swiss origin, also popular in other countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette is historically a dish originating from the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
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Tartiflette
France
A Savoyard gratin of potatoes, reblochon cheese and bacon, popular in the mountains.
Tartiflette is a dish from Savoy in the French Alps. It is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions. A splash of white wine can be added too.
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Cassoulet
France
A slow-cooked bean stew with sausage and duck from southwestern France.
Cassoulet is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and herbs".
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Pot-au-feu
France
A French boiled beef and vegetable dish, a hearty everyday classic.
Pot-au-feu is a French dish of slowly boiled meat and vegetables, usually served as two courses: first the broth (bouillon) and then the meat (bouilli) and vegetables. The dish is familiar throughout France and has many regional variations.
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Bigos
Poland
A Polish hunter's stew of sauerkraut and meats, cooked long and reheated.
Bigos, or hunter's stew, is a Polish dish of chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut, shredded fresh cabbage and spices. It is served hot and can be enriched with additional vegetables and wine.
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Irish stew
Ireland
A traditional Irish stew of lamb or mutton with potatoes and onions.
Irish stew (Irish: stobhach Gaelach) or stobhach is a stew from Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but in modern times also it is commonly made with beef.
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Cawl
United Kingdom
A traditional Welsh broth with lamb and root vegetables.
Cawl is a Welsh dish. In modern Welsh, the word is used for any soup or broth; in English, it refers to a traditional Welsh soup, usually called cawl Cymreig ('Welsh soup') in Welsh.
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Lancashire hotpot
United Kingdom
A slow-baked lamb and potato casserole from northern England.
Lancashire hotpot is a stew originating in Lancashire in North West England. It consists of lamb or mutton and onion, topped with sliced potatoes and slowly baked in a pot at a low heat.
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Ribollita
Italy
A Tuscan bread and bean soup, reboiled to deepen its flavor.
Ribollita is a Tuscan panade made with bread and vegetables, often from leftovers. There are many variations, but it usually contains cannellini beans, lacinato kale, cabbage and inexpensive vegetables such as carrot, beans, chard, celery, potatoes and onion.
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Fabada asturiana
Spain
A hot, heavy white bean stew from Asturias, most commonly eaten in winter.
Fabada asturiana, often simply known as fabada, is a rich Asturian bean stew, originally from and most commonly found in the autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, but widely available throughout the whole of Spain and in Spanish restaurants…
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Borscht
Ukraine
A beet-based soup with meat and vegetables from Eastern Europe, served hot in cold seasons.
Borscht (English: ) is a sour soup, made with meat stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Northern Asia.
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Seolleongtang
South Korea
A milky Korean ox-bone soup, simmered for hours to warm up cold days.
Seolleongtang (Korean: 설렁탕) or ox bone soup is a Korean tang (soup) made from ox bones (mostly leg bones), brisket and other cuts.
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Kimchi-jjigae
South Korea
A spicy Korean kimchi stew, a staple of cold-weather meals.
Kimchi-jjigae (Korean: 김치찌개) or kimchi stew is a jjigae, or stew-like Korean dish, made with kimchi and other ingredients, such as pork, scallions, onions, and diced tofu. It is one of the most common stews in Korean cuisine.
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Glogg
Denmark Estonia
A hot spiced drink traditionally enjoyed in Nordic winters.
Glögg, gløgg or glögi is a spiced, often alcoholic, mulled wine, or spirit of Swedish origin. It is a traditional Nordic drink during winter, especially around Christmas.
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Laba congee
India
A Chinese porridge traditionally eaten on the Laba Festival in the cold depths of winter.
Laba congee or porridge is a Chinese ceremonial congee dish traditionally eaten on the eighth day of the twelfth month in the Chinese calendar. The day on which it is traditionally eaten is commonly known as the Laba Festival.
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