Food always plays an integral part of any celebrations, and also does during the Easter festivities. Every culture celebrates Easter enjoying their own traditional dishes or confectionary. Let’s take a look at the following 10 traditional Easter dishes and delicacies from around the world.
South Africa
Pickled Fish is a traditional Easter meal mostly found in the Cape and enjoyed on Good Friday. To create this dish, fresh fish is fried and then marinated in a mixture of onions, spices (including turmeric), vinegar and sugar. It is refrigerated for at least 24 hours before being served cold with bread or hot cross buns.
America
In most American homes, spring lamb or ham is the popular choice — whether glazed with honey or marmalade, coated with breadcrumbs or mustard, or prepared just about any other way.
Italy
When it comes to celebrations and food, the Italians do it best! Colomba di Pasqua which translates to “Easter Dove,” is a dove-shaped sweet yeast bread loaf, similar to Panettone (Italian Christmas Cake), and topped with almonds and sugar crystals. It is also tradition for Italians to abstain from eating any meat from the Wednesday before Easter, until Easter Sunday, so they rather choose to enjoy a variety of fish dishes.
Netherlands
In Holland, the Paastaart or Easter Cake, is an eggy confection that may take different forms, but is usually frosted with yellow-hued whipped cream and decorated with chocolate Easter eggs.
Greece
Although the Greeks celebrate Easter on a different day to the Catholics, food still forms an integral part of the Easter festivities. On every Greek dinner table, you will find lamb, red eggs and tsoureki, which is an orange and spice-scented bread. The dough is braided, and a red egg placed on top, before it is baked.
England
We must thank the British for bringing Hot Cross Buns into our homes during Easter. Hot Cross Buns and British Simnel Cake are both very popular British confectionaries. Simnel Cake is a light fruit cake and is characterised by two layers of almond paste or marzipan, one in the middle and one on top.
Spain
The Spanish Torrija is very similar to our well-known French Toast. The slices of bread (often leftover or very dry bread) are first soaked in milk, then coated in egg and fried. Cinnamon, sugar or even honey complete this delicacy.
Russia
Paskha- Russian Easter Farmers Cheesecake is like a sweet cheese pudding or a no-bake cheesecake.
Brazil
Paçoca de Amendoim is a peanut candy which is made out of sugar, salt and peanuts, lots and lots of peanuts. It is so easy to make. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend, stopping every now and then to open and stir – until the mixture is fine and resembles wet sand. Be careful not to overdo it or you’ll end up with peanut butter!
Nigeria
Nigeria has the fifth largest Christian population in the world. Not only will you find various preparations of goat or chicken during the Easter period, but also Frejon. Frejon is a pudding or puree of spiced brown beans or black-eyed peas, cooked with coconut milk, often served with peppered snails or fish stew.
Now that we have broadened your Easter Culinary knowledge, share it with your family and friends these holidays and impress them by sounding like a real food fundie!!!