Pasha

Of all foods, pasha was the first dessert I made by myself as a teenager. I still remember the excitement in all stages of preparing it: beating the butter and sugar; adding vanilla, roasted almonds and dry fruits; whipping the cream; layering a cheese cloth over a mould and, finally, anticipating how it will look and taste after having drained overnight. I had never eaten pasha before. It was an opulent and exotic choice of recipe. I don’t know where I got the idea of making it. All that cream and butter! It was a loud contrast to what we usually ate on holidays.

Pasha is a dish made in the Eastern Orthodox tradition after the fast of Great Lent. It is blessed by the priest after the Paschal Vigil, a service that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. A similar manner of sanctifying food is found in all spiritual cultures. When pasha migrated to the Finnish Easter menu from Russia, it lost the religious significance. Most of the Finns are Protestants.

Originally Pasha is shaped as a truncated pyramid in a beautifully carved wooden mould. It is decorated with the Cyrillic letters XB that stand for the Slavonic form of greeting “Christ is Risen!” The whiteness of curd, cream and butter symbolizes the purity of Jesus. Pasha is topped with a red candle that reminds of the illuminating light, as well as, the blood that was shed for our sins.

I forgot to add fresh cheese to the pasha! As a result, it didn’t hold the form. To hide the mistake, I served it in lemon cups. It added freshness. Even without curd it was rich. As I had run out of vanilla, I flavoured it with anise, fennel and cardamom.

In the Easter spirit of purification and gratitude, I would like to thank you for submitting Pure Vegetarian by Lakshmi to the annual Awards of The Saveur Magazine. By the mystic ways of providence, it made as a finalist out of 40 000 nominations. For such a new and small blog it is an encouragement. I value the sincerity of motive and presence of mind in everything I do. Although I’m satisfied with the reward of happiness and inner joy that follows any activity done in a proper consciousness, I’m reassured by the professional acknowledgment in this situation.

The other finalists in the category of Best Special Diets Blog are:

My Darling Lemon Thyme

Nom Nom Paleo

Roost

Sodium Girl

Tartelette

Please visit the wonderful blogs and support by voting the one that inspires you. You can access the category directly by clicking The Saveur badge below.

AN UPDATE: The award goes to Nom Nom Paleo this year. Congratulations!

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