Not quite Easter Eggs

I have seen no Hot Cross Buns this year aside from those on Facebook posted by Stentons Bakery. Having eaten their hot cross buns more times than I can count (ok, slight exaggeration, it should be more times than I can remember), if you haven’t had any already, you have missed out for this year and should add them to your Easter shopping list for next year. It’s on the Gold Coast in Australia so you may also need to book a holiday. It’s a great excuse. Their pies are also fantastic. Actually, everything is pretty good there – just go. Since you missed Easter, go for Christmas, they do fabulous Christmas mince pies and cakes too. Go any time really, everything is good. Non-sponsored and slightly biased ad is now over…

Now I really want a Hot Cross Bun.

Christianity didn’t make a big inroad into Japan so instead, we celebrate the Spring Equinox. No chocolate (Valentine’s Day was in February so the men had their fill then, White Day was on 14 March so the women got theirs) but we did have a public holiday last Monday to mark the occasion. Spring Equinox was Sunday so Monday was given as the extra day.

I’m not complaining.

Actually, I am. I really want a Hot Cross Bun.

With the butter dripping off the sides. And an espresso or a good tea. Only in the morning though as I don’t want to be up for half the night.

This is my first year where Christmas has finished and it hasn’t suddenly been Easter (or with Chinese New Year in the middle). Easter hasn’t existed at all. It is difficult to find any evidence of Easter at most grocery stores and in the shopping centres. There’s sometimes a packet of small eggs or small rabbits and that’s pretty much it. There were no wishes of Happy Easter as I left work on Friday.

What we have instead is sakura (cherry blossom) themed beers, foods, other beverages and decorations. Everywhere there is some sort of sakura decoration or food / drink thing. And plans for picnics. My work one is this coming Saturday.

This absence of Easter, even as a non-Christian, is a little weird. So much so, that I was at lunch today when my lunch buddy and I realised it was Easter Sunday and subsequently wished each other a Happy Easter. Clearly we hadn’t been on Facebook any earlier to see the usual Easter jokes, wishes etc.

There were no Hot Cross Buns at our lunch venue.

I had gone the entire weekend without eating meat so at least I’ve kept up a part of the tradition. It was by accident. Though I do have a leftover curry chicken in the fridge for dinner tonight… Meat free in Japan is fairly easy as long as fish is still alright. That said, not eating fish would also be fairly easy though it would make sushi a little less fun for me. I like fish.

Going without Hot Cross Buns is where I’m struggling.

I miss the smell of them toasting, the aromatic cloves filling my flat, the nutmeg, the cinnamon swirling together, squishy warm raisins on my tongue, the tang and slightly chewy texture of the dried peel, butter dripping down my fingers, saving the top for last as the glaze makes it slightly sweeter and I like to end on a high note, licking it from my fingers and lips.

I’ve missed Hot Cross Buns this year.

So to mark the start of the weekend (since Friday wasn’t a day off for me), I made a Toasted Croissant.

Not too shabby a compromise.

It’s still not a Hot Cross Bun.

* Thanks to the street criers of London who were yelling out this rhyme in around 1733. For more of the history to this traditional Easter poem, click here.