„No Easter without Egg pecking!“

In addition to traditional Easter customs such as the consecration of food, the Easter fire or elaborately designed Easter eggs, Austria also offers culinary delicacies. Christian Merten tells us in an interview what Easter should not be without.

Mr. Merten, good food is usually a big deal at Easter. What do you serve at Easter in Austria? 

Christian Merten: „While the children are busy at Easter with their Easter nests filled with chocolate eggs, I am especially looking forward to a hearty Easter snack. One thing must not be missing in any case: sweet Easter pinze.“  

Why exactly is it your favourite dish at Easter?

Christian Merten: „Basically, I have to admit that I like to eat very diversely. The question of hearty and warm, something 'sweet' or a snack, is not always easy for me to answer. At Easter, the sweet Easter pinze is then combined with the hearty snack - the Easter snack, just always really good.“

What makes it typical for your region?

Christian Merten: „The recipe of the Easter pinze, with its origin in Friuli, has come to Austria in the middle of the 19th century and has become a pure Easter meal. In traditional Austria the Easter pinze is baked only in Easter time.“

When did you first eat your favorite Easter dish?

Christian Merten: „After the invitation of a good friend to the traditional Easter dinner, I had the good fortune to get to know and love the Easter pinze together with the Easter snack.“ 

Which ingredients of these are transported by your company within the EFN?  

Christian Merten: „We transport yeast, butter and milk.“

How do you celebrate Easter? What are the special traditions in your country?

Christian Merten: „For us, the Easter holidays are always very family-oriented. We meet with the whole family on Easter Sunday for a joint Easter breakfast and then let the day end comfortably. An Austrian tradition is the food consecration or meat consecration. The traditional meals are arranged in a basket and decorated for the consecration in the church. After the Easter mass begins in a cozy round the common meal ... “

Do you have an amusing Easter experience to share?

Christian Merten: „Actually, no Easter goes by without the corresponding 'egg pecking'. Two players each take a boiled Easter egg in their hands and bang the tops against each other. The player who breaks the other's egg wins. The challenge usually arises more often during the day, especially since an egg can survive more than one 'competition' ... “

Christian Merten's favorite recipe to recreate for your Easter:

Easter pinze (for 14 - 16 portions)

Preparation time:
40 min

Baking time:
40 min

Resting time:
1 h

Total time:
2 h 20 min

Difficulty:
easy

Ingredients:
500 g flour; bit more to work
1/2 cube yeast; 21 g
250 ml lukewarm milk
80 g sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 pinch nutmeg powder
1 pinch of anise powder
2 eggs
120 g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cream

Preparation:
Sift the flour into a bowl. Form a hollow in the middle and crumble the yeast into it. Stir in a little milk and 2 tablespoons sugar and let rise, covered, in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Then add the remaining sugar, salt, the rest of the milk, lemon zest, nutmeg, aniseed, the eggs and the butter in pieces and knead everything into a smooth dough that comes away from the edge of the bowl. If necessary, add a little more milk or flour. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C bottom and top heat.
To serve, place the Easter pinze on a large plate and decorate with Easter decorations.

The partners of the European Food Network offer a large range of services. Among other things, through temperature-controlled food logistics, groupage and part loads and value-added services, they ensure that the ingredients for your Easter dish are delivered safely and in time.

Information about the logistics services within the network can be found here ›