Saturday 19 April 2014

A Tuscan Easter

On this day before Easter, kitchens in parts of Italy, including Tuscany, are filled with the aroma of brodetto Pasquale, a special soup that traditionally begins the Easter meal. The grocer in our little town told us it is an ancient custom to take the broth to church to be blessed before serving it.

It is a simple recipe, using your favorite broth, and adding raw eggs, carefully, so they don't curdle, at the end, just before ladling it into bowls.

The Easter Bunny does not make an appearance here, nor have I heard of egg hunts or Easter parades, but like everywhere else, it is customary to eat eggs, signifying new life. Giant hollow chocolate eggs, colorfully wrapped, are displayed in every grocery and coffee bar in town. The tradition is to smash them open on Easter Sunday and find prizes inside. The Perugina eggs are especially delectable.



Rabbit is commonly found in the Tuscan kitchen, but not usually for Easter. Roasted lamb is the traditional dish, served with spinach. We are told that agnello (lamb) is not as popular as it used to be, particularly among the young, so one might also find roasted pollo (chicken) or maiale (pork). Because it is not possible to talk about food in Italy without someone nearby offering an opinion, another customer in the grocery told us that carciofi (artichokes) and asparagi are also often served. 

For dolci (dessert), one must eat a colomba, a confection that is more like bread than cake, and shaped like a dove, from whence comes its name. We also like it for breakfast with a frothy cappuccino, which is our own tradition.



Easter customs and foods vary in the different regions of Italy, but everywhere it is a celebration of spring and the foods of the new season.

“Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi," is the Italian saying which translates as, "Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you want."

We're spending ours with friends this year. Happy Easter, Buona Pasqua, Happy Spring to all.