Many holidays come with tradition. In Italian culture, traditions are centered around what brings everyone together… food! The days leading up to Easter are spent in the kitchen, prepping meals and all the delicious desserts and foods that remind you of this joyous occasion. If you have less time to prep this year, but are still looking to enjoy some of the traditional items, you’ve come to the right place! Come pick up all your traditional items that we make by hand for you to enjoy or come get all the ingredients you need for them!
Here are 6 Items we look forward to every Easter!
1. Calzone
Calzone is dough in the shape of a pie or a pizza, then filled with various foods. There are two different kinds. The traditional style has no meat, but is filled with eggs, black olives, onions, and mozzarella cheese. All the ingredients are put into our homemade crust. On Good Friday, we eat calzone because there is no meat on Fridays during Lent. Some people enjoy another type of Calzone enjoyed on Easter Sunday. This one is our homemade sausage, eggs, black olives, onions, and mozzarella cheese. This calzone is typically enjoyed on Easter day. The addition of meat makes it a heartier calzone. Heartier foods were typically used at feasts. Since Easter is a celebration and everyone is rejoicing, the more ingredients, the better for the calzone with meat!
2. Easter Bread
Easter bread is a fun and colorful tradition! It is a sweet bread with dyed eggs baked right into the bread! It is usually baked in a circle to symbolize the crown of thorns that was put on Jesus.
3. Pastiera
Pastiera, also known as Easter pie, is a traditional Easter dessert whose main ingredient is Ricotta! This dessert is light, has notes of citrus, and takes a while to prepare which is why picking one up in store is worth it! Pastiera is meant to symbolize peace and Resurrection! If you don’t want a whole pie, pick up a few slices of our pizza di ricotta in our bakery case!
4. Tuma
Tuma is a cheese that can really only be found right around Easter! It is a mild and creamy cheese, similar to ricotta, but a bit firmer. Around this time, people use it in baking and cooking!
5. Lamb Cake
And for dessert, a lamb cake! This popular European dessert is a pound cake in the shape of a lamb. It is then decorated however you wish! Usually with frosting, including green frosting on the plate to show a lamb laying in the grass. This tradition also symbolizes Jesus’ role as the Lamb of God.
6. Glazed Taralli
A classic Easter cookie are glazed taralli. You might be familiar with the taralli crackers we have year round, but this sweeter version only comes around for Easter. It is larger than the normal taralli, sweet notes baked into the dough, and glazed with an icing
What are your favorite Eater traditions? Let us know in the comments! Buona Pasqua!
From Our Family To Yours
