In what may cause controversy, lamb has been declared New Zealand's most popular Christmas meal protein of 2022 in a new survey.
Ham is a close second and beef comes in third in the fifth annual Great Kiwi Christmas Survey, which is run by three of Aotearoa's meat industry bodies.
Over 1000 Kiwis are said to have been polled for the report, with the primary Christmas protein results as follows:
- Lamb - 38.3 percent
- Ham - 35 percent
- Beef - 13.1 percent
Pavlova was by far the most popular dessert with 68.5 percent of respondents saying that would be on their Christmas day menu, with trifle in second place, and strawberries and ice cream in third.
Lunch is the most popular time of day for Aotearoa's Christmas feast this year, with 58.3 percent of respondents saying they'll chow down between midday and 2pm. But nearly a quarter (24 percent) instead opt for a Christmas dinner at some point in the day after 2pm.
The Great Kiwi Christmas Survey is run by Retail Meat New Zealand, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and NZPork.
"Food is always an important part of celebrations at this time of the year and it's no surprise that New Zealand lamb will be the centerpiece for many Kiwis as they celebrate the festive season," said Beef + Lamb NZ CEO Kit Arkwright.
"It's a traditional favourite for the Christmas table and is not only delicious but can easily feed a crowd. What's more, there are some great deals to be had on lamb legs this week, so fill up your fridges and freezers."