Every family has a holiday food tradition, whether it’s lasagna while watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or hunting high and low for the most authentic Hungarian poppy seed roll. The smells and flavors of grandma’s house linger in our memories, and more than any other time of year, we crave a little taste of our heritage.
Click through the gallery for some of the holiday dishes from around the world that you can find here in Sonoma County — from potstickers to pavlova — to make the yuletide that much more delicious.
Holiday Tea at Hotel Healdsburg will be held on the Saturdays and Sundays between Dec. 7 – Dec. 22 and will include holiday fare such as house-made pastries and dainty finger sandwiches from Dry Creek Kitchen. Tea service and food is $79 for adults, and tea service with food and wine or cocktails is $93. Food, tea, cider and hot chocolate for children 12 and under is $49. 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg. stayhealdsburg.com
Muir’s Tea Room in Sebastopol will be hosting its annual Winter Woodland Wonderland High Tea on Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 7-31. The tea service ($74 per person) comes complete with tarts, finger sandwiches, scones and more (plus a matching gluten-free menu which costs $80). There’s also a tea service for children under 12, for $39 per child, with tea or sparkling apple cider along with savory and dessert items. Don’t forget to pick up special holiday tea blends, seasonal bakery items and other holiday gifts for that special tea fanatic in your life. 330 South Main St., Sebastopol, 707-634-6143, muirstearoomandcafe.com.
Mexico — Tamales: A favorite holiday tradition in Mexico, these steamed corn cakes are popular year-round but at the holidays they are even more special. Filled with everything from chicken, pork and cheese to beans, pineapple and even chocolate, they’re perfect for a party of any size. Our favorites are at Tamales Mana. For a twist on the usually savory snack, we love tamales with sweet mango salsa at Don Julio’s in Rohnert Park. Tamales Mana, 1110 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa, 707-595-5742, tamalesmana.com. Don Julio’s, 217 Southwest Blvd., Rohnert Park, 707-242-3160, donjulioslatingrill.com.
Italy — Panettone: Filled with candied fruit, this Italian sweet bread was one of the many reasons to make a trip to the much-missed Traverso’s Deli — but Basque Boulangerie in Sonoma serves up homemade panettone along with brioche Christmas wreaths and challah at the holidays. 460 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-935-7687, basqueboulangerie.com.
Germany — Cakes, Cookies and More: Pfeffernusse cookies and “glüewhein” (a spiced mulled wine) are among the most cherished holiday traditions. European Food Store in Santa Rosa has holiday candies, cookies (including pfeffernusse) and boot-stuffers from Germany and Eastern Europe. Franchetti’s Gasthaus has plenty of authentic German treats all-year-round with schnitzel, wurst, vesper cheese and charcuterie plates and much more. European Food Store, 2790 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-527-0319, alleuropeanfood.com. Franchetti’s Gasthaus, 1229 N. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-526-1229, franchettis.com.
Schnitzel and strudel are traditional German holiday dishes. You can find them on the holiday menu at Franchetti’s Gasthaus in Santa Rosa.
Eastern Europe — Poppy Seed Roulade: At the European Food Store in Santa Rosa, find Eastern European holiday favorites like poppy seed roulade, caviar, smoked fish and imported chocolates. 2790 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-527-0319, alleuropeanfood.com.
Sweden — Julbord: Stockhome in Petaluma is your go-to spot for all things Swedish. On Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 at noon and 5 p.m. and Dec. 22 at 5 p.m., they will serve an authentic julbord — a family-friendly meal featuring holiday specialties. There will be a julbord takeout option on Dec. 23 with pickup times from Noon-4 p.m. To learn more about Stockhome’s holiday festivities this year, click here. 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com.
France — Bûche de Noël: Eating a log might not sound so delicious, but when it’s filled with buttercream and frosted with chocolate? That’s another story. The tradition stems from ancient pagan rites of burning logs to usher in spring, but we like the elaborate versions at Sarmentine Artisan Boulanger in Santa Rosa, Les Pascals in Kenwood, Patisserie Angelica in Sebastopol and Pascaline Patisserie and Cafe in Forestville. Need a gluten-free version? Check out Sonoma County Cakes made at Zoftig Eatery in Santa Rosa.
More French Holiday Treats: Pastry chef Alexandra Zandzliet of the new Sarmentine Artisan Boulanger in Santa Rosa is offering traditional French holiday sweets, in addition to Bûche de Noël, including pain d’épices (French spice cake) and advent bread studded with 12 different fruits and nuts. 52 Mission Circle, Suite 112, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9595, sarmentine.com.
New Zealand — Pavlova: It’s summer down under during the holidays, just in time for fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries that make this light dessert such a holiday favorite. Made with a meringue base, whipped cream and berries, the best spot to find it is BurtoNZ Bakery in Windsor, the only New Zealand-style bakery in the region. 9076 Brooks Road South, Windsor, 707-687-5455, burtonzbakery.com.
Puerto Rico — Sweet Rice Pudding: Coconut, raisins, spices and cloves make this a special rice pudding (arroz con dulce) that’s traditional on the island. You can find it at El Coqui Puerto Rican Cuisine in Santa Rosa. 400 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-542-8868, elcoqui2eat.com.
Ethiopia — D’oro We’t: This spicy chicken stew takes days to prepare, with a mix of African peppers and spices. Long-simmered with garlic and onion, hard-boiled eggs are added to soak up flavor, and it’s typically served with fermented injera bread. Though Ethiopian Christians celebrate on Jan. 7 according to the Orthodox calendar, you can find d’oro we’t any day of the year at Abyssinia in Santa Rosa. 913 4th St., Santa Rosa, 707-568-6455, my-abyssinia.com.
Chinese for Christmas? Many Jewish folks have a favorite holiday tradition of eating Chinese food — often from the only restaurants open on Christmas. It’s also a great way to avoid the kitchen after a day of exhausting present opening. Lately, more and more Chinese restaurants have been closing on Dec. 25, making this jolly night out harder to come by. China Legend in Santa Rosa is one spot that will be open on Christmas Day for sure. City Chopsticks in Petaluma has also been reliably open on Christmas. China Legend, 500 Mission Blvd., Santa Rosa, 707-538-8698, chinalegendsantarosa.com. City Chopsticks, 127 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, 707-763-3083, citychopsticksca.com.
Thailand — Mango Sticky Rice: A traditional South Asian dessert made with fresh mango, glutinous rice and coconut milk, mango sticky rice is often enjoyed on Songkran, the Thai New Year’s holiday in April but is popular during other holidays as well. Tomi Thai Restaurant in Windsor and OSHA Thai BBQ in Petaluma both serve up elegantly plated Mango Sticky Rice that’s a refreshing, delicious ending to any meal. Tomi Thai Restaurant, 426 Emily Rose Circle, Windsor, 707-836-1422, tomithai.com. OSHA Thai BBQ, 1390 N. McDowell Blvd., Unit A, Petaluma, oshathaibbq.com.
Turkey — Baklava: While baklava is a popular dessert to mark the end of Ramadan, this sweet, delicate treat of thin phyllo pastry layered with a honeyed nut mixture can be enjoyed any day of the year. Along with other Turkish holiday delights like dolmas and borek, Real Döner in Petaluma serves heavenly pistachio baklava with the right touch of sweet and crunchy. 307 F St., Petaluma, 707-765-9555, realdoner.net.
India — Kheer: A simple yet wholesome dessert, traditional Indian kheer is a sweet rice pudding commonly found at festivals and on the holidays in India. Himalayan in Windsor offers an old-fashioned and lightly spiced Himalayan-style kheer, and Kafal Restaurant in Santa Rosa has a sweet, refreshing kheer flavored with cardamom. Himalayan, 810 McClelland Drive, Windsor, 707-838-6746, himalayanrestaurantwindsor.com. Kafal Restaurant, 535 Ross St., Santa Rosa, 707-595-3311.
Japan — Kentucky Fried Chicken: Though Christmas isn’t widely celebrated in Japan, KFC is a holiday tradition. Since the 1970s, the “Party Barrel” has attracted lines of eager eaters after a marketing campaign made Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii (Christmas with Kentucky) a thing. To follow suit, take your pick among Sonoma County’s eight KFC locations.
