Halloween and Food

Do you have food traditions surrounding Halloween? The first one for me is colcannon. A mixture of mashed potatoes and cabbage served in the shape of a mound or hill.

The second is the barm brack. Yes there are two different ways of pronouncing and spelling the name. Barm Brack or Barn Brack. There are also two differnt types of brack one with yeat and one without. However all the bracks contained wrapped charms.

A brack without yeast.

Today with commercial bracks the charm consists of a ring a symbol of love. These baked in charms represented different as pects of life for the future.

However, it was not only bracks whihc contained the baked in charms. At christmas it was tradition to include baked in charms in the Chirstmas Pudding. In some countries there are baked in charms in Easter Cakes or Simnel cakes.

The baked in charms included a money coin to symbolise wealth. A button sybolised life as a single person. A stick symbolised poverty. A ring for love and marriage. A thimble sybolised having enough in life.

It is worth noting that the baked in charms represented different things depending on where one lived.

Apples and apple tarts are also a food associated with Halloween with the last apples form the orchards making the tarts. It was to symbloise comfort. Apples were used at Halloween parties long before trik or treats became so popular.

Of course I can’t forget biscuits which has become part of Halloween for me only in the last 5 years.

These ugly looking biscuits are ideal for Halloween night.

Then there are the dates.When I was growing up they were a food extravagance and if you were given half a date as a child you considered yourself lucky. A box of dates is a must for me.

Whatever your favourite Halloween food is I hope you enjoy it.