Food Historian Ben Mervis on The Festive Baker

“Every recipe in the book is something that somebody, somewhere, grew up with,” Ben Mervis, the food historian and author of The Festive Baker: Baking for celebrations and special occasions around the world, tells Phaidon.com.

Think of any festive occasion, whether a birthday, religious holiday, or even the changing of the seasons, and you’ll soon realise it’s almost always celebrated by preparing and eating traditional baked goods. The Festive Baker is a cookbook of baking recipes for these special events and celebrations around the world.

Gingerbread House, Germany and United States. Submitted by Shaina Loew-Banayan. Photography: Liz Seabrook

As Ben Explains in the book, festive baking is far more than simply culinary tradition; it is a ritual of connection, a shared language spoken across generations, and a focal point of familiarity on special occasions. That may be spiced fruitcakes and gingerbread houses for Christmas gatherings, Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving tables, date-filled cookies for Eid celebrations, Strawberry Cake for Swedish Midsummer festivities or lesser-known festive bakes such as Anzac Biscuits to commemorate Australia and New Zealand’s ANZAC Day or Dingle Pies baked for All Saint’s Day in Ireland.

Prinsesstårta, Sweden. Submitted by Cecilia Tolone. Photography: Liz Seabrook

Organized chronologically by month, with a final chapter on year-round bakes, the book features over 170 recipes for mostly sweet but some savoury dishes: breads, pies, cakes, tarts, and cookies. The recipes span 56 countries and cover more than 50 celebratory events and special occasions. 

There is information on the history and cultural significance of each event, and guidance on how the food is traditionally served. It also offers a fascinating insight into how baking traditions differ across the globe, and underlines why people are attached to them, be it a reminder of their childhood, a part of their family lore, a means of connecting with friends, or a local tradition shared with the surrounding community.

Anzac Biscuits, Australian and New Zealand. Submitted by Maxine Scheckter. Photography: Liz Seabrook

And there are some really interesting recipes, as Mervis tells Phaidon.com.

“We have one recipe  from a Sami reindeer herder in the Arctic, which is made using a pine bark flower. She's someone that I've known for years and I've visited her and really loved her cooking and baking. I wanted to be able to show readers how people use ingredients differently and treat them with the same respect wherever they are in the world.”

“I started with a lot of research, mapping out different holidays and different baked goods that were associated with them, and aiming for a really wide spread of cultures and cuisines.”

Christmas Ube Cake, Philippines. Submitted by Florence Mae Maglanoc. Photography: Liz Seabrook

“When you go back in time you realise baking was not an everyday activity. It was saved for the biggest occasions of the year. And those are - until say the 1800s when birthdays become a big personal milestone - religious holidays. These are the biggest moments of the year. In researching the book, I was left with an overwhelming sense of the relationship between baking and faith, and community, which I found really interesting." 

Victoria Sponge, United Kingdom. Submitted by Anna Luntley. Photography: Liz Seabrook

And among those biggest moments, Ben left room for a personal favorite or two along the way. 

“I’d be remiss if I didn't have my own family recipe in the book, which is the Noodle Kugel recipe that my mother's cousin made. It's a really interesting recipe. For those who didn't grow up with Jewish American cooking, and who might not have had a noodle Kugel it's very hard to describe, but it's the kind of dish you could kind of eat any time of the day.”

Bourbon Pecan Pie, United States. Recipe by Camille Cogswell. Photography: Liz Seabrook Thanksgiving, Christmas

“I’ve had it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert in the past. It is a slightly sweet, slightly savoury kind of pasta bake, with cinnamon and sugar and ricotta or mascarpone. It's very soft and warming and buttery. It’s not overly sweet, but it has that light touch of sweetness. It’s lightly spiced and set like a casserole."

Ultimately though it’s the bakers who bake, who are the real stars of The Festive Baker. 

“I wanted to give voice to all these amazing bakers across the world, to share with us what makes each of these recipes such a treat and to contextualise them in terms of how they’re baked, how they’re served, and what meaning it has within the culture. It was a mission!”

Join Ben on that mission by buying a copy of The Festive Baker: Baking for celebrations and special occasions around the world, here and look out for our full interview with Ben Mervis, and more about the book, in the coming weeks.