Today, I will tell a little story about the history of a tradition during Semana Santa in Peru.
This Semana Santa, I was in my new site, Masin! Semana Santa is the week before Easter where the Catholic Church celebrates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the Sunday before Easter, the whole town gets together to make a sweet treat known as, " la mazamorra". It is a traditional Peruvian sweet, purple pudding made from purple corn (maíz morado), fruit (pineapple, apple and quince), and spices like cinnamon and cloves. It is thickened with sweet potato starch or cornstarch, resulting in a thick, gelatinous, porridge-like texture usually served cold or warm. After this is made, the whole town gets together to eat it and celebrate Jesus!
The family who made the mazamorra and the family that will make it next year receive a large piece of bread known as the WaWa. It is a traditional sweet bread shaped like a baby, doll or animal, often decorated with colorful masks and sugary details.These breads are used in the Andean highlands as symbolic offerings to honor deceased loved ones.
