Food plays an integral role in festivities across the world. Certain dishes are synonymous to certain Holidays and Festivals. With Easter just around the corner, let’s take a look at a variety of mouth-watering dishes that help commemorate the end of the Lenten fast, around the world.
Capirotada, Mexico
Capirotada is a kind of spiced Mexican bread pudding filled with raisins, cinnamon, cloves and cheese that is popular during the Easter period. It’s said that each ingredient carries a reminder of the suffering of Christ – the cloves being the nails on the cross, the cinnamon sticks depicting the wooden cross and the bread symbolizing the Body of Christ.
Rosquillas, Spain
Many Spaniards tuck into special treats called Rosquillas at Easter. These baked or fried doughnuts, made from fermented flour, vary from region to region – some are dusted with sugar, others flavored with rosemary, and some even soaked in anise liqueur.
Tsoureki, Greece
Tsoureki is an egg-enriched bread, made from individual strands of dough braided together. It contains two traditional Greek spices, mastic and mahlab, and sometimes a sprinkling of cardamom. It is often decorated with hard-boiled eggs that have been dyed red, to symbolize the blood of Christ.
Hot cross buns, UK
No British Easter would be complete without a hot cross bun, a sweet-spiced bun marked with a cross that has been eaten for hundreds of years.
Pashka, Russia
This pyramid-shaped dessert made from cheese is traditionally served at Easter in Russia. It has a cheesecake consistency and tastes similar to custard. The dish is often decorated with religious symbols, such as the letters XB, from ‘Khristos Voskres’, which means ‘Christ is risen’.
Colomba di Pasqua, Italy
Colomba di Pasqua is a candied peel-stuffed cake that is often shaped like a dove, the symbol of peace and resurrection. Soft and fragrant, Colomba is rich with butter and eggs, and filled with raisins and candied orange peel. Colomba is a wonderful addition to an Easter brunch or an appropriate finish to Easter dinner.
There are many more Easter delicacies from around the world, like Mämmi from Finland, Paçoca de Amendoim from Brazil, Chervil soup from Germany and many more. These delicacies add a special flavor to the festivities and celebration. We wish you a Happy Easter. Do tell us about the one dish that defines Easter for you.