The flavours of December: what Spaniards really eat during the festive season

At the December markets you notice it immediately: more almonds, more citrus, more fish. Families walk around with shopping lists, butchers stock up, and fish stalls work longer hours. The festive season here is not planned around a kitchen table, but at the market, where the season quite literally lies in front of you. So this December we open with a story you probably saw coming: a look at Spanish Christmas food.

Caldo navideño as the foundation of the season

Many families begin Christmas Eve with a simple, clear caldo navideño. It is not a heavy starter, but a warm beginning that suits the coastal rhythm. Broths are everywhere: at local carnicerías, on the markets and sometimes ready-made at good butchers. The aroma — chicken, bones, vegetables — is, for many, the real start of December.

Marisco: festive food from the coast

A little further on, the seafood market is in full glory. Gambones, almejas, mejillones, cigalas — December is all about fresh seafood. Morning is the best time to buy, especially in ports like Dénia, Jávea, Marbella, Estepona or Málaga. The stalls are busy, but it pays off: marisco is seen at this time of year as the dish that signals something special is being celebrated.

Cochinillo and cordero: oven-baked tradition

Along the Costa, many families opt for cochinillo or cordero asado. These are not complicated dishes, but they demand attention and time. Quality starts with the butcher, who will also advise which cuts work best for slow, gentle roasting. Restaurants often serve them with minimal embellishment — because the meat itself does the talking.

Jamón: the centrepiece of every table

No Spanish Christmas is complete without a plate of jamón. The highest quality is recognised by the official colour labels of the Spanish jamón classification system (Real Decreto 4/2014):

• Black label: 100% ibérico de bellota

• Red label: ibérico de bellota (50–75%)

• Green label: ibérico de cebo de campo

• White label: ibérico de cebo

A good piece of jamón glistens lightly at room temperature and smells clean and nutty — never sour. In December it is more often served at the beginning of the meal than at the end: both flavour-setter and tradition.

Turrón: the sweet December classic

December is carried by turrón. Both the hard variety from Alicante and the soft Jijona turrón have protected origin status (Denominación de Origen Jijona / Alicante). Some choose one for tradition, others for memory. In almost every home, at least one box is waiting somewhere in December.

The Christmas lottery: eating as ritual

On 22 December, during the El Gordo draw, food becomes secondary — and yet it is everywhere. Coffee, turrón, chocolate; cafés fill with people watching together. It is a morning of rituals: hope, television and something sweet.

How December really feels on the Costa

The value of the season lies in small choices: broth that simmers slowly, marisco bought early in the morning, jamón left to warm gently on the kitchen counter, citrus fruit that brings freshness right in the middle of winter. The dishes are not complicated, but they carry the feeling of the festive season.

In every bite there is a story — and in December that story is warm, unhurried and steeped in tradition.