A Light Australian Dessert

Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

Christmas in Australia arrives in the middle of summer—long, hot days when the beaches are crowded, cicadas are loud, and markets overflow with seasonal fruit. While much of the world is roasting chestnuts, we’re trying not to roast ourselves. At times like this, our family turns to dishes that taste like summer itself—bright, cool, and easy to enjoy after a long lunch.

One of my favourite Australian Christmas dishes is a mango and peach salad with rose-scented drained yoghurt. It suits the heat perfectly. The yoghurt is strained overnight until thick and silky, the whey discarded, then whisked with honey and a splash of rosewater. Ten minutes before serving, I stir through some basil leaves so the flavour blooms.

It’s the kind of dessert that could only belong to an Australian Christmas: light, refreshing, and built around the fruit that comes into season precisely when the days are at their hottest. A sweet, cooling finish to a meal shared under a southern summer sky.

Daily writing prompt

Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

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