If you’re planning an extra special Easter this year and want to maintain the good old fashioned customs associated with it, here are some of the most traditional foods eaten during this holiday. Whether you’re dining out with us here at Smith & Wollensky or cooking up a feast at home, see how many of these foods you can sneak into your celebrations.
Boiled eggs – we readily associate Easter with chocolate eggs but if you want to stick to tradition, it’s actually boiled eggs that you should be eating for breakfast.
Hot cross buns – if you like to start your day with something a bit sweeter or fancy a special treat over the Easter holidays, you could toast some hot cross buns for breakfast instead. Traditionally, they’re supposed to be served on Good Friday but they’re now readily available in the run-up to Easter and in some supermarkets, all year round.
Chocolate eggs – everyone’s favourite part of Easter is the chocolate eggs and it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to get at least one. Did you know however that originally, eating eggs in the week leading up to Easter was banned by the church? This meant that any eggs that had been laid that week were saved and decorated and then given to children as gifts. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the first chocolate eggs appeared and unsurprisingly, this is a tradition that became popular very quickly.
Roast lamb – this is the main dish served at Jewish Passover and is the traditional meat for the main meal on Easter Day. The reason for this is because in past centuries it was considered a lucky omen to come across a lamb, especially at Easter time. It was also a popular superstition that the devil, who could take form of all other animals, could not appear in the shape of a lamb because of its religious symbolism. For tips on how to make the perfect roast lamb, visit the BBC website here.
Simnel cake – this rich fruit cake is typically served with a marzipan covering and is most often served at Easter or during Lent. Traditionally, this cake is decorated with 11 or sometimes 12 marzipan balls as they are supposed to represent the 12 apostles.
It’s not just the UK that has a range of traditional Easter dishes, many other countries around the world have their very own delicacies they like to reserve for this time of year.
- Russians typically enjoy a pyramid-shaped dessert which is made from cheese and decorated with religious symbols.
- If you’re heading anywhere in Eastern Europe for Easter you won’t be able to leave without trying pinca. This sweet bread looks like a hot cross bun and is marked with the sign of the cross which is commonly used to celebrate the end of Lent in Slovenia, Croatia and some parts of Italy.
- Mexicans like to celebrate Easter with a delicious spiced bread pudding called Capirotada. This dish is filled with raisins, cinnamon, cloves and cheese. It’s said that each of the ingredients carries a reminder of the suffering of Christ.
- Many Orthodox Christian countries including Bulgaria and Russia really do go all out at Easter. Not only do they bake a type of cake called Kulich to mark the holiday, they also get their creation blessed by a priest after Easter service.
- It’s not just food that’s enjoyed at Easter. If you head to Denmark you can enjoy a pint of their special Easter beer, Påskeøl. Be warned however, it is stronger than regular beer.
Join us for Easter Sunday and takeaway your very own homemade Smith & Wollensky Easter egg. Bookings 020 7321 6007.
