Chef lionel Villaron shares how chocolatiers make Easter a special day in France
Easter Sunday, for my family and for most Christians in France, is a time to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection that happened some 2,000 years ago. People attend special church services, eat a festive meal and search for Easter eggs. In France, offering eggs as Easter gifts began in the fourth century AD. Church law dictated that Christians must abstain from eating meat or eggs during the 40 days of fasting that preceded Easter. On Easter Sunday, surplus eggs from hens that continued laying during the period were used to make an omelette. legend has it that if on Easter Day, the first thing eaten was an egg that had been laid on Good Friday, you would be protected from illness until the following Easter. Easter is called “Pâques” in France and interestingly the season begins several weeks before Easter. It is an important holiday especially to children who love receiving gifts of colourfully decorated eggs. Bells and fish are important in French Easter traditions with chocolate fish being sold in most shops.
In my home region in France, Marseilles, Easter is all about weekend celebrations. like in many countries, French children have Easter egg hunts on Easter Sunday morning. Eggs are usually chocolate ones and not hard-boiled as in some other countries, although the French also play games with raw eggs. A few Easter games still exist, such as competitions of throwing and catching eggs and seeing who can toss and catch an egg the longest without breaking it.
Another game with raw eggs stems from the Catholic tradition in France. In this game, children take a raw egg and roll them down a hill (simulating the stone rolling from Jesus’ tomb). In this symbolic game, the child whose egg travels the farthest without a break, is declared as the winner.
French chocolatiers also have a long-standing tradition of creating ornamental chocolate eggs that are given as gifts. These eggs, like most products from French chocolatiers and pastry chefs, are often patiently shaped and decorated beautifully to eat. In addition to the sweets, French families often make special meals on Easter Sunday. As with all special French meals, Easter meal consists of several courses, is accompanied by wine and is finished with a cheese plate and dessert.
There is a tradition of serving lamb as the main course. Other main courses would typically be a meat main course; for example, a ham or other choice cut of meat. lastly, Easter dinners are topped off with dessert like chocolate berry.
(The writer is l’Opéra’s executive chef)