Halloween is the Western tradition celebrated to honor the dead and to ward off evil spirits. It is said to have originated in Ireland where the ancient Samhain tradition started this ritual where people gather and light bonfires and dress up in costumes to keep the evils away. In modern times, Halloween has evolved too as the new generation dresses up in scary costumes, attends parties, and family get-togethers, and does lots of feasting. Here is the list of traditional Halloween treats that are savored all over the world. Let’s look into them one by one:
12 Traditional Halloween Treats From Across The World
1. Candy Apples
This recipe is made compulsorily in the United States where most people get it from the grocery but many traditional families still make the dish from scratch. The small-sized apples are boiled and dipped into a sugary bowl with food coloring agents to make them taste like candies. These candies are served at the dinner gathering on Halloween nights as desserts or snacks that taste lip-smackingly amazing.
2. Soul Cake
Baked on All Soul’s Day or Halloween, Soul cakes are made traditionally in European countries to commemorate the dead. These are little round-shaped biscuits made with pantry ingredients like eggs, flour, sugar, and some mixed spices. The flour is kneaded and mixed with raisins. A cross is made at the top of it and finally baked. Sprinkled with some powdered sugar, it is regarded as a perfect trick or treat.
3. Colcannon
The Irish mashed potatoes, Colcannon is a traditional dish of the Irish folks that contains kale and cabbage chopped and added to the boiled and mashed potatoes mixed with other ingredients like scallions and some fresh parsley. This is a must-have dish on the Halloween dinner table that families devour at such auspicious events.
4. Pan-de-Muerto
Pan-de-Muerto, Spanish for “bread of the dead” is a special Halloween dish that is sold and savored during the Halloween week. In Mexico, this traditional dish is compulsorily baked to offer to their loved ones who passed away as a gift offering for attaining their blessings and love. Made with flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, and some sprinkled sugar, it tastes absolutely delish.
5. Fiambre
This dish is known to be the ‘mother of all salads’ as it can be made in a variety of ways. Every Guatemalan family has its own recipe for making this mouth-watering salad dish. You can put as many vegetables and ingredients as per your choice to lift the flavors. Traditionally, there are some common ingredients that are added to it such as meat, cheese, pickles, and lots of veggies. This dish is made on the occasions such as Halloween and All Saints Day to celebrate it with families and friends.
6. Tanghulu
A North Chinese delight, these strawberry candies are considered to be the best to be offered as a “trick or treat” to the little scary costumed kids. These candies are made by using bamboo skewers to skew the strawberries and then they are put into sugary syrup for the hardened crunchy crust that it has. These taste equally fruity and sweet with a crunch on the outside making them a perfect treat for such occasions and the taste is just abso-fruitly yum!
7. Pão-de-Deus
Derived all the way from Portugal, this sweet bread is the traditional authentic bread made with dried coconut crusting and eggs. It is baked and flavored with rum, ‘vanilla, and the zest of lemon. This bread is called ‘bread for God’ as on occasions like All Saints Day and Halloween, the kids come out on the roads asking for sweets as a ritual they follow. The utterly smooth, sweet, and luscious taste of it is perfect for such occasions.
8. Dolci Dei Morti
Also known as Fave Dei Morti, in which ‘fave’ refers to ‘beans’ and ‘dei morti’ refers to ‘of the dead’. These Italian cookies are made to honor the dead on Halloween day which comes from ancient Rome when people believed that dead people were like black beans and during the funeral, those black beans were thrown on mourners to commemorate the dead. On every street in Italy, you’ll find these cookies made in almond four, eggs, and sugar with a great crust and exceptionally good taste.
9. Guagua De Pan
These are traditional Ecuadorian sweet bread or ‘Bread babies’ that are made to pay respect to the dead on Halloween day and to eliminate all the negative energies. These bread babies have different figures of a baby, dolls, or even animals, and each of these figures symbolizes the dead differently and honors them. This authentic festive dish is enjoyed in family gatherings with hot chocolate and coffee on the side.
10. BaramBrack
The very famous Irish bread cake, Baram Brack is eaten around the time of Halloween and is immensely enjoyed by families and friends. There is also a tradition followed in which an item is put inside each bread slice, and whoever gets that slice is considered to be fortunate and taken as a sign of good luck. Less than a Christmas cake, it has a buttery smooth, fudgy texture with raisins and nuts inside of it that is just too yummy to skip.
11. Huesos de Santo
Huesos de Santo or “saint’s bones” is a weird name it has got but has a great meaning which the Spanish people believe. On All Saints Day of 1st November, families get together and visit the graveyard to pay respect to the dead. On this occasion, these white bones-like rolls are made with yellow filling made with beaten eggs and sugar. The outer white roll is made with almond flour and sugar imbibed into it which makes it delicious and a perfect sweetmeat.
12. Bonfire Toffees
Made with Treacle or Molasses, these toffees are specially made on Halloween day which is popularly called Bonfire Night in the UK. People in the UK wear scary costumes and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits and negative vibes. They sing, chant, and dance and eat these crunchy delicious toffees.
Read also – 14 Best Gluten-Free Dishes To Try Out in Italy
