On Halloween, people not only dress up in street clothes and decorate themselves into strange, scary shapes, but also enjoy delicious meals together. You've probably seen cakes like human bone-shaped cookies. Finger-shaped or a bowl filled with blood made from the level that appears in the Masquerade Festival, these are all cakes that have been modified for horror. Let's learn about some Halloween dishes in the West.
Soul cake
There are many legends about the origin of this Western Halloween dish. Some people say that soul cakes will be baked on the bonfire night of Samhain, and whoever chooses the burnt cake will become a sacrifice to ensure a good harvest next year.
There are also many people who believe that soul cakes can soothe the hungry stomachs of wandering souls in animal form. When they are full, they will not bother people or their crops.
In the 8th century, Halloween food in the West was used to give alms to beggars who came for Halloween. The beggar will receive the bread and pray for the deceased members of that family. The more soul bread given away, the more souls saved.
Soul cake was created with the purpose of saving poor souls
To create variety and uniqueness, this Western Halloween dish is also decorated with many different shapes such as skulls, spiders, or scary devil shapes... However, before baking, the cake will shaped like a cross on the face to signify that this is alms.
Pumpkin soup
Did you know that in addition to pumpkin lanterns being used as "mascots" for Halloween, pumpkin soup is also an indispensable Western Halloween dish during the holiday. Each region and each country will have a different pumpkin soup recipe, but the most popular Halloween dish in the West will include pumpkin diced and cooked with beef or lamb, and finally Add milk or fresh cream.
In addition to making soup, Westerners also make pumpkin into sponge cakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pies... which are both delicious and have very high nutritional value.
Delicious pumpkin soup is a very popular dish on Halloween
Candy apple
Apples are an offering to the goddess Pomona - the god who symbolizes harvest and abundance. Therefore, apples can be considered an indispensable dish on this holiday. In the past, in England, families would sit around the fireplace and enjoy delicious apples.
Nowadays, people often prepare apple candy for this holiday. The most delicious apples with a shiny appearance will be coated with a layer of cockroach-colored caramel. The crunchy layer of sugar on the outside combined with the sweet and sour taste of the apple inside becomes a favorite snack of children. Candied apples are also decorated with brightly colored chocolate, peanuts or nuggets.
Candy apples coated with nuts make them more eye-catching and delicious
Halloween food in the West: Barnbrack cake
Irish-created barnbrack quickly became a traditional dish during the Halloween festival. To this day there is still no exact recipe for this cake, usually people use dried fruits and a type of yeast made from beer as the main ingredients for barnbrack.
The special feature of this Halloween dish is that inside there are objects that predict the future.
- Pea: That person will not be able to get married within the year;
- Stick: That person will have an unhappy marriage or constantly quarrel;
- A piece of cloth: The person who eats this cake will have bad luck or have to live in poverty;
- Coin: This person will have a lot of luck or quickly become rich;
- Ring: Implies that the person will get married next year;
- Beans: Signals a poor future, no money.
Barnbrack is used to predict the future
Nowadays there are many young people who do not want to get married, so to avoid the effects of this game, many lucky charms are created to replace the ring.
Colcannon
Colcannon, a Western Halloween dish made from pureed potatoes. This is an indispensable dish in Irish Halloween celebrations, and has also become an important part of spooky festivals around the world. The main ingredients include mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, salt, pepper, along with milk, cream, leeks, onions or muscle meat to add flavor and warmth to the dish.
Similar to barnbrack, colcannon is also often hidden in a coin or a lucky charm. Finding an amulet in a dish is considered a prediction of certain events in that person's future. For example, if a woman finds a bracelet, she may be single for a long time to come. However, this has proven to be just a game to create surprise and a traditional feeling for diners on Halloween.
Colcannon is added with a piece of light butter on top to make it richer and more delicious
According to legend, the cure for the "charm" was simply to put colcannon in an oversized stocking, like those used at Christmas, and hang it in front of the door. It is believed that this approach will guide and help the future husband appear.
During the celebration of Halloween, one of the most important and unique festivals of the West, Halloween dishes in the West not only meet culinary needs but also contribute to creating an exciting and scary atmosphere. festival. Each dish is creatively prepared and decorated, reflecting not only the sophistication in the choice of ingredients but also a love and respect for tradition and spirituality.
