What comes to mind first? Of course, Easter cake and cottage cheese. But the Easter table is not glorious for baked goods and desserts. Each nation has its own culinary traditions of this holiday.
In many countries, national versions of Easter cakes are baked: in Greece, tsureki are prepared, in England – the famous “cross” buns with raisins and glaze, and among Italians, the touch is popular. But this is far from the only option for a treat for the holiday: we have collected 12 options for interesting Easter recipes from different countries.
The favorite Easter dish of many Argentines is pasqualin pie. Initially, 33 cakes were required to prepare pasqualines – by analogy with the age of Christ. But over time, according to legend, the number of layers in the cake began to be judged on the well-being of the family. Prepare a pie from puff yeast-free dough or more tender filo dough. The filling contains ricotta cheese and spinach, as well as a “hidden” whole boiled egg – as a symbol of the mystery of life.
On the Saturday before Easter, a mini-carnival is held in many regions of Brazil to celebrate the end of the fast. One of the most popular desserts at the event is peanut butter flavored with tapioca flour, which tastes perfectly with strong black coffee.
A festive table in Germany is traditionally decorated with simple, but at the same time unusual pastries – ham in bread. The recipe resembles the famous Wellington beef: the ham is wrapped in bread dough and baked at medium temperature for an hour. Decorate the dish with various dough figurines.
The main dish on Great Saturday among the Greeks is magiritsa – Easter soup. Magiritsa is prepared from meat offal with the addition of onions, herbs and rice. In the Thessaly region, Greeks prefer to serve magiritsa as a stew – no rice, but plenty of vegetables.
In Ireland, simnel pie is baked for the Easter table. The old recipes for the pie, the first mention of which date back to the 11th century, included currants, lemon peel and various nuts. Previously, the symbol was not considered an attribute of the holiday; but after they began to prepare the cake for the Easter holiday, 11 marzipan balls were used to decorate it – in honor of the XNUMX apostles at the Last Supper, with the exception of Judas.
The tradition of making torrijas, a sweet bread fried in a sprinkle of cinnamon, originated in Spanish monasteries in the XNUMXth century. Despite the fact that the dish is attributed to Madrid cuisine, it is popular throughout the country: on the eve of Holy Week, it is served in almost all bars and restaurants. Before frying, torrijas is soaked in milk; but there is also a variation of the dish in which red dry wine is used for steeping instead of milk.
In southern Italy, traditions are not abandoned and even pizza is prepared for Easter. Closed gaina pizza is baked in a special form with high sides. Inside there are two layers of filling: it can be mushrooms, grilled vegetables or meat.
Mexicans bake capirotada bread pudding for Easter. The history of this dish began in 1640, and until now the recipe has remained practically unchanged: bread is soaked in sugar syrup and baked along with spices, raisins, dried fruits, and sometimes even cheese. The capirotada is decorated symbolically: bread personifies the body of Christ, and cinnamon sticks and carnations represent the cross and nails, respectively. Such a dish will surely be to the taste of Russians as well. It is not difficult to cook it: the main thing is to get aromatic and tasty bread. This can be done, for example, in BILLA, where freshly baked loaves and rolls hit the shelves every hour.
The Portuguese Easter table is decorated with a casserole of cod, potatoes and eggs – bacalyau gomez de sa. Now all the ingredients for the casserole are pre-boiled, but initially dried cod was added to the dish – after all, it was with the help of the drying method that the Portuguese kept food until refrigerators appeared.
For the Finns, the holiday is not complete without mämmi – porridge made from rye flour and malt, which tastes like beer. Cooking takes a lot of time: at a low temperature, porridge is baked for several hours. Previously, the dish was considered lean, but now, when mämmi was served with cream or milk, porridge has become the main attribute of the Easter holiday.
In addition to the festive food, the Scots also have an Easter drink – the so-called eggnog. It is prepared from sugar, beaten eggs and, if the drink is intended for an adult audience, brandy or strong wines. Eggnog is also loved in the USA and Scandinavian countries, and it is considered traditional not only for Easter, but also for Christmas.
Holy Week in Ecuador, as a rule, is greeted with Fanesque – a hot thick soup made from fish and several types of cereals. The soup is called family soup: since the dish is quite laborious to prepare, all family members gather in the kitchen to share responsibilities.