Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

It’s Christmas morning and I slept in till 9am which means I should be behind on my plan to deliver Christmas dinner by 1pm but this is like no other Christmas morning because I am waking up in The Vine Hotel in Madeira. There is no table to set, no turkey to remove from the brining solution, no potatoes or side dishes to prep or gravy to make and no Christmas leftovers to obsess over.

It feels a bit strange but at the same time it is a relief not to worry about all the fuss that comes with Christmas day celebrations. ‘Do I miss celebrating Christmas at home?’ Absolutely! I love my kitchen; it is one of my happy places where I get to create memories of feeding my loved ones.

I also believe in opening myself up to new experiences, so this is a new one for me. ‘Will I do it again?’ Possibly! It is the only way to force myself to get a decent break and well-deserved rest over the holidays.

One benefit is that I have been able to explore foods from diverse cultures, learn about new ingredients and flavours which for a food writer is an important thing. I am committed to trying as many local delicacies as possible and build my food knowledge about their Portuguese food practices.

I learnt Pasteis de Nata is only excellent when eaten warm, just out of the oven and sprinkled with a little cinnamon. Who doesn’t love Portuguese tarts? They are only the most popular pastry of the Portuguese pastry industry that has successfully made it to most parts of the world including New York and Paris gracing some of the best dessert shops.

These tiny moulds of perfection with some burnt custard bits deliver one of the most satisfying bites comprising of the crunchiness of the pastry, the soft custard middle and the subtle fragrance of cinnamon evoking a decadence and nostalgia of custard on your favourite hot pudding.

Sadly, in the UK, we mostly get them cold on supermarket shelves with majority looking lifeless and unloved. The good thing is they are not that difficult to make though the traditional recipe is closely guarded.

You can re-create this with excellent quality puff pastry and well-made custard filling. What might be ‘mission impossible’ is finding the mould outside of Portugal. Many people resort to using mini cup-cake moulds which does not result in the crispness of the puff pastry. The moulds are made in Northern Portugal and for a few Euros, you can get them ensuring an authentic crispy pastry.

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, many of us will have plans to celebrate the new year. Your guests will thank you if Portuguese tarts are on offer along with the traditional nibbles, charcuterie meat and cheese boards, hummus, breads and olives.

In Portugal, 13 desserts typically form part of their festive traditions. These desserts are served after the Midnight Mass (Missa do Galo) as the great table of 13 Magi.

Two of them are the Bolo Rei also known as King’s Cake made of a soft white dough mixed with raisins, nuts and candied fruit formed into a wreath. The counterpart Queen’s cake aka Bolo Rainha is a version without the candied fruits. I kept seeing these two wreath-like cakes everywhere I went, and it was in most shopping carts and baskets.

I found out that the dough for The Pão de Deus (God's bread in English) a kind of brioche with a coconut couverture, will not rise unless covered with a Portuguese cloth so I am off on a search for it as I want to know what makes Portuguese cloth better for proofing bread dough.

This delicious and inviting bread topped with crusty coconut layer is eaten in the mornings, as snacks and desserts making it one of the 13 festive desserts. As a coconut lover, this is now on my list of things to make.

Portugal is not alone when it comes to traditions. I can’t think of UK Christmas without Yorkshire pudding, Christmas pudding and brandy sauce, Mince pies and custard, cheese boards and in my house sticky toffee pudding with both ice cream and custard.

Here are some other fascinating global New Year’s culinary traditions

In Spain, it’s customary to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, each representing good luck for the coming months.

In Mexico, families gather to make tamales—corn dough stuffed with various fillings—symbolising unity and the promise of good fortune.

In the southern United States, a traditional New Year’s dish called Hoppin’ John is enjoyed, made with black-eyed peas and rice, believed to bring prosperity.

People worldwide indulge in unique culinary traditions to usher in the New Year, each bite steeped in symbolism and hope for the days ahead.

What are your Christmas ‘in-to’ new year traditions? Whatever they are, I want to take this moment to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I hope it is every bit as special and happy as you want it to be. Here’s to wrapping up 2024 and welcoming 2025 in style.