April in the Czech kitchen: Asparagus, sweets and lamb
In nature, in the woods and in the fields
In April, nature comes to life. The forest smells of pine needles and the first flowers appear in the meadows and trees. More flocks of migratory birds return to our landscapes and the first chicks are born. The woods are filled with woodpeckers, duckweed, chickweed and sorrel. We asked professional forager Juraj Macúch what to collect in the woods in April.
Which ingredients to enjoy?
Among the evergreens in the kitchens in April are white and green asparagus and wild herbs, from bear's garlic and dandelion, to daisies, comfrey and nettles. Farmers also harvest spring vegetables such as radishes, kohlrabi, chicory and the first carrots and parsley,but at the markets you will also find leeks, spinach, chard, rhubarb and potatoes. At home you can grow cress, pea and lentil sprouts or mung beans.
Not only thanks to Easter, but especially as a symbol of the resurrection of nature and the more abundant laying of chickens, egg dishes appear on menus, alongside lamb.
Before you embark on seasonal cooking, we recommend reading and recipes:
- Lamb in several ways
- Seasonal herbs and their uses
- How to collect and store herbs?
- Meat and herbs - how to combine them correctly?
- Easter stuffing according to chefs
- Herb of the week: nettle
- Tips for using herbs from a professional forager
- Grilled asparagus with brown butter
- How Czech asparagus grows
Traditions and folk customs
Maundy Thursday marks the end of Lent, and sweet pastries are regularly served for breakfast, roast lamb is brought as a gift and the first peas were historically sown on this day. In Slovakia, on Maundy Thursday, the so-called pěry are made, taking shape as pockets of noodle dough filled with plum puree.
On Good Friday, which in Christian culture commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, many fast, also marking the end of the Lenten season.
On White Saturday our ancestors baked mazanec, a sweet round cake, which they would bring to church on Easter Sunday to be blessed by the priest. Easter stuffing is also prepared on Saturday - the green herbs that go into it symbolise the beginning of spring.
Besides mazanec, the so-called plecovník was brought to church. This is bread in which a piece of smoked meat, ideally a shoulder, is baked. It is from this raw ingredient that the name of the ceremonial meal derives, which has its tradition in Opava, Hlučín and Frýdek regions.
When and how did the tradition of the Easter lamb originate?
According to biblical sources, it is clear that Jesus was dying on the cross at the very moment when young lambs were being killed for meat in Jerusalem's holiest site. For Christians, the sacrificial lamb is Jesus himself, whom they commemorate with sweet pastries.
In the regional cuisines of our territory, we also find hnětky (Easter cakes), kraple or fried "roses" (fried sweet or savoury shortbread in the shape of a flower), tuplák (pastry made of yeast dough spread with fat, gingerbread and curd cheese) or křehotiny (fried Easter sweets).
For more April cooking ideas and information on local ingredients, see our seasonal selection.
Source: UM, Czech Radio
