Easter Ingredients

As usual, I met Margarita in the market where we shop every Friday for the Casa J's weekly groceries.  Today was the busiest day I have ever seen that market!  It wasn't only for the last minute fresh items that the people were there to purchase, but also for all the extra vendors trying to sell their ingredients for the big Easter dinner.

Last year I blogged about the 12 Plates of Easter, an old Cusco tradition of twelve plates that are symbolic somehow of the twelve apostles.  Today, every family celebrates uniquely, with their favorites, and not many with twelve different plates; however, the traditional family dinner is served up every Good Friday.

Today I got a first-hand look at the ingredients that go into many of the favored dishes.



A very busy market

The meat aisle was practically empty today.  Eating meat is eliminated on Good Friday (out of respect to Jesus' death). 

Fish, however, is a common replacement, and the line-ups were long, wrapping around the corners.

In fact, many of the sought-after ingredients come from the sea.   Imported many miles from the coast, and with advantage to the nature of this holiday, some of these ingredients have high prices ranging from 75 - 150 Peruvian Soles per kilo.

L to R: a dried sea-weed, Chancaca and dried fish eggs.

Chancaca often comes in brown balls, which I finally learned today is actually a source of natural, unrefined sugar that comes from sugar cane. It may be processed and sold in different forms including different base ingredients like honey and orange-peel for flavoring.
It is a common ingredient in some Peruvian desserts like Rice Pudding, or the purple corn sauce called Mazamorra.

On the left are balls of Chancaca

Dried sea-weed (probably some kind of kelp) and fish eggs are commonly used in different soups, and surprisingly aren't that fishy in flavor. These red rish eggs are rich in vitamins A, D, zinc and DHA. 
The ancient Peruvian trekked many miles, many days to carry these healthful items from the sea to their Andean villages high in the altitudes.

A 100 gram bag of shrimp is selling for around S/. 7.50.  That's a little less than $3 CAD, which seems okay to me, but here is considered high (because of the holiday).
 

Preserve-dried shrimp.  Right upper corner: a bag of cinnamon bark.

Clam meat is also popular on people's mental Easter shopping lists as they shuffle along the busy aisles, looking for the perfect ingredients.  The clam meat below had been previously soaked and is ready to use; however, here it usually comes dry and should be soaked overnight for faster cooking.

L- R: fish eggs and the meat from small clams

More shrimp and clam meat

Many families prepare at least a couple of desserts for their menu, and boiled peaches are a popular one.  The peaches are skinned and boiled in sugar water with cinnamon and cloves.  Easy and delicious (no recipe required)!

Different cookies and breads are also prepared special for this occasion.  You know those meringue foamy-looking cookies?  Those ones are popular here for Easter and at Christmas too, and prepared in a range of different pastel colors (sorry, no pics).

 

These sweet-flat breads remind me of pop-tarts without the filling.  They are popular for Good Friday breakfast, but you can find them in some Panederias (Bread shops) all year round.    

 



Panacillos- sweet baked flat breads

 

Walter remembers when he was young, that they used to have special breads, tamales and hot chocolate for Good Friday breakfast.



 

These Catholic cross decorations are made with different live ingredients, bought to be hung above the principal family house door, symbolizing protection over the home.

 

 

 

 

Some other vital Easter ingredients:

 

-profound love, obedience, humility, service, sacrifice

miracles, resurrection, life, joy

saviour, soul-peace, eternity

 

 

 

What ingredients will make up your Easter this weekend?