Pascha food - anybody is familiar with?

[Jaga]

In the website which I found a link earlier:
kuchnia.gazeta.pl/kuchnia/2078115,63386.html

there are many recipes for paschas. I am not especially familiar with paschas. It is a vegetarian dish, maybe a bit similar to custards. Is anybody familiar with this type of food?




is it also called PASCHA in English?

[Jaga]

OK, I think I know why I am not very familair with pascha. Pascha is taken to Polish cuisine from Orthodox tradition. My mother's tradition is rather Western Poland/Germany - not Eastern Poland.

Here you can read more about pascha:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascha_(kuchnia)

pascha is done usually once a year, during Easter and it consists mainly of milk and eggs

[rdywenur]

Jaga Isn't this of Russian origin.

[nancy]

I have heard the terms "Paschal candle" and "paschal lamb" - in both cases, the word "paschal" means "Easter." Google provides some interesting links.

[nancy]

www.thisischurch.com/images/paschacandle.gif

[kaima]

You are right, Jaga, but to be a bit closer I would say Pashal is "Eastern Rite", a term that includes botht eh Orthodox and they Greek Catholic / Byzantine, the latter of which is one of the Rites that recognizes the Pope as leader.

Basically the Western Church bases a lot of their terms on Latin, while the Eastern Rites have a lot of Greek terminology, along with teh Old Church Slavonic.

Pretty soon tehy will say Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!

Czech it out at
www.iarelative.com/easter/index.html

As you know, Rusyn are simply Southern Lemko.

Kai the Rusyn

[Jaga]

Kai,

I have some white cheese and eggs so I may try to do some pascha. Any recipes you recommend since this is a tradition from your region of the world?

[rdywenur]

Jaga, I found this recipe when I was looking up info in Google about pascha. Interesting thing is the name of the person just maybe someone that is either related to or married to the person that wrote this recipe. I grew up with three Russian boys when I was young. They lived in the same building as I did. If that is the case then this will be a great recipe. Their mom was a really good cook especially a baker.


www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=50

[Jaga]

Chris,

I like the recipes, it seems so easy. But, why do you think I am elderly?

[rdywenur]

Jaga,

You lost me on this one. Where did you get the impression I think you are elderly??

[Jaga]

Ha ha,

Chris,

look there:
www.oca.org/RHArticle.asp?SID=15&ArticleID=50

the headline reads:

Easter Treats for the Elderly

[Kai]

Hi Jaga -
Yes, this is all from my neighborhood in Europe, but you were right there as well. I was raised Roman C., so I didn't learn about any of the Eastern Rite until I was 18 & older. Some of the foods and traditions are familiar from childhood, some are newer and learned in adulthood. It is a wonderful way to celebrate Easter in any case!

I have no family recepies to offer, but there is a reputable link at
www.carpatho-rusyn.org/recipes.htm

and I am looking for the illustration where they show how to assemble your Easter basket for blessing on Easter Saturday. Just a few years ago I passed on my grandmother's hand-embroidered Easter cloth to one of the nieces. That is the cloth they used to cover the basket when it was taken to church for the blessing.

Here is a bit on Easter symbols for Pysanky.
www.carpatho-rusyn.org/customs/gcupisan.htm

Well, I cannot find an internet illustration adn have to get some sleep for work tomorrow, so I will just relate the list of items that go into the basket:
salt
pascha
sausage (klobassa)
horseradish
butter
Easter caldle
ham
eggs
cheese
bacon

I believe those were all items that were supposed to be given up during Lent.

Kai
now to dream about Easter (foods) past !

ahhh... it is late and methinks I am tired. While I was typing the computer located an illustration ... and I may have wiped out my cookies that kept me signed in to the Site!

[Jaga]

Kai,

you did a great job with the Easter basket and a beautiful picture! How is it that you were Roman Catholic and Rusyn? It almost seems natural that the division between Rusyns and Poles or Slovaks was a religion or maybe I am wrong?

[kaima]

Yes Jaga, most Rusyns are of the eastern Rite, either Byzantine (Uniat/Greek Catholic) or Orthodox. My mother's side of the family comes from southern Slovakia and were Slovak Greek Catholic originally, though I only knew my grandmother as Roman, as well as all the cousins - to include two nuns, a rumored cloistered third, and a priest as well - all Roman.

When my dad returned to America he was Greek Catholic, but since we lived in mixed American neighborhoods, all we knew was Roman. I did not meet the Orthodox side of the family until I was 18.

Religious identity seems quite important to some. We had one cousin who was well known as a good communist who turned out to be a good (secret) Orthodox after communism fell, and eventually discovered the Greek Catholic / Byzantine true roots. Now that side may have been Rusyn back in 1800, but they have been thoroughly assimilated and are SLOVAK not Rusyn!!!

We have another Orhtodox cousin who was extrememly unhappy with me when I reported our common ancestors were all Byzantine - heretic to him.

I am at peace being on the heathen side of the family.

Kai the True Believer