Hot cross buns why

My next-door neighbour Al — a peerless amateur baker — was vexed when I told him I was researching the history of hot cross buns. Flicking through the photos on his phone he showed me a close-up of a pack of chocolate-chip buns with icing crosses.

I squinted into his phone and the cause of his outrage appeared in tiny typed print: "Expiry date: 3 January ". What is it that sparks our moral indignation each year when supermarkets dare to play with the recipes of our beloved Easter treats and deliver them to us in untimely fashion?

Many of us are happy to eat berries in winter or root vegetables in summer. But a hot cross bun studded with chocolate and Belgian toffee, or infused with orange peel or mocha, then served out of season has us photographing the evidence like investigators at a crime scene.

Apple and cinnamon hot cross buns Photo: William Meppem. The sanctity of hot cross buns , it seems, is bound up in our childhood memories: the innocent scent of yeasty, raisin-studded buns warming in the oven, redolent of butter, allspice and the languor of Easter holidays and long Easter lunches. Hot cross buns would arrive in our kitchen a week or two before Easter and vanish immediately after. They appeared like mysterious relics of a sepia-tinted past when profits would cede to ritual; when the market would give way to magic.

Even as a child I appreciated their significance — the capacity for bread to connect palates across centuries. And they came with a rhyme that sounded positively Dickensian: "Hot cross buns. Hot cross buns.

Credit: Alamy Stock Photo. Curious Questions. Curious Questions: Where do conference pears get their name? Curious Questions: Who compiled the first crossword? Come early spring, and in particular the week of Easter Sunday, searches for classic hot cross bun recipes begin to rise. Chances are you've seen the traditional Easter bread recipe in bakeries or on the table as part of the holiday brunch.

I spoke with experts to learn about the history of hot cross buns and how they came to be an Easter tradition. Similar to many other yeast breads , the process of making hot cross buns begins with preparing the dough. The history of hot cross buns is a bit fuzzy, but they likely date back to the Middle Ages when it was a cultural institution to share sweet sacrifices with the gods. Many believe that monks first developed hot cross buns in the s, then distributed them to feed the poor.

Superstitions related to that magic have become English folklore. Due to the blessed cross on top, hot cross buns hung in the kitchen are supposed to protect from evil spirits. They're also said to prevent kitchen fires from breaking out, and ensure that all breads baked that year will turn out perfectly delicious. Likewise, taking hot cross buns on a voyage at sea endows the boat with some protection from shipwreck, according to legend.

Those who share a hot cross bun are supposed to enjoy a strong friendship and bond for the next year. A line from an old rhyme captures this lore, says Irish Central: "Half for you and half for me, between us two, good luck shall be. In , Queen Elizabeth I decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials.