Wedding Food Traditions From Around The World

I just love learning about wedding food traditions from around the world. This is not only because I love weddings, but I love food.

Food has deep meanings for almost every culture. It’s a universal way to bring people together. During a wedding, when we meld two families into one, food can have an even deeper meaning. Wedding food traditions may showcase different types of food, but they all seem to have one major purpose. That is, to aid in helping newlyweds start their new life with blessings from their loved ones. Various foods have various symbolism in them, and add deeper meaning to weddings that incorporate them.

Wedding food traditions are a good thing. And, they are interesting. The types of food may range from pickled fish to sweet bread, from nuts to ducks, and in each case they are made and produced with love. Though these wedding foods may not be seen at absolutely every wedding in the countries listed below, they are still popular and fun to learn about.

Wedding Food Traditions From Around The World

After reading this post, you’ll have a better understanding of wedding food traditions from around the world. I was able to gather some information for this post from this article, and from browsing various social media accounts showcasing wedding food. Hopefully my descriptions are an accurate depiction of wedding food traditions.

Let’s get into it!

ITALY: JORDAN ALMONDS, SYMBOLIZING LIFE AND MARRIAGE, AMONG OTHER THINGS

Let’s start off with a fairly common Italian wedding food tradition. Jordan almonds.

Jordan almonds are sugar coated nuts. They come in a variety of colors, and are traditionally given as wedding favors at Italian weddings. The bittersweet flavor of the almonds is symbolic of how bittersweet life is. The sugar around them represents that the new marriage will sweeten up the life of the newlyweds.

Traditionally, Jordan almonds represent love, happiness, loyalty, prosperity, and virility.

JAPAN: KAZUNOKO FOR FERTILITY

Have you ever heard of Kazunoko? Neither have I, until now.

Kazunoko is a yellow herring roe dish. It’s prepared by laying the fish out in the sun to dry and then preserving it in pickling salt. This dish is presented to Japanese newlyweds alongside other dishes, like sushi. The roe symbolizes fertility, and the dish brings blessings for the newlyweds to start their family.

SOUTH KOREA: JUJUBES AND CHESTNUTS FOR FERTILITY

Now, this wedding food tradition is super cute.

Traditionally, in South Korea, the bride will attend a pyebaek. This is is a family-only event that takes place after the wedding. During this event, or small party, the bride will bring her new in-laws jujubes and chestnuts. If you’ve never heard of a jujube, it’s a small, edible fruit.

After receiving the jujubes and chestnuts, the in-laws will throw them back to the bride. The amount that she catches supposedly predicts how many children she will have. I’ve seen this tradition have the bride catch the jujubes and chestnuts in her dress, but I supposed some brides may catch them with their hands as well. 

THAILAND: FOI THONG CAKE FOR GOOD LUCK

I recently mentioned foi thong cake in a post about wedding colors and their hidden meanings.

The foi thong cake is typically a golden color. Though it can come in many different flavors, the color is what sets it apart. In Thailand, the color gold is symbolic of good luck. This means that when the foi thong cake is at your wedding, it brings luck with it. To give you a better idea of what this cake is, it’s a cake topped with foi thong noodles. These noodles are sweet and made from dried egg yolks and sweetened water.

BRAZIL: BEM CASADO FOR BONDING AND RESPECT

In Brazil, bem casado is a common wedding favor. It translates to “well married”.

Bem casado is a small cake that resembles a cookie. Typically, it is colorfully wrapped. The cake is actually two pieces of sponge cake are held together by a sweet filling of either creamed milk or jam. Other than tasting great, this cake does have a deeper meaning. The two parts are represent the couple getting married. The sweet filling represents the bond and respect that holds them together.

UKRAINE: KOROVAI FOR LOVE, FAITHFULNESS, FERTILITY, AND PURITY

Korovai is one of those wedding food traditions from around the world that serves multiple purposes.

Korovai is a pastry that is typically a centerpiece at Ukrainian weddings. It is sweet, and usually very soft. Korovai is formed when a pastry is braided and then wrapped into a round shape before being baked. The top of the korovai is decorated dough that showcases multiple wishes for the newlyweds. The dough is often formed into doves to wish them love and faithfulness, pine cones for fertility, and periwinkle to keep them pure.

CHINA: PEKING DUCK FOR HAPPINESS AND MATING FOR LIFE

I think most people in America have heard, or even tasted, peking duck, but likely do not think of it as a Chinese wedding food tradition. It is traditionally served at Chinese weddings, and there are deep meanings for that.

The duck itself can appear red when cooked, which is an important color in Chinese culture. Red symbolizes happiness for the new couple. The duck itself is symbolic, too, as ducks mate for life. At weddings, peking duck is served without it’s skin, but still has it’s head and feet attached to showcase the completeness of the couple.

BULGARIA: BREAKING BREAD TO ESTABLISH POWER

Now, this Bulgarian wedding tradition is super cute.

In Bulgarian weddings, new couples will literally break bread together. Guests give a large loaf of bread to the couple to both hold on to. They start to tug at it at the same time, each pulling the bread away from the other. The newlywed who ends up with the bigger half of the loaf is supposedly the “boss” in their new marriage.

INDIA: HONEY AND YOGURT FOR A SWEET MARRIAGE

Indian weddings often have a wedding food tradition of serving honey and yogurt to the newlyweds, and guests, in a mixture referred to as madhupak.

Both the honey, and the yogurt, are meaningful. The honey represents the sweetness of the couple’s relationship. The mixture of the two symbolizes wishes of a long life for the couple to enjoy together. While honey and yogurt are not a completely Indian dish (heck, I eat them all the time!), it is sweet to learn that it’s a dish that helps honor Indian couples.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Okay, now I’m hungry! Wedding food traditions from around the world are so fun to learn about. And, no matter your heritage or where your wedding is, it is possible that the food you serve at your wedding will provide meaning. Don’t be afraid to look up the history of certain dishes, or see if you can have some of the ones in this post served at your wedding. Happy wedding planning!

More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice

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Edible Wedding Favors (That Your Guests Will Love)

How To Build An Amazing Charcuterie Board

Did you find this post helpful, inspiring?  PIN it to your Wedding Food Board on Pinterest!