SCRIPT: Baked Easter Goodies [April 16, 2019]

Published: 
Listen to this article

How much do you know about Easter and the Easter treats?

John Millen |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Colombian tourist spot may be a metre underwater by the end of the century

Hong Kong wild boar population declines as authorities scale up culling

80% of Hong Kong’s dining industry not prepared for ban on single-use plastics

Breaking takes the stage in Hong Kong during ‘Under the Lion’s Rock’ competition

UN World Food Program director rings the alarm about food shortage in Haiti

Voice: Easter is celebrated in many countries with special food that is only eaten at this time of year. Today, we are with James Wong, the head pastry chef of the extremely popular “The Rolling Scones” cafe in Sheung Wan. Check out at the long queue of people waiting outside! Hi James! Business must be really good! Are you always this busy?

James: Yes, and Easter and the weeks before are very hectic for us as we usually have our Easter specials during this period.

Voice: Oh wow! What’s in the menu?   

James: We serve seven different Easter cakes or breads from around the world. 

Voice: What is the bestseller amongst your Easter eats?

James: Our bestseller is the hot cross bun from the UK.  In fact, most of our Easter specialties are based on the religious aspects of Easter – the time of year when Christians remember the death of Jesus on the cross.  A hot-cross is a sweet, spiced bread bun with currents and raisins in the bread mix. There is a cross marked on the top to signify Jesus’ crucifixion.

Voice: Hot cross buns are my favourite and they are absolutely delicious when toasted. What else have you got?

James: Another top-selling Easter treat from the UK is the simnel
cake. This is a fruit cake topped with a layer of toasted almond paste and 12 almond paste balls, representing the 12 apostles.  At “The Rolling Scones”, you can choose to buy the cake whole or in slices.

Voice: Oh wow! I’ve never tried a simnel cake, and this is not commonly found in Hong Kong. Can I get a slice later?

James: Sure! Our third sweet treat just came out of the oven. This dove-shaped cake is called Colomba di Pasqua, and originates from Italy. The word “Colomba” means dove and “Pasqua” means Easter. This flat cake is very similar to panettone, which is also from Italy. But unlike the panettone which is stuffed with both candied fruits and raisins, there are no raisins in a traditional Colomba di Pasqua and the cake is covered with almonds and sugar.

Voice: This looks delicious!

James: Let’s move on to Spain for Easter treat number four.  These rosquillas are really popular with those who have a sweet tooth.  Our version is a doughnut shaped cakes dusted with icing sugar. They may look like doughnuts but you’ll taste the difference when you bite into one.

Voice: I prefer savoury treats but these look really special! Speaking of which, are those vegetable pies? Are they also part of the Easter specialties?

James: They sure are! The next Easter treat brings us across the Atlantic Ocean. We go to Argentina where torta pascualina is eaten at Easter. These savoury pies are filled with cheese, hard boiled eggs, spinach, artichokes and parsley. The eggs symbolise Easter Sunday when Christ rose from the dead.

Voice: This is a very unique dish. I think it makes an excellent lunch or supper at any time of the year!

James: Most certainly. And here’s our sixth Easter treat.  This one comes from Poland, and it’s called babka. It’s a round sponge cake with a hole in the centre. There are a few versions of this cake, and ours contain cinnamon and chocolate. The cake is also topped with a crumbly streusel topping, so you get both taste and texture in the same bite!

Voice: Yums! I don’t mind having this for breakfast every day!

James: Definitely! Last but not least, my favourite treat on our Easter menu. The colourful Sicilian Easter bread is from the island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Also known as bread rings, The Rolling Scones’ version is based on my grandma’s secret recipe, and rose oil, orange and lemon peels are added to the dough. We have also tweaked it slightly to suit the local’s tastes.

Voice: I can’t take my eyes off the rows of painted eggs nestled inside the bread rings. It really is a visual treat! Thanks, James! Alright! We’ve come to the end of today’s feature on Easter treats. Thanks for watching! Please click on the link below to subscribe to our channel.  

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment