Christmas foods that are overrated in Australia

Australia has spoken - and these are the Christmas foods they hate. Be warned: Many feelings here.

It’s no secret that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s filled with family, friends and of course, delicious food. ‘Tis the time to see the return of some iconic dishes that scream festivity, but taste.com.au wanted to get Australia’s opinion on which Christmas foods are worth the cheer, and which, well, aren’t.

Mince Pies

In a roaring first place… the mince pie. It seems like more than a few Aussies aren’t a big fan of the fruity filled pastries with one of taste.com.au’s Facebook followers stating: “They aren’t overrated. They’re simply an abomination.” *Ouch*. You might change your mind when you see that we’ve been making our mince pies this year in everyone’s favourite appliance: the air fryer (oh, and we filled them with gin!)

One of my personal favourite Christmas treats.

Christmas cake

Arguably one of the most traditional dishes to bless our Christmas tables, it seems like the fruit cake doesn’t bring the holiday spirit to all Aussie households. With some people mentioning that it’s the whole dried fruit part that ruins this dish, our follower Helena shared that it’s the “royal icing and marzipan” that seals the (no) deal for her.

Maybe Christmas cake haters just haven't tried one of our tasty recipes yet.

Trifle

Woah, woah, woah. We love our trifle here at taste.com.au, but CLEARLY some Aussies aren’t on the same page. Our follower Alice explains that they’re not her cup of tea because there are just “Wayyyy too many things happening in one bowl”. But hey, never say never; we have 99 Christmas trifles which we guarantee will change your mind on this iconic dessert. *wink, wink*. Oh and there’s definitely not too much going on in this brand new incredible Baileys number.

Christmas is all about a tasty trifle.

Turkey

Ahhh the good ol’ turkey. Traditionally the centrepiece of the Christmas table, carved up in front of all the guests… at least that’s what we see in Christmas movies. Unfortunately, it’s not as popular as it’s made out to be in sunny Australia; “It’s okay but it’s nothing special. Maybe that’s why we don’t eat it more often,” says Facebook follower Gary.

If you know how to make a perfect turkey, none of your guests will call this dish overrated.

Prawns

We thought prawns were the pinnacle of Xmas down under, but some fellow Aussies prefer to steer clear of the nation’s #1 Christmas seafood. Follower Rob made a good point though, by sharing that it’s the “prawns that you have to peel yourself” which are a bit overrated. True, Rob – no one likes to have prawny fingers for the rest of Christmas lunch (and well into Boxing Day). Discover how to peel your prawns perfectly to minimise mess and waste here.

Prawns are a classic Australian treat over Christmas.

Ham

We cannot believe this iconic festive food has made the most overrated list, because our famous maple glazed ham is consistently our audience’s favourite recipe throughout the Christmas period! Although it’s delicious, some people explained that it’s not special enough for Christmas Day, with one follower Sally saying: “I have it every week on sandwiches”. We say that this is proof that Xmas ham makes for the PERFECT leftovers! In fact, here are some of our favs which would be delicious in a sandwich in the days after Christmas lunch.

Glazed ham will always be special enough for us.

Above all, Christmas isn’t JUST about the food (although it is a big part of it). Yes, we’ve discussed Australia’s opinions on the most overrated festive eats, but spending valuable time with our family and friends is definitely the most underrated aspect of the festive season!

Our best Christmas recipes:

• Choc ripple Christmas wreath

• Giant Christmas sausage roll

• Christmas ice cream pudding

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Christmas foods that are overrated in Australia