Our modern fruitcake “gained in popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries and due to the cost of the materials, it was a grand indulgence. Italy has its panforte, which dates to 13th century Sienna Germany’s stollen has roots in 1400s Dresden. Yet each culture has its own spin on the fruit and nut confection. The Smithsonian says our “modern” version of fruitcake has been around since the Middle Ages. It seems everyone has an opinion on the Christmas treat. Every major and minor event is catalogued this way, which makes decorating the tree each year a memorable and often hunger-inducing experience.It seems as old as the ages, and yet, it’s been a while since fruitcakes were in favor. And after my now fiancé came home with me to visit my parents for the first time and sweetly made us all breakfast, my mom sent him a small blown-glass stack of pancakes to hang from our wimpy bodega fir. My sister, whose love of brussels sprouts blossomed when she went to college and started cooking for herself, soon found a tiny brassica under the tree. The year I thought putting Sriracha on everything was an identity, I found a mini bottle ornament in my stocking. My mother loves a Christmas tree ornament that commemorates a moment-she’s the type to find the perfect bauble as a souvenir from every trip-and because our family is pretty food-focused, most events have an edible aspect that can be memorialized forever in the form of a Christmas decoration.

We’re talking tiny glass hot sauce bottles, sparkly cloves of garlic, miniature plastic margaritas, and even a delicate caprese salad on a string. I don’t mean on-theme candy cane and Christmas cookie ornaments, though certainly they have those as well. Look closely at my parents’ Christmas tree and you’ll notice that, in addition to many snowflakes and reindeer, their ornament collection is absolutely stacked with food ornaments.

Happy meal christmas tree