Paska (bread)
Encyclopedia
Paska is an Easter
bread
eaten in Eastern European countries including Poland
, Ukraine
and Slovakia
. It is also eaten in other countries with immigrant populations from Eastern Europe, including the US, Canada and the UK. Paska is made with butter, eggs, and sugar. An egg and water mixture is used as a glaze.
The Christian faithful in many Eastern Orthodox
countries eat this bread during Easter. Christian symbolism is associated with features of paska type breads. The inside of paska can be a swirl of yellow and white that is said to represent the risen Christ
in Christian faith, while the white represents the Holy Spirit
. A version is made with maraschino cherries added to symbolize royal jewels in honor of the resurrection of Jesus.
Paska is eaten with "hrudka", also called syrek, a bland sweet custard similar to cheese made from separated eggs and milk and beets mixed with horseradish (chren/hrin) and kielbasa
(in Polish) or kovbasa (in Ukrainian).
along with other Eastern European foods such as pirogi
and kielbasa
.
The American paska is made from a mixture of flour, cream, sugar, eggs, butter and yeast cakes. A cheese spread made from cottage cheese and egg yolks is sometimes spread on the slices. It is often frosted with a creamy white frosting (icing), decorated with rainbow sprinkles. White raisins used in parts of the U.S. are said to symbolize the "living bread coming down from heaven". The bread is traditionally eaten at Easter.
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
eaten in Eastern European countries including Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It is also eaten in other countries with immigrant populations from Eastern Europe, including the US, Canada and the UK. Paska is made with butter, eggs, and sugar. An egg and water mixture is used as a glaze.
The Christian faithful in many Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
countries eat this bread during Easter. Christian symbolism is associated with features of paska type breads. The inside of paska can be a swirl of yellow and white that is said to represent the risen Christ
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
in Christian faith, while the white represents the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. A version is made with maraschino cherries added to symbolize royal jewels in honor of the resurrection of Jesus.
Paska is eaten with "hrudka", also called syrek, a bland sweet custard similar to cheese made from separated eggs and milk and beets mixed with horseradish (chren/hrin) and kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
(in Polish) or kovbasa (in Ukrainian).
Paska in the USA
It is believed to have been brought to the United States by both the Mennonites and the Molokans, and is served in the MidwestMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
along with other Eastern European foods such as pirogi
Pierogi
Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough - first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions - traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit...
and kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
.
The American paska is made from a mixture of flour, cream, sugar, eggs, butter and yeast cakes. A cheese spread made from cottage cheese and egg yolks is sometimes spread on the slices. It is often frosted with a creamy white frosting (icing), decorated with rainbow sprinkles. White raisins used in parts of the U.S. are said to symbolize the "living bread coming down from heaven". The bread is traditionally eaten at Easter.