Delicious Halloween Specialties

Like other holidays, during Halloween, people often indulge in some signature dishes that hold special meaning for this occasion. Let's explore these dishes and their significance!

As October draws to a close, the atmosphere of Halloween begins to rise in some countries. Halloween is a festival inspired by the harvest season and the celebration of souls. It starts from the evening until midnight on the last day of October. During this festival, children and teenagers often dress up in costumes, go door-to-door asking for candy, and offering blessings.

According to tradition, children often carry lanterns made from carved pumpkin shells with smiling faces and ask the question 'trick or treat?'. The festive gatherings on Halloween night often revolve around themes such as life's fortunes, stories of ghosts and witches,... And of course, black cats are symbolic of this day.

Soul Cakes

These cakes are randomly sent to strangers' homes. The simplicity of the cake symbolizes souls, hoping for prayers for the departed loved ones from the cake recipients. For a household, receiving more cakes equates to more prayers.

Soul cakes taste like ordinary gingerbread cookies, often with added dried grapes, arranged in a cross shape. These cakes have a special flavor, allowing children to fully enjoy them after consuming the candies they've collected while trick-or-treating. That's why kids often choose it as their last snack on Halloween day!

Boxty Pancakes

Boxty is a type of potato pancake from Ireland, one of the 3 main dishes on Halloween. This cake consists of mashed potatoes, diced potatoes, and grated potatoes. With such a blend, this dish looks extremely appealing while still maintaining the traditional taste of an authentic pancake.

“Boxty on the griddle
Boxty on the pan
If you can't make Boxty
You'll never get your man”

Colcannon

Colcannon is also a traditional Halloween dish. What makes this dish particularly interesting is that the cook secretly hides a coin or a small charm inside it. If the eater finds that coin, they will encounter many lucky things in the future, similar to the fortune cookies we often see in movies.

Legend has it that dispelling that curse is quite simple, just put Colcannon in an oversized stocking like the ones used on Christmas Eve and hang it in front of the door, and at that moment, your future husband will appear! Now Colcannon becomes adorable, doesn't it!

Barnbrack

Similar to Colcannon, Barnbrack cake also hides a playful game that the mischievous cook mixes into its spiritual offspring. Barnbrack is like a regular sponge cake, with a taste of grapes and dry like a muffin. But the special thing about this cake is that it hides a ring inside, and the eater has to wait until the end of the meal to see who the owner of that ring is.

Halloween is a popular holiday not only for children but also for adults. They have the opportunity to remember deceased loved ones, decorate their homes in a spooky style, and experience unexpected pranks in traditional dishes.

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Source: Travel handbook Mytour – According to Dulichvietnam