Delicious dishes are served all over the world at Easter. Here you can find inspiration from Argentina, Finland or Lebanon.
Easter is the oldest festival in Christianity and is celebrated all over the world. Holy Saturday marks the end of the 40-day Lent – so from now on you can feast again. In Germany, delicacies such as the classic Easter lamb, juicy yeast braids and, of course, brightly painted eggs are served at Easter. And what is the rest of the world eating? Here those with a sweet tooth will find inspiration from Greece, Argentina and Co.
Tsoureki from Greece
Tsoureki is a yeast bread eaten in Greece on Easter Sunday and is considered a sign of fertility and vision. It contains red colored Easter eggs, which are symbolic of the blood of Christ, but also of spring and rebirth. The spices mastic and machlepi give the tsoureki a special taste.
Ingredients: 500 g flour, 1 packet of dried yeast, 150 ml lukewarm milk, 100 g sugar, 3 eggs, 1 pinch of salt, 50 g butter, 1 organic orange, 4 green cardamom pods, 5 teaspoons grated Machlepi (or nutmeg and vanilla), 0.5 tsp ground mastic (or lemon zest as a substitute), 1 egg yolk and 3 tbsp milk for brushing, sesame seeds for sprinkling, 5 boiled red eggs
Preparation: Put the flour, sugar, yeast and the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add butter in small pieces, lukewarm milk and beaten eggs and mix. Knead into a smooth dough on a floured work surface, shape into a ball and leave to rise, covered, for about two hours. Knead the risen yeast dough again and shape it into a plait or a wreath as you like, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place the five Easter eggs evenly spaced on the braid. and leave to rise for another 30 minutes. Brush with the egg yolk and milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees top/bottom heat and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Torta Pascualina from Argentina
The Torta Pascualina is a hearty cake made from puff pastry, spinach and eggs, and is traditionally eaten in Argentina at Easter. The name derives from the Spanish word for Easter, i.e. “Pascua”.
Ingredients: 400 g puff pastry (2 sheets), 1 kg fresh spinach leaves, nutmeg, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 eggs, 500 g ricotta, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 70 g grated parmesan
Preparation: Wash the spinach and blanch briefly in boiling water. Then rinse, squeeze and finely chop. In a bowl, mix together the salt, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix 2 eggs with the ricotta and 40 g parmesan and mix in the spinach. Line a buttered springform pan with a sheet of puff pastry, extending slightly over the edge. Then add the spinach and ricotta filling to the dish. Peel the hard-boiled eggs, place them evenly in the filling and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Brush the second sheet of dough with oil and place it on top, roll the overlapping edges of the dough inwards and press down. Lightly prick the dough several times with a fork or decorate with a knife. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the puff pastry cake for about 60 minutes until golden brown.
Ma’amoul from Lebanon
Ma’amoul, small filled pastries, are traditionally eaten at Easter in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. Their dough consists of semolina dough, and they are often filled with dates, walnuts or almonds. Ma’amoul usually have a distinctive decoration that requires a mold.
Ingredients: 250 g butter, 500 g durum wheat semolina, 250 g soft wheat semolina, 100 g sugar, 1 tsp Mahleb (or nutmeg or vanilla as a substitute), 0.5 tsp dried yeast, 50 ml lukewarm milk, 3 tbsp rose water, 3 tbsp orange blossom water, 370 g pitted dates, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, powdered sugar
Preparation: Steam the dates in a sieve over boiling water until soft, cool and gradually blend in a blender to form a sticky paste. Mix in the cinnamon and place in the fridge. For the cookie dough, place the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the butter in small knobs and mix by hand. Then drizzle rose water and orange water over it, mix and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Form small balls from the date paste, flatten a piece of dough with your hand and close it around the ball. Shape the balls of dough into ma’amoul moulds, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool and roll in powdered sugar.
Mummy from Finland
Mämmi is a pudding-like dessert made from rye flour, water, malt and syrup, the history of which dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time it was eaten as a fast breaker after the strict fasting period. It is still an Easter classic in Finland today. Attention: You have to take a lot of time to prepare Mämmi!
Ingredients for ten servings: 7 l water, 2 kg rye flour, 500 g rye malt, 3 tbsp molasses, 2 tsp salt, 4 tbsp grated orange zest
Preparation: Heat 2 liters of water in a saucepan to 60 degrees and add 25 g rye malt and 50 g rye flour; mix well to form a thin paste and sprinkle with a little more rye flour and malt. Cover the pot with a lid and let the porridge stand for an hour. The porridge must remain warm, but should never boil. Then add another liter of water, rye flour and malt and leave to rest for an hour. The whole thing is repeated until the seven liters of water have been used up. When the porridge is ready, it is boiled for half an hour, stirring constantly. Then add the syrup, salt and orange zest and mix well. Put the pot in the oven and bake for an hour at 150 degrees. Then fill into ovenproof bowls (only half, because the porridge will bubble while baking), sprinkle some sugar over it and now bake at 140 degrees for about three hours. The finished Mämmi tastes particularly good with whipped cream, vanilla sauce or vanilla ice cream.