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Christmas

Swede for Christmas meal?

(132 Posts)
shysal Sat 20-Dec-25 08:48:48

I have seen several mentions on TV of mashed swede. It is not something I have ever considered for the main meal. Has this always been a 'thing'?
It seems we are expected to overfill our plates these days. Call me old fashioned but we never used to have cauliflower cheese or Yorkshire puddings. I love my food and have a healthy appetite, but it makes me feel sick to see the piled up tables and plates on the adverts.

Oreo Tue 30-Dec-25 08:32:16

Sarahr

I love turnip. I also love swede. Two different vegetables with totally different tastes and appearance. Turnip is small and white. Swede is a much larger yellow vegetable.

I was just going to say the same thing, the difference is very obvious.

Sarahr Tue 30-Dec-25 08:05:42

I love turnip. I also love swede. Two different vegetables with totally different tastes and appearance. Turnip is small and white. Swede is a much larger yellow vegetable.

M0nica Mon 29-Dec-25 09:41:27

Allira

JuBut

It's Turnip, swede is white and small.

No, they are the other way round.

Swede is larger and orange.
Turnip is small and white with pink.

That is how I would define both and they taste very different.

Allira Sun 28-Dec-25 16:59:08

JuBut

It's Turnip, swede is white and small.

No, they are the other way round.

Swede is larger and orange.
Turnip is small and white with pink.

JuBut Sun 28-Dec-25 15:54:33

It's Turnip, swede is white and small.

Foxtail Sun 28-Dec-25 08:51:30

Grammaretto

Sneap in Gaelic .
What do we call the white ones Grandmabatty?

When I was a girl in Scotland the small white/purple turnips were often described as nippy neeps and a swede was a turnip.

FreedomAwaits Sun 28-Dec-25 08:06:27

M&S carrot and swede crush has always been a part of our Christmas dinner.

H0ngK0ng21 Sun 28-Dec-25 04:13:30

So pleased to join GRANSNET. I love the wide variety ariety of topics which are discussed and the fact that so often I totally agree with the response

jocork Sun 28-Dec-25 00:36:09

Allira

suelld

Millie22

I didn't know until yesterday that red cabbage is a traditional vegetable for Christmas dinner. Apparently it is and it wasn't something I ever had as a child or included for my own family.

No nor me
In fact as I ordered a pack of veg from Tesco… it automatically came with it … not touched it it’s still in the fridge
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE. ? Can it be frozen. Is it worth bothering with?

Yes, it can be frozen (if it hasn't been already) and is good with sausage and mash too 🙂

I cook red cabbage with sliced onions and chopped apple in a mixture of strong chicken stock (from a cube) and apple cider. I add chinese five spice and raisins then a little butter before serving to give it a 'shine'. I make a fairly large quantity then freeze it in individual portions as I live alone. It freezes well and then just reheat in the microwave. It goes well with pork or sausage and mash as well as Christmas dinner.

Casdon Sat 27-Dec-25 19:00:51

I did this Sky Quiz, it’s quite interesting - 20% said cauliflower cheese was their favourite part of their Christmas dinner! There was no mention of swede in the top 5 favourite parts though.
news.sky.com/story/how-does-your-christmas-compare-to-the-rest-of-the-uk-take-our-quiz-to-find-out-13485528

grannybuy Sat 27-Dec-25 18:35:32

This is the first time that I’ve heard of cauliflower and cheese as part of a Christmas meal, or any roast meal. I tend to think of it as a meal on its own. I definitely won’t add it to my Christmas menu.

Grammaretto Sat 27-Dec-25 18:00:37

Yes that sounds right Grandmabatty. As soon as I heard sneap I knew neep must be a Gaelic word.
There are quite a lot of Gaelic words which have found their way into English.
Galore, whisky, smashing, clan, phoney, shindig, smithereens are a few

Esmay Sat 27-Dec-25 17:58:46

I like swede mashed with butter and a generous grinding of pepper with any roast,but I remember being driven up and down fields in a old land-rover and feeding them to sheep.
They liked them too .

Grandmabatty Sat 27-Dec-25 17:18:44

Grammaretto I think they're called turnip too! It's an inter changeable term for two veg in Scotland which I know is different elsewhere. I don't ever remember calling them swede as a child. Turnip or neep. Maybe neep came from the Gaelic?

Grammaretto Sat 27-Dec-25 16:33:50

Sneap in Gaelic .
What do we call the white ones Grandmabatty?

Grandmabatty Sat 27-Dec-25 15:51:06

Not in Scotland. They are called turnip here. It's where 'neep' comes from.

Menopauselbitch Sat 27-Dec-25 13:18:54

Grandmabatty

I love mashed turnip (swede) with pepper and butter, however I wouldn't have it on a Christmas dinner.

Turnips are a different vegetable to a swede.

Menopauselbitch Sat 27-Dec-25 13:18:21

I’m 60 years old and I’ve always had Yorkshire puddings and mashed swede.

Kc55 Sat 27-Dec-25 12:18:16

Always mashed swede with butter and ground black pepper! alongside red cabbage, sprouts, peas, parsnips and glazed carrots. this year cauliflower cheese. Then the pigs in blankets, naked sausages, chicken livers in bacon and bacon rolls. Oh and two stuffings plus roast potatoes. Cranberry sauce and - would you believe - mint sauce! This year I had a request for yorkshire puddings and macaroni cheese. So I started asking people to start bringing some of the dishes . But I am catering for 4 offspring, their partners and children and 3 others all with their own quirks - 2 are vegetarian. It's a bit of a nightmare but I cook some in advance and somehow it all comes together! Lots lists and don't cook anything for several days afterwards!

Foxtail Sat 27-Dec-25 09:54:36

I think we should have what we want and like as we have many influences in our cooking now however that said I just cannot think of Macaroni Cheese with a Christmas dinner, I can only just about accept Yorkshire pudding. As for swede/turnip, I love it but not for Christmas.

Grannyskitchen Sat 27-Dec-25 09:11:46

Swedes are called turnip in Scotland.Always have it on our Christmas menu.Has to be mashed with loads of butter and black pepper.The best ones are only lifted from the ground after they have been frosted.Lovely dark orange and sweet to taste.

Iam64 Sat 27-Dec-25 08:02:45

Well Grammeretto, I didn’t know that about root veg. Thanks. Our supermarket lists the farmer who grew the veg. I will look for north of the border roots now

I love bashed neeps, plenty of butter, salt n pepper. Wicked but at my time of life, I’m doing it

Grammaretto Sat 27-Dec-25 00:56:43

Swede (neep in Scotland) mashed with potato is known as clapshot.
The reason why Scottish root vegetables are considered tastier than English is because of the cold. They need a frost before being harvested to make them sweeter.
This is true of parsnips so probably all root veg.

ruthiek Fri 26-Dec-25 23:55:23

Mix it with carrots with pepper it’s gorgeous

2507C0 Fri 26-Dec-25 23:21:53

Swede is not turnip. They are different vegetables.