WE LOVE to moan about it, but when Christmas Day comes around this year, turkey will still find its way on to most plates.
A Bord Bia-backed Christmas survey found turkey and ham remained the favourite option for Irish diners, with just 11 per cent of people opting for alternatives including beef, lamb, duck, goose, pheasant and venison.
However, the numbers considering meat from Rudolph’s cousins on Christmas Day, of all days, are said to be very small.
The turkey and ham combo will be eaten by 57 per cent of diners, while the fowl option on its own will be the choice of 18 per cent. Some 9 per cent of people leave it at the ham and 4 per cent will tuck into goose. A further 3 per cent of people will have duck.
The research showed 28 per cent of people said turkey was their favourite Christmas food, while stuffing came in at 16 per cent. Ham was one percentage point behind stuffing, while mince pies finished fourth, on 12 per cent.
Rounding out the top five favourite Christmas Day foods was plum pudding – declared to be the nicest thing by 10 per cent of people polled. Brussels sprouts did not feature on the list.
Cork people are the biggest fans of a meat-fest, with 40 per cent of people there saying they will be talking turkey on December 25th, while 30 per cent are going with ham.
By contrast, only 5 per cent of Dubliners said turkey was what their hearts desired most. Stuffing was what did it for most people in the capital, with 40 per cent saying it is the king of Christmas. A further 15 per cent of Dubliners chose cranberry sauce.
Responsibility for cooking on the day still seems to rest with Mná na hÉireann, the study shows, with 63 per cent saying that this year their wife, mother or mother-in-law would do it. Just 16 per cent said husbands, fathers or fathers-in-law would cook.
The tradition of eating Christmas dinner with extended family is still popular.
According to the 2006 census, the average household size in Ireland is 2.81 people, yet 72 per cent of respondents have said they would share Christmas dinner with four or more people. Forty per cent said there would be six or more having dinner with them on December 25th.
