Why Not Celebrate in Italy!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Why Not Celebrate in Italy!

Why Not Celebrate in Italy!

~Blog Post #2~

April 12, 2015

By: Samantha Millán

It's finally Easter and in southern Italy Easter means only one thing, food-wise: pastiera. Pastiera is a sweet creamy deep dish pie-like dessert made with wheat, Ricotta cheese, eggs, milk and zests of orange and lemon. The preparations are crucial and must be prepared accordingly. Pastiera has to be made in some days advance in order to allow the fragrances to mix properly to have that unique taste. The most dedicated pastiera bakers insist that you should take at least 3 days to make it (from Maundy Thursday to Holy Saturday). Although being a popular Easter dessert, you can defiantly make this all year round! Click this link to make pastiera yourself! http://www.ilariasperfectrecipes.com/pastiera-napoletana-secrets-authentic-neapolitan-ricotta-and-wheat-berry-easter-pie/

The birth of the pastiera was created by a Nun in a convent who wanted to make a dessert to celebrate the coming of Easter. So she created pastiera as a symbol of Resurrection. Her original recipe, only having a few extra ingredients, included; wheat, egg, milk, Ricotta, Nutmeg, and a orange flower essence from her garden. Since then, at that time, Nuns would bake pastieria for the entire Kingdom of Naples.

Like every festival around the world, each family celebrates differently. On Easter, pastiera is a special dish every Neapolitan wife considers herself to have either the most authentic or the best recipe of pastiera. Some add fruit as a decoration while others mix thick pastry cream which makes the pastiera softer. Each family expresses their Easter celebrations through this dessert. Even though it may not be a huge celebration to make pastiera for Easter, it is a tradition. A tradition in which almost every family takes part in.