Easter food

The holiday ofEasteris associated with variousEaster customsandfoodways(food traditions that vary regionally). Preparing, coloring, and decoratingEaster eggsis one such popular tradition.Lambis eaten in many countries, mirroring the JewishPassovermeal.
Eating lamb at Easter has a religious meaning.ThePaschal Lambof theNew Testamentis in fact, for Christianity, the son of God Jesus Christ.The Paschal Lamb, in particular, represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity.Eating lamb at Easter therefore commemorates theDeath and Resurrection of Jesus.
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs,areeggsthat aredecoratedfor the Christian feast ofEaster, which celebrates theresurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season ofEastertide(Easter season). The oldest tradition, which continues to be used inCentralandEastern Europe, is to use dye and paint chicken eggs.
Although eggs, in general, were a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth,inChristianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize theempty tombofJesus, from which Jesus wasresurrected.In addition, one ancient tradition was the staining of Easter eggs with the colour red "in memory of theblood of Christ, shed as at that time of his crucifixion."
This custom of the Easter egg, according to many sources, can be traced toearly ChristiansofMesopotamia, and from there it spread into Eastern Europe and Siberia through the Orthodox Churches, and later into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant Churches.Additionally, the widespread usage of Easter eggs, according to mediaevalist scholars, is due to the prohibition of eggs duringLentafter which, on Easter, they have been blessed for the occasion.
A modern custom in some places is to substitute chocolate eggs wrapped in colouredfoil, hand-carved wooden eggs, or plastic eggs filled withconfectionerysuch aschocolate.
Ahot cross bunis aspiced bunusually made with fruit, marked with acrosson the top, which has been traditionally eaten onGood Fridayin theUnited Kingdom,Australia,New Zealand,South Africa,Canada,India,Pakistan,Malta,United Statesand theCommonwealth Caribbean.They are available all year round in some places, including the UK.The bun marks the end of the Christian season ofLentand different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning, including the cross representing thecrucifixion of Jesus, thespicesinside signifying the spices used toembalmhim at his burial and sometimes alsoorange peelto reflect the bitterness of his time on the cross.TheGreeksin the 6th century AD may have marked cakes with a cross.In theChristiantradition, the making of buns with a cross on them and consuming them afterbreaking the faston Good Friday, along with "crying about 'Hot cross buns'", is done in order to commemorate thecrucifixion of Jesus.It is hypothesised that the contemporary hot cross bun of Christianity originates fromSt AlbansinEngland, where in 1361, Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a 14th-century ChristianmonkatSt Albans Abbey, developed a similar recipe called an 'Alban Bun' and distributed the bun to the poor onGood Friday.
Grasshopper pieis a no-bake mint-flavoredmoussepie with a chocolatecrumb crust. Typically light green in color, it is associated with spring, and especially withEastercelebrations in theUnited States.The pie takes its name from theGrasshopper cocktail.Grasshopper pie filling is made by foldingwhipped creamintomarshmalloworcream cheese. The cream cheese version is made by adding greenfood coloringto a mixture ofcondensed milkwith cream cheese, then gently folding inchocolate-covered mint cookiecrumbs andwhipped topping.Alternately, melted marshmallows can be gentlyfoldedinto fresh whipped cream.The filling is infused withcreme de mentheandcreme de cacao, which give the mousse its characteristic green coloring.The crust is a chocolate cookie crumb crust, variations of which can be made with crumbledsandwich cookies, or by melting chocolate in adouble boilerand stirring incrisped ricecereal, then pressing the mixture into a pie dish and allowing it to set in the refrigerator.
Easter was traditionally the most important date in the Christian calendar inIreland, with a large feast marking the end of lent on Easter Sunday. Among the food commonly eaten werelamb,veal, andchicken, with a meal ofcorned beef,cabbage, and floury potatoes was a popular meal. It was traditional for farmers to share the meat from a slaughtered bullock or lamb with neighbours and or the less fortunate. Another tradition was that if a beggar called to a house, they would be given roasted potatoes. At this time of year, eggs were plentiful, and would be eaten at each meal.
For lunch or dinner onHoly Saturday, families inSwedenandDenmarktraditionally feast on asmörgåsbordof herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs, and other kinds of food. InFinland, it is common to eat roasted lamb with potatoes and other vegetables. In Finland, the Lutheran majority enjoysmämmias another traditional Easter treat, while the Orthodox minority's traditions include eating pasha (also spelledpaskha) instead.
InGermany, during the weeks before Easter, specialEaster breadis sold (inGerman:Osterbrot). This is made withyeastdough,raisins, andalmond splinters. Usually, it is cut in slices and spread with butter. People enjoy it either for breakfast or for tea time (in German:Kaffee und Kuchen, literally ″coffee and cake″).
InGreece, the traditional Easter meal ismageiritsa, a hearty stew of chopped lamb liver and wild greens seasoned with egg-and-lemon sauce. Traditionally, Easter eggs, hard-boiled eggs dyed bright red to symbolize the spilt Blood of Christ and the promise of eternal life, are cracked together to celebrate the opening of the Tomb of Christ. Greek foods of the Easter tradition areFlaouna,Lazarakia,Koulourakia,MagiritsaandTsoureki.
Flaounais a cheese-filledpastryfromCyprusandGreece, which may include raisins or be garnished with sesame seeds. Flaounes are traditionally prepared forEaster.Regional names for flaouna includevlaouna,fesoudki(Greek:φεσούδκι) inKaravas, andaflaounainKarpasia.Flaounes are traditionally served in Cyprus, parts of Greece (especiallyArcadia) and more widely in the Greek diaspora as a celebratory food for the breaking of the Lenten fast, being prepared onGreat and Holy Fridayfor consumption onEaster Sunday.They are eaten in place of bread on Easter Sunday, and continue to be made and eaten for the weeks following.Creating the flaounes can often be a family tradition shared with multiple generations.
Koulourakiaor Koulouria, are a traditional Greek dessert, typically made aroundEasterto be eaten afterHoly Saturday. They are abutter-basedpastry, traditionally hand-shaped, with egg glaze on top. They have a sweet delicate flavor with a hint ofvanilla. Koulourakia are well known for their sprinkle ofsesameseeds and distinctive ring shape.The pastries can be shaped into braided circles,hairpin twists, figure eights, twisted wreaths, horseshoes or Greek letters, although they are still often shaped into a snake style. Often, a clove is added atop the center of the pastry for added flavor. They are commonly eaten with morning coffee or afternoon tea. Like all pastries, they are normally kept in dry conditions in a jar with a lockable lid. Koulourakia have been prepared since at least the time of theMinoan civilization.
In the Eastern part ofHungary, an Easter specialty known assárgatúró(lit.'"yellow curd cheese"') is made for the occasion.Sárgatúró is a delicacy, prepared mostly inEastern Catholicregions, notably inSzabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Countyand in theHajdúság.It is made by combiningmilk,eggsandsugarand boiling the mixture, stirring often, until it begins to lump, much likecurd cheeseorquark.Vanilla flavoris then added. When the lumps have formed, the mixture is put into a strong cloth and squeezed to get extra moisture out. The top of the cloth is then tied with a ribbon and thesárgatúróhung outside to let it drip and stick together. It is served cold, with other Easter foods likeham,kalácsand boiled eggs. Besides the basic recipe, family recipes may vary, addingraisins, and/orcinnamonornutmegas additional spices.Pogačais a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later in modern ovens. Found in the cuisines of theBalkansandHungaryit can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging to make.
Easter in Italy(Italian:Pasqua) is one of thecountry's major holidays.Traditional Italian dishes for the Easter period areabbacchio,cappello del prete,casatiello,Colomba di Pasqua,pastiera,penia,pizza di Pasquaandpizzelle. Abbacchio is anItalianpreparation oflambtypical of theRoman cuisine.It is a product protected by theEuropean Unionwith thePGI mark.InItalyat Easter, abbacchio is cooked in different ways, with recipes that vary from region to region.InRomeit is roasted, inApuliain the oven, inNaplesit is cooked with peas and eggs, inSardiniait is cooked in the oven with potatoes, artichokes and myrtle and inTuscanyit is cooked incacciatorestyle.Other local preparations include frying and stewing.
Colomba di Pasqua(English: "Easter Dove") is anItaliantraditionalEaster bread, the Easter counterpart of the two well-knownItalianChristmasdesserts,panettoneandpandoro. The dough for the colomba is made in a similar manner to panettone, withflour,eggs,sugar, natural yeast andbutter; unlike panettone, it usually containscandied peeland noraisins. The dough is then fashioned into adoveshape (colombainItalian) and finally is topped withpearl sugarandalmondsbefore being baked. Some manufacturers produce other versions including a popular bread topped with chocolate.The colomba was commercialised by the Milanese baker and businessmanAngelo Mottaas an Easter version of the Christmas speciality panettone that Motta foods were producing.
Pastierais a type ofNeapolitantartmade with cookedwheat, eggs,ricottacheese, and flavoured withorange flower water. It is usually eaten atEaster.Various writers repeat legends about the origin of pastiera. One story connects it to the sirenParthenope, whom the Neapolitans thanked for her sweet singing by giving herricotta, flour, eggs, milk, spices, and sugar; Parthenope gave these ingredients to the gods, who made pastiera out of it.Another story connects it to a spring celebration of the goddessCeres.
In Jamaica, eating bun and cheese is a highly anticipated custom by Jamaican nationals all over the world. The Jamaica Easter Buns are spiced and have raisins, and baked in a loaf tin. The buns are sliced and eaten with a slice of cheese. It is a common practice for employers to make gifts of bun and cheese or a single loaf of bun to staff members. According to theJamaica Gleaner, "The basic Easter bun recipe requires wheat flour, brown sugar, molasses, baking powder or yeast and dried fruits."
Capirotadaor Capilotade, also known as Capirotada de vigilia, is atraditionalMexican foodsimilar to abread puddingthat is usually eaten during theLentenperiod. It is one of the dishes served onGood Friday. Despite originally being consumed before Lent,capirotadais now consumedduringLent, especially duringHoly Weekand on Good Friday.Recently, it has been given a spiritual meaning in relation to the passion of Christ and the Lenten season, thus, for many people, the bread represents the Body of Christ, the syrup is his blood, the cloves are the nails of the cross, and the whole cinnamon sticks are the wood of the cross.The melted cheese stands for theHoly Shroud.
Acascarónis a hollowed-out chickeneggfilled withconfettior small toys.  Cascarones are common throughoutMexicoand are similar to theEaster eggspopular in many other countries. They are mostly used in Mexico duringCarnival, but in American and Mexican border towns, the cultures combined to make them a popular Easter tradition. Decorated, confetti-filled cascarones may be thrown or crushed over the recipient's head to shower them with confetti. This originated in Spain. When a child would act up, their father would crack an egg over their head as a consequence, and a way of showing their disappointment in them. In addition toEaster, cascarones have become popular for occasions including birthdays, New Year's,Halloween,Cinco de Mayo,Dieciséis,Day of the Dead, and weddings. Wedding cascarones can be filled with rice. Like many popular traditions in Mexico, cascarones are increasingly popular in thesouthwestern United States.For example, they are especially prominent during the two-week, citywide festival ofFiestainSan Antonio, Texas. Cascarones are usually made during Easter time.
Easter in Poland, apublic holiday,is one of that country's majorholidays, often compared in importance toChristmas.Associated with it are many specific customs and traditions.InPoland,white sausageandmazurekare typical Easter breakfast dishes. Thebutter lamb(Baranek wielkanocny) is a traditional addition to the Easter meal for many Polish Catholics. Butter is shaped into a lamb either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mold. Mazurek is a variety of cake with a flat shape.It is very sweet.According to Polish gastronomycoursebooks, typical mazurek is a cake that can be made of one or two sheets ofshort(or half-short) pastry or one sheet of short (or half-short) pastry covered with a sheet of butter sponge cake. The two sheets are fixed together with a help of alayerofmarmalade.In case of one-sheet version, marmalade is skipped or goes on top, under the layer oficing. The top ofmazurekis covered with a layer of icing (i.e. sugar icing orkajmak) orjelly.It is also decorated with nut-based icing or almond-based icing andcandied fruits. Traditionally, home-bakedmazurekcakes are often decorated withdried fruitsand nuts.
Folaror folar de Páscoa is a traditionalPortuguesebreadserved atEaster. The recipe varies from region to region and it may be sweet or savory.DuringEasterfestivities, godchildren usually bring a bouquet of violets to their godmother onPalm Sundayand this, on Easter Sunday, offers him a folar. Folar is sometimes served with a boiled egg, that symbolically represents rebirth and theResurrection. Folar de Chaves, popular in the north-eastern Portuguese regions ofChavesandValpaços, is stuffed withpork,ham,salpicãoandlinguiça.There are also sweet folars like the folar fromOlhão, that consists of seven layers with melted sugar and cinnamon, and the more common folar withaniseand cinnamon.
Pão de Lóis aPortuguesesponge cakemade ofeggs,sugar, andwheat flour. Unlike othercakesorbreads,yeastorbaking powderis generally not used. Rather, to provide volume, air is suspended into the cake batter during mixing. The first record ofpão de ló, written as "pãoo de llo", was indicated in themanuscriptsofInfantaMaria of Portugalin the mid-1500s. Unlike thepão de lóseen today, it was a thick pudding made solely with ground almonds instead ofwheat flour.
Portuguese sweet breadrefers to an enriched sweetbreador yeasted cake originating fromPortugal.Historically, these sweet breads were generally reserved for festive occasions such as Easter or Pentecost and were typically given as gifts.However, in contemporary times, many varieties are made and consumed year round.Outside of Portugal, Portuguese "sweet bread" transliterated as "pão doce" is often associated withAzorean"massa sovada" which are similar but traditionally prepared differently.Many traditional Portuguese sweet breads are defined by the associated region or by theconvents, artisan bakers or religiousconfraternities(similar to aguild) that historically made them. Since many have deep historical and cultural significance to the area which they originate from, these breads are as well as other foods and ingredients are inventoried by the Portuguese governmental officeDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development(DGARD), which collaborates with a collective of independent confraternities known as thePortuguese Federation of Gastronomic Confraternities(FPCG) throughout Portugal.
TheEaster monais a Spanish kind ofcakethat is especially eaten onEaster SundayorEaster Mondayin theSpanishregions ofCatalonia,ValenciaandMurcia.In other Spanish regions, these Easter cakes are common with variations in the recipe and name. According to the writing ofJoan Amades, mentions of themonadate back to the 15th century,though in the Joan Lacavalleria's 1696 dictionary,Gazophylacium Catalano-Latinum,monastill has a purelyzoologicaldefinition (meaning female monkey). The 1783 edition of the dictionary of theRoyal Spanish Academyhas the following definition: "Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia. Cake baked with eggs in their shell at Easter, known in other parts of the Iberian Peninsula as Hornazo".
Marañuelais a typical sweet fromAsturias,Spain, made mainly byflour, sugar, eggs,clarified butterandlemon zest.Its origin is somewhat uncertain, although the closest history links it to the seafaring world. DuringHoly Weekthe boats used to return to port and stock up on them before leaving again. That is why traditionally they continue to be made on this time of the year.They are typical of coastal villagesCandásyLuanco,although the elaboration in this two places is slightly different.Even though they can be made all year round, they are usually made onResurrection Sundayand offered among family members, mainly among godparents and godchildren.
Preparations for Easter celebration inUkrainebegin weeks before the feast day, withGreat Lentbeing part of it. The Ukrainian Easter eggs includepysanky,krashanky (edible, one-colour dyed eggs), driapanky (a design is scratched on the eggshell) etc. During the Easter Vigil a priest also blesses the parishioners' Easter baskets, which include Easter eggs,paska,butter, cheese,kovbasa, salt and a few other products. With this food, on their return home, people break their fast.
Paskha(also spelledpascha, orpasha) is a Slavic festive dish made inEastern Orthodoxcountries which consists of food that is forbidden during thefastofGreat Lent. It is made duringHoly Weekand then brought to Church onGreat Saturdayto be blessed after thePaschal Vigil. The name of the dish comes fromPascha, the Eastern Orthodox celebration of Easter. BesidesRussia,Ukraine, etc. Pasha is also often served inFinland. Cheese paskha is a traditional Easter dish made fromtvorog(likecottage cheese, Russian:творог,romanized:tvorog),which is white, symbolizing the purity of Christ, thePaschal Lamb, and the joy of theResurrection. It is formed in a mold, traditionally in the shape of a truncatedpyramidwhich symbolizes the firstPassoverin Egypt, a nod to Christianity's early Jewish beginnings and a reminder that theLast SupperofJesuswas aPassover Seder.  Others believe the pyramid is a symbol of theTrinity, theChurch;Tomb of Christ). It is usually served as an accompaniment to richEaster breadscalledpaskain Ukraine andkulichin Russia (where the "paskha" name is also used in the Southern regions) and Poland “Pascha”.The Easter foods; bread and cheese paska are very rich and made of many dairy items given up duringGreat Lent. They are brought to church on Easter to be blessed by the priest.
Kulichis theRussianname forEaster bread. For theeastern Slavs, festive bread was round and tall, and dough decorations were made on top of it. The cylindrical shape of the cake is associated with the church practice of bakingartos. ThePaskabread tradition spread in cultures which were connected to theByzantine Empireand is a traditional cultural part of countries with anOrthodox Christianpopulation. It is eaten in countries likeRussia,Belarus,Ukraine,Romania,Armenia,Georgia,Moldova,North MacedoniaandSerbia.Kulich is a variant ofpaskaEaster breads and represents not onlyEasterbut also thespring.Easter is a very important celebration in Eastern European countries, even more important thanChristmas.
Paskais a sweet decorative bread native toRussia,SlovakiaandUkraine.It is a variation ofEaster bread, aChristiantradition particularly spread inCentral and Eastern Europe, and countries with cultural connections to the ancientByzantine Empire,Eastern OrthodoxyorEastern Catholicism. Easter breads are a traditional element in the Easter holidays ofArmenia,Austria,Belarus,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia, theCzech Republic,Georgia,Germany,Greece,Hungary,Italy,Lithuania,Moldova,Montenegro,North Macedonia,Poland,Romania,Russia,Serbia,Slovakia,Slovenia,SwitzerlandandUkraine. It is also a common tradition amongst theAssyrian diaspora. It is also eaten in countries with large immigrant populations from Central and Eastern Europe such as theUnited States,Canadaand theUnited Kingdom.
Easter foods include: