Like other holidays, Halloween is a time when people enjoy special foods that carry significant meanings for this occasion.
9 Unique Dishes for Halloween
As October nears its end, the atmosphere of Halloween begins to thrive in many countries. Halloween is a festival inspired by the harvest season and the festival of souls. It starts in the evening and lasts until midnight on the last day of October. During this holiday, children and teenagers often dress up in costumes and go from house to house, knocking on doors for candy and blessings.
Traditionally, children carry lanterns made from carved pumpkins with smiling faces, asking the question: “Trick or treat?”. The festivities of Halloween often revolve around themes of luck and misfortune, sharing ghost stories, and tales about witches… Of course, black cats are the symbols of this holiday.
Soul Cakes
These cakes are randomly sent to the homes of strangers. The simplicity of the cake symbolizes the souls, waiting for a prayer for the deceased from the recipient. For a household, the more cakes received, the more prayers are believed to be offered.
Although most recipients of these cakes are strangers, families who have lost loved ones believe that the remembrance from strangers will help the deceased move on more quickly. Soul cakes taste similar to regular cinnamon cookies, often with raisins, arranged in a cross shape. The cakes have a special flavor, allowing children to enjoy them fully after collecting candies from pumpkins. For this reason, kids often choose to eat them last on Halloween.
Boxty Pancakes
Boxty is a type of potato pancake from Ireland, one of the three main dishes for Halloween. This dish consists of mashed potatoes, diced potatoes, and potato scraps. With such a mixture, the dish looks incredibly appealing while retaining the traditional flavor of a real pancake.
Boxty is often served with rich Greek yogurt, syrup made from pine, and small pieces of fruits and vegetables for decoration. This dish is very popular in Ireland, and there is even a nursery rhyme about it:
“Boxty on the griddle
Boxty hot in the oven
If you can’t make boxty
You’ll never get a man!”
Colcannon
Colcannon is also a traditional dish for Halloween. The interesting aspect of this dish is that the cook secretly hides a coin or a small charm inside the dish. If the diner finds the coin, they will experience good luck in the near future, much like the fortune cookies seen in movies.
When discovering a charm in colcannon, it is believed that the charm will determine part of the future for the finder. For instance, if one finds a ring, that person (especially women) will remain single for a while. However, this is just a playful activity for Halloween, providing a little surprise and a sense of tradition for food enthusiasts.
Legend has it that the way to dispel the charm is quite simple: just place colcannon in an oversized sock, like a Christmas stocking, and hang it by the door, and at that moment, the future husband will appear.
Barnbrack
Similar to colcannon, barnbrack also conceals a playful game that the cook mischievously incorporates into the dish. Barnbrack is like a regular sponge cake, with a flavor of raisins and a texture akin to muffins. However, the special feature of this cake is that a ring is hidden inside, and diners must wait until the end of the meal to see who finds it.
Traditionally, the ring is placed in the center of the cake, and whoever finds it is believed to get married by the end of the year. Nowadays, many lucky charms are substituted for the ring to avoid the implications of this game for younger individuals who are not ready for marriage.
Halloween is a beloved holiday not only for children but also for adults. It offers a chance to remember deceased loved ones, decorate homes in a spooky style, and experience surprising tricks through traditional foods.
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin lanterns are a symbol of Halloween, and soup made from this ingredient is a must-have dish during the end of October. Each region and country has its own recipes for soup, with the most common being pumpkin soup cooked with beef or lamb, diced pumpkin, and various vegetables, often finished with milk or cream.
Candy Apples
One of the traditions of Halloween is handing out candy to children. Therefore, candy becomes an essential treat during the spooky night, especially candy apples that are loved by kids. The apples are beautifully dipped in syrup or red sugar, making them both eye-catching and delicious.
Witch’s Finger Cookies
Witch’s finger cookies promise to be the highlight of your Halloween party. Anyone who sees these cookies will surely feel a mix of horror and curiosity about their taste. These cookies are fragrant with butter and crunchy from almonds, meant only for the brave. You will surely fall in love with this delicious treat, a must-try for Halloween.
Spooky Lemon Cakes
These lemon cakes are made from sponge cake mixed with lemon and then molded into ghost shapes, coated with white chocolate. Appealing and rich in Halloween spirit, these spooky lemon cakes deserve a spot on your Halloween menu.
Witch’s Brew
The bubbling cauldrons of drink stimulate the curiosity of diners as they resemble a witch’s potion-making apparatus. This eerie drink is actually made from green grape juice, enhanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom to create a mysterious beverage. The impressive smoke effect is produced by dry ice placed in a large jar surrounding the cauldron. There you have a unique and striking Halloween dish.
