It’s the month of love and surprisingly (or not, depending on your romantic inclination) couples choose to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day more so than any other day in February. Historically this number also tends to be higher if that year’s Valentine’s Day happens to fall on a Friday – so watch out for marital madness this week!
As with most things, wedding catering differs around the world and while the wedding cake takes centre stage at most celebrations, there are some countries that offer a few more interesting traditional food choices and leading the way on the Halaal fish front is definitely Japan and Greece.
In Japan they serve a dish called Kazunoko – meant to symbolise fertility, it consists of herring roe which is dried, pickled and then served alongside different kinds of sushi.
In Greece a firm favourite is bread salad which is primarily a seafood salad – so why it’s called bread salad we’re not sure – but it’s typically fresh scallops, crab, calamari and mussels served on a bed of croutons or toasted sourdough bread.
In Italy its sugar-coated Jordan almonds in a variety of colours – the bittersweet taste is said to be a metaphor for life and the sugar coating is there to wish the newly married couple a sweeter journey ahead.
In Bulgaria the bridge and groom ‘break bread’ – the mother of the bride typically bakes the bread a few days before the wedding and at the reception, she hands it over to the couple who each take an end and pull it apart, legend has it that whoever gets the bigger end will be the boss in the marriage.
In Germany they serve Hochzeitssuppe which translated means ‘wedding soup’ – it’s a simple, but high-quality soup with newlyweds sharing a bowl to signify their unity going forward.
In Bermuda, they have special cedar sapling cake toppers – the bride and groom each have their own wedding cake designed to symbolise their contribution to the marriage and on top of each is a cedar sapling which the newlyweds plant in their garden to signify growth and love.
While more traditional wedding cakes are the norm in most cultures, the country that elevates it to an artform must be the French with their croquembouche – a tower of delicious little profiteroles filled with crème patisserie and kept in place with wisps of caramel!
But the good news is you don’t have to be getting married to enjoy any of these dishes! So, whether you choose sweet treats or Halaal fish we wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day on Friday – and always remember that if you want the best in not just wholesale meat, but also in pastries and donuts, you can give us a call any day of the year!
Source: Wedding Food Traditions
