Easter food includes the special dishes prepared on Easter – a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the three days of his death. It is also called as Easter Sunday and occurs two days after the Good Friday. The festival is celebrated with elaborate Easter recipes, as Christians all around the world rejoice over Christ’s resurrection. A grand feast is arranged on the occasion, and special Easter dishes are served.
Traditional Easter Recipes and Food Menu
Easter is celebrated with several traditions, including the Easter food which has special dishes made of lamb, eggs, and ham.
Lamb –As Jesus is called the “lamb of God” in the Scriptures, the lamb became an important part of the Easter food menu. Roasted leg of lamb and herbed lamb are some of the popular Easter lamb dishes. The lamb is seasoned with seasonings such as oregano, rosemary, mint, lemon zest, and garlic. The meat is refrigerated overnight and roasted to perfection.
Eggs –Egg is considered as a symbol of new life, and egg dishes are popular on Easter too. Hard-boiled eggs, egg casserole, egg squares, egg bakes, deviled eggs, egg salads, and sandwiches are commonly made as special egg dishes. Several types of egg candies such as crème eggs, chocolate egg candy, and coconut egg candy are also made for the occasion. Colorfully painted eggs and egg hunts are part of the Easter celebration.
Ham – In early days, due to lack of refrigeration facilities, pork was processed into ham and was made available during Easter. Thus, ham became one of the traditional Easter foods in United States. Baked ham, glazed ham, and ham casserole are a few of the many ham dishes made on this day.
Hot Cross Bun – Sweet and spiced buns with a mark of a cross on the top surface is called a hot cross bun. This bun is also traditionally associated with Easter. The cross mark signifies the gift of Jesus’ life as a sacrifice to provide eternal life for human beings. Recipe
Dishes made with chicken, duck, and rice also find place in the Easter food menu. Sweet bread, pretzels, Easter cakes, cookies, and Easter candies are had as desserts.
Vegetarians use fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, mushrooms, and squash to prepare a sumptuous vegetarian feast on Easter.
Modern Easter Recipes and their Variations
Easter recipes are getting modified with , new ingredients and new dishes being added continuously to the Easter food menu. Traditional food items and Easter dishes are still there, but the way of cooking has changed. Variations of roasted lamb are prepared by adding mint sauce. Ham is eaten in sandwiches or burgers. Easter cakes are also getting new shapes and flavors. Children are now fond of elaborately themed cakes. Eggs are still in the list of Easter recipes, but the style has changed. Various hard-boiled egg dishes are introduced with exotic ingredients in the new Easter food menu. Cookies, candies, and muffins are all made with modern twists and giving a new dimension to the Easter recipes.
How Easter food is Served
Easter food includes breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. The dishes are spread on the table, and the entire family sits together to enjoy the holiday meal. Wine pairing is also a common practice on Easter. Buffet is arranged if large numbers of guests are invited. Families also go on picnic with easy-to-prepare Easter food.