In Goa, Easter is a time to rejoice even on a culinary
front. Over the years, Hot Cross Buns have become a local Easter favourite. The
tradition is allegedly derived from ancient Anglo-Saxons who baked small wheat
cakes in honour of the springtime goddess, Eostre. Upon their conversion to
Christianity, the church decided to substitute these cakes with sweetbreads
blessed by the church.
While several countries worldwide also serve sweet baked
items in similar vein, such as the Czech babobka and the Polish baba, it is the
version from the United Kingdom that has curried (oddly in a sweet fashion)
favour locally. Other such variants include the Greek and Portuguese serving their
version of round, flat loaves marked with a cross.
“I look forward to Easter because it is the only time of
year that one can lay their hands on Hot Cross Buns. In more recent times,
commercial bakeries have started putting them on the shelves, making it ideal
for the regular consumer to go out and buy them,” says Artemizia Fernandes of
Porvorim. Her sister, Piedade on the other hand, rebuffs this point of view,
adding “True Easter celebrations cannot be complete without the eggs. The joy
one feels, when they crack-open the shell and find little surprises inside, is
unparalleled.”
Many people eat roast lamb on Easter Sunday, which is a
tradition thatdates back to the first Passover of the Jewish people.
Apparently, the sacrificial lamb was consumed alongside unleavened bread and
bitter herbs, with the fervent hope that the angel of God would pass over their
homes and bring them no harm. With the conversion of Hebrews to Christianity,
some traditions were naturally brought along with the culture.
“Lent is a difficult time for most observers of the austere
period. This year, I decided to give meat up completely. It was something I had
never done before. As such, I was thoroughly tested this time around. I have a craving for lamb chops and that will
be my first meal when Lent ends,” says Duncan D’Cruz of Colva.
