British favourite tops list of most Instagrammable festive foods

From the Lebkuchen in Germany and the Bredele in France to the Struffoli in Italy, there’s always that one traditional delicacy that gets tourists excited to celebrate like a local at this time of year. This year, to help Brits get their taste of Europe’s festive favourites without leaving their kitchens, Visit Cascais has pulled together a list of the most Instagrammable traditional treats from each of Europe’s best Christmas markets.

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Mince pie, Manchester markets, England

Sitting at the top of the leaderboard is our very own Christmas mince pie. The traditional sweet pie is filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices known as “mincemeat” – and not under any circumstances, any actual mince meat. This festive favourite is served at Christmas in much of the English-speaking world, which is probably why it’s also the most Instagrammed treat, with more than 267,000 photos shared using the hashtag #MincePie.

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(Spiced) Pastel de nata, Cascais/Sintra markets, Portugal

In second place is a festive take on the classic custard tart known the world over as a Portuguese must-have. For Christmas, the tart’s flaky pastry crusts are combined with festive flavours like nutmeg and cinnamon to give a wintery flavour to a year-round local delicacy, which has earned more than 218,000 photos on Instagram.

Bernardo, President, Cascais Tourism Board at Visit Cascais says: ‘Even though the pastel de nata is something tourists will come to Portugal for all year round, it really still is the star of the Cascais and Sintra Christmas markets, alongside the Bolo Rainha [soft brioche dough laden with nuts and raisins] and Tronco de Natal [chocolate yule log]. We do still love pastel de nata at Christmas – the vanilla custard is spiced to be more festive – a real treat!’

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Lebkuchen, Nuremberg markets, Germany

Rounding out the top three is a classic festive treat from Germany, the lebkuchen. This cake-like cookie is rich and soft, spicy and sweet, and is sometimes presented dipped in white or dark chocolate, or covered in iced festive wishes. With more than 207,000 photos on Instagram, it’s clearly very photogenic too.

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Belgian Waffles, Brussels markets, Belgium

Belgium is best known for two things: chocolate, and waffles, so it’s no surprise that this local delicacy is also found around the Christmas markets. The iconic Belgian waffle is easily identifiable by the ragged edges and deeper pockets than the American version. Deeper pockets for more chocolate sauce! This sugary treat has earned over 137,000 photos dedicated to it on Instagram.

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Vanillekipferl/Croissants à la Vanille, Basel markets, Switzerland

Taking fifth spot is the delicate crescent-shaped biscuits made with vanilla and ground almonds that are traditionally found in the area of Basel, in Switzerland. With almost 73,000 photos on Instagram, these traditional treats are as photogenic as they are tasty!