Each year, Greek Orthodox Christians all over the world gather together to celebrate their Easter. In Greece, this is one of the biggest holidays of the year to celebrate. It is also a day rich with family memories and delicious foods. No matter how you decide to celebrate, eating certain dishes is a given. Here’s a look at some of the most popular Greek foods to eat during Easter:
Roasted Lamb
Eating roasted lamb on Orthodox Easter comes from the Jewish Passover in which God used Moses to tell the Jewish people to come together in small gatherings and sacrifice a lamb in each family. As a result, Jesus is referred to as the “lamb of God”. Greeks eat lamb as a reminder of this fact. The main idea is to serve a main dish featuring lamb. Popular ways to cook it include roasting it on a spit, roasting it in the oven, and even cooking it on the grill. It doesn’t matter how it’s cooked, as long as it is done the way you will truly enjoy it.
Red Eggs
Another hugely important part of the Greek Easter dinner is the tradition of red eggs. Essentially, red eggs represent the blood of Christ with its red color while the egg itself represents rebirth.Dyeing the eggs red is a typical tradition among Greek families on Easter and is often used as decoration during Easter dinner. In addition, many families play a game of cracking eggs known as tsougrisma on Easter to see whose egg is the strongest.
Tsoureki
Greek Easter bread, known as Tsoureki, is made using three braids of dough, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity. This bread has an excellent, soft texture with an appealing soft, brown crust and a delicious flavor.
Tsoureki’s flavor is due to two aromatic spices used in the recipe known as mastic and mahlab. These spices can be found in Greek grocery stores and ground mastic comes from the Chios island, which is one of the main Greek islands.
Lastly, Greek Orthodox Easter feasts need to have the perfect dessert to round out the meal.
Koulourakia
On Easter Sunday, Greek families enjoy eating cookies called Koulourakia. These cookies are baked on Holy Saturday to be enjoyed on Easter Sunday morning. These cookies are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Koulourakia are buttery and have a hint of orange upon taste. Greek families enjoy these cookies with their breakfast on Easter Sunday as well as with their lunch or afternoon tea.
If you add these four foods to your Greek Orthodox Easter meal, you won’t regret it! These top dishes will be a major staple in your Greek Easter dinner and we hope this list will help you prepare for this wonderful holiday. Your family will thank you once they taste these delicious dishes and treats.
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