Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Easter is a holiday celebrated by many worldwide.
Ranging all the way from sweets to savories, the variety of food associated with this religious holiday differs in various parts of the world.
While you might already have your Easter catering menus prepared with the usual meals that you tend to make for this holy day, you could consider adding in some of these traditional Easter meals from around the world.
And who knows? You might like it enough to make it a permanent installment of your Easter traditions. In any case, getting some of these items from a professional Easter catering service can help you explore new things while saving you time, effort, and ingredients.
Nut Rolls
This holiday treat originates from Central Europe, with this sweet pastry being known by many regional names from this area. From makowiec in Polish, potica in Slovenien, kalacs, and bejgli in Hungarian; there are quite a few regional variations.
While there are slight variations from each region, when we get right down to it, the nut roll is really just a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough, rolled out very thin and spread with a nut paste made from groundnuts and some sweetener (usually honey).
This is then rolled up into a log shape (resembling a swiss roll but with more layers of dough and filling). In the US, nut rolls from Easter catering services are often made with a combination of walnut, poppy seed, apricot, and coffee.
Easter Bread
Easter bread is a traditional festive Italian recipe of a soft-sweet yeast-leavened dough that is formed into wreaths or braids. The wreath symbolizes the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, while braids with the three stringy pieces of dough symbolize the holy trinity.
This holiday bread is a fun and festive recipe that has a special tradition of adding colored eggs baked right into the dough. You can even add some sprinkles over the top to really make the roll pop— kids will certainly love it.
It comes through with soft and tender slices of bread and a nice colorful array of eggs that are hard-boiled in the oven along with the bread.
The egg, one of the most prominent symbols of Easter, represents rebirth and Christ rising from the dead.
Leg of Lamb
The French have a recipe for Easter known as ‘le gigot d’agneau’’ or ‘leg of lamb’.
Lamb is a common dish for Easter celebrations in France and much of Europe with the lamb being seen as a sacrificial animal of sorts.
Don’t get intimidated by the rather fancy French name as the preparation is quite simple—just the leg of the lamb studded with garlic cloves, fresh rosemary sprigs, and other optional spices.
This is then roasted at a low temperature to achieve the desired tenderness, spruced with impeccable flavor, and typically served with green beans and gratin potatoes
Fanesca
This is a soup traditionally prepared and eaten by people in Ecuador during Holy Week.
While there are many factors in its preparation that vary regionally, or even from one family to another, its primary ingredients are the same—figleaf gourd, pumpkin, and twelve different kinds of beans and grains together with bacalao (salt cod) cooked in milk.
Salt cod is used instead of red meat due to the Catholic religious prohibition of red meat during holy week. The bacalao symbolizes Jesus himself, while the twelve beans are representative of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
Stir things up with Professional Easter Catering
With so many cultures and traditions surrounding the Christian holiday of Easter, it is all the more reason to expand your tastes and delve into certain things that you haven’t tried before.
With a professional catering company in charge of your Easter catering menus, you can make these meals come to life and give your family and friends a culinary experience that takes you around the globe.
