The dishes and desserts that we eat today at Easter have its origin in pagan customs that celebrate the awakening of nature and its divinities deities after the long period of winter, as well as religious, Jewish and Christian, ones. In Portugal , the gastronomy at Easter varies from region to region, but a tradition has become widespread: eating goat kid and lamb . Usually they are baked in the oven, but there are other regional habits, like stews, for example. The lamb, young and therefore considered purer animal, became associated with the celebration of the escape of the Jews from Egypt which , according to the Bible, Pharaoh only freed from slavery after a divine angel had killed the firstborn children of all the houses whose jambs had not been marked with the blood of that animal. The Jews not only signaled their homes, but ate the tender meat of the lamb, protecting themselves from the wrath of God. Later, for Christians and Catholics, the Easter lamb is used to end the austerity of Great Lent, during which they avoid eating meat, and to signal the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Religious beliefs aside, the truth is that the goat and lamb meats produced in our country have an excellent quality . With different flavor and characteristics, from the nutritional point of view they are equivalent options. It is time to try the recipes of our nutritionists Ana Pimenta Ribeiro , Dília Soares , Mónica Santos e Teresa São Marcos . Meet the nutrition team from Hospital da Luz network . The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
