Traditional Christmas dinner is barely British
IT’S a fine UK tradition – but the only part of Christmas dinner that’s truly British is the carrots, with every other element first found overseas.
The turkey originated in North America and was brought back to this country some time after the Pilgrim Fathers arrived there in the 17th century.
Potatoes, first found in South America, were brought to the British Isles in the late 16th century, while parsnips were first grown in the eastern Mediterranean.
The origins of these and other festive foods will be explained by Exeter University’s Professor Dave Hodgson at a Science Of Christmas event in Falmouth, Cornwall, on Thursday. ‘Christmas dinner really is a truly global feast,’ he said.