On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… MINCE PIES

Every country in the world seems to have its Christmas food. Here, they are Christmas cake and mince pies – which disappointed me at first. A lot. But, hey, British food can grow on you. Eventually.

Squashed peach and almond mince pies

This was the first mince pie I’ve tried and I was a bit like “Where is the mince?” Since then I’ve learnt what mince pies are and I must admit that these peach and almond ones are my favourite. They are soft with some crunchy bits, and sweet enough to satisfy my need for sugar.

Apple and satsuma mince pies

These are the softest mince pies I’ve tried because the apples are normally grated. I think that apples and orange are normally a very good mix and they just scream ‘Christmas is here’. Besides, there are some versions that contain rum, too.

Cherry, mincemeat and liqueur mince pies

The cherry and the liqueur add a luxurious side to the mince and, for the brave one, they can also be mixed with a cocoa batter. This is definitely something special and dark – not an everyday mince pie but something to really enjoy.

Lottie Shaw’s seriously good mince pies

These are sort of a mystery, if you ask me! They claim to be the “authentic taste of Christmas” and, weirdly, I feel like they are – even if I have no idea what authentic mince pies taste like. They are mouth-watering and the pastry is delicious. Even if I cannot say for sure what they are filled with, I can definitely confirm that they are very nice with a glass of red wine.

Traditional mince pies – actually contain meat!

These are probably the last ones I’ve tried and I think they are fairly difficult to find, with all these sweet mince pies that are around. They are interesting, to say at least, but they are definitely not a dessert. Still, I can see them as a nice starter on most Christmas tables.