Wedding food used to most often reflect the culture of the couple getting married, and the symbolism was always involved with good fortune, happiness, fertility and prosperity.
These days the symbolism remains but culturally it’s more a case of “anything goes” – or rather, it’s whatever the couple like most in cuisine. Because of the mingling of worldwide cultures and the availability of varied and exotic foods, there is a great deal of choice when dipping into various cultures for inspiration. “Sweet and sticky” is very often a quality of wedding food!
Traditional wedding food from around the world
Wedding guests in Morocco are traditionally served dates and a glass of milk, which represent life’s sweetness and family nourishment respectively.
In the Philippines, they are given sticky rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves. This of course represents the binding together of two lives.
In Korea, long noodles are served to represent a long life together, and then sticky rice laced with pine nuts and chestnuts symbolise fertility and wisdom.
In Brazil, guests are served super-sweet cookies made with cooked condensed milk, again to emphasise the sweetness of the union.
In parts of Nigeria kola nuts are given out. These are high in caffeine, and chewed for energy and to ease hunger pangs. They are considered medicinal, so represent the couple’s ability to heal differences and bounce back from setbacks.
Sweet rice ball soup is served at Chinese weddings. This represents a sweet and smooth union, and traditionally the rice balls must be swallowed whole!
In England, cakes laced with fruit, nuts and marzipan are traditionally used, again for fertility and fortune.
Candy-coated almonds are a feature in Greek celebrations, as almonds have always been a symbol of feminine fertility.
Honey and yoghurt appear in many parts of India, representing purity and beauty.
Thai weddings feature foy thong, a dessert made from egg yolks and sugar syrup. It is rather difficult to make, which represents that marriage is a process which has to be worked on carefully.
And finally, in Japan, herring roe are served on a bed of rice, and point to fertility and abundance.
Tradition with a twist
These are just a small sampling of ideas. At KK Catering, we offer a large range of food units to cover just about any possibility. Do you want to serve something sweet on your wedding day? Then we offer crepe carts. Or if you wish to offer noodles which symbolise a long life together, we have Chinese and Pan Asian Noodle bars and carts. Contact us today for more information.
