Easter celebrations vary by culture, but are frequently rooted in the country’s tradition and religion. From the UK’s hot cross buns to Eastern Europe’s butter lamb, and Georgia’s substantial lamb stew, each dish has a unique narrative to tell.
It’s intriguing to learn about the origins of these traditions, as well as their contrasts and parallels.
Whatever manner you choose to celebrate Easter, we’ve compiled a list of Easter food traditions from around the world you can try out.
Ram
The typical Easter dinner in the United States is roasted ham, which is often glazed with honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar and often studded with cloves. Many people prefer to serve their ham with grilled pineapple slices for a lovely sweet and salty twist on this Easter staple.
But why do people eat ham at Easter? Though lamb was traditionally the meat of choice for Easter celebrations, the shift to ham has nothing to do with religion; many people prefer it because it is in season and less expensive than lamb.
Ham gained popularity when farmers realized it could be preserved to last through the long winter months, guaranteeing it was ready to eat by Easter in the spring.
Hot cross buns
In the UK, traditional hot cross buns are cooked with juicy raisins and consumed on Good Friday. The buns come in various tastes, such as those studded with chocolate, salted caramel, or stuffed with berries.
Hot cross buns get their name from the cross on top, which represents Christ’s crucifixion. Hanging hot cross buns in the kitchen was also said to fend off evil spirits and prevent kitchen fires.
Hot cross buns are thought to have originated in the 12th century, when a monk prepared them on Good Friday to celebrate the forthcoming Easter weekend.
Others suggest that the buns have pagan roots. Small bread rolls were marked with crosses in Ancient Egypt to celebrate the Gods, and similar loaves could be found in Ancient Greece and Rome.
We may never know the true origins of the hot cross bun, but they are a delectable treat, especially when split, toasted, and smothered with salted butter. You might also offer these buns as a gift to friends, as they are supposed to strengthen friendships.
Salmon
Eating fish on the Friday before Easter Sunday originated with Catholics, who abstained from eating warm-blooded animals on Fridays in order to acknowledge and repent for Jesus’ death.
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and Christians believe that on Good Friday, Jesus gave his flesh by being punished and dying for believer’s sins.
To serve as a reminder, the Church recommends Christians to ‘abstain from meaty flesh’ on the anniversary of the Messiah’s death.
One of the best fish options you can go for is salmon. Salmon is highly versatile because its flesh keeps together well, making it adaptable to a variety of cooking ways and flavors.
When you are buying salmon, you need to buy high quality one that will give you an excellent experience. One of the best ones to go for is Mowi Salmon.
This salmon is meticulously farm-reared, processed, and packed. It is also readily available in stores and online, with delivery timeframes as low as 24 hours. Depending on your region, it could take up to 72 hours from sea to store, while maintaining the ideal temperature to preserve freshness.
Mowi Salmon is available in a variety of sizes, including 6 oz pieces, ideal for quick lunches. These pieces are BAP approved, which ensures the highly quality.
For you to enjoy the salmon, you need to prepare it properly. To help you out, here is a guide on how to go about it.
Ingredients
- Mowi Atlantic Salmon Portions (6 oz. each).
- Finely chopped, unsalted pistachios.
- Breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned is an excellent choice)
- Parmigiano cheese
- A low-fat honey mustard dressing
- Sour Cream Dip. Ingredients (Optional)
- Low-fat sour cream
- Finely chopped parsley.
- Juice from two lemons
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- If your salmon is not skinless, you must remove the skin first.
- Cut the fish sections into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Coat the air fryer tray or base with oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F.
- In a medium bowl, combine pistachios, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.
- In a shallow bowl, pour the honey mustard dressing and dip the salmon bites in it, making sure to thoroughly coat them.
- Then, immediately coat all sides of the salmon bites with the pistachio mixture.
- Place the salmon into the air fryer. Keep it in a single layer and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once. Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of the servings. The interior temperature of salmon should be 145°F.
- While the salmon is cooking, make a delicious sour cream dip to complement it.
- Mix the sour cream dip ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then serve. This makes the perfect game day snacks or you can serve them alongside your favorite side!
Butter lamb
A butter lamb may sound like a wonderful, meaty dish, but it’s actually butter sculpted into the shape of a lamb, representing Jesus Christ’s sacrifice (the Lamb of God) and the start of spring.
The butter lamb is a popular Easter dish in Poland, Russia, and Slovenia, and it eventually traveled to the Midwest of the United States.
The butter lamb is supposed to have evolved as a means to use up butter before Lent, when many people abstain from dairy products. The lamb generally has peppercorns for eyes and a scarlet ribbon around its neck to represent Christ’s blood.
Butter lambs quickly gained popularity in areas of the United States with a substantial Polish population, including Michigan, Milwaukee, New York, and Illinois.
Malczewski Butter Lambs first appeared on the shelves of Buffalo’s Broadway Market in the 1960s, and they are still available today.
Dorothy Malczeski designed these adorable miniature lambs with a red flag on their backs reading “Alleluia” and the usual red ribbon around their necks.
Of course, you can always make your own butter lamb for Easter, and the good thing is that you don’t have to be a skilled sculptor to do it. Butter lamb molds are available for purchase on several websites.
You can even find some in your local stores.
