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Fruity pumpkin mousse
Halloween, the festival of ghouls and ghosts, is again becoming popular in Europe - together with long-standing traditions and delicious recipe ideas.
The history of the night when ghosts abound
The origins of Halloween can no longer be clearly traced. One common theory, however, is that the night when ghosts and magicians are afoot dates back to the Celtic New Year festival of "Samhain", and thus originates from Europe. The Celts used to celebrate the end of the bright half of the year on the night of 31 October, when according to their beliefs the boundary separating the dead from the living became blurred. The use of spells and magic was intended to appease or ward off evil spirits.
The large numbers of Irish immigrants took the custom of Halloween to the USA, where this festival was gradually adopted by other emigrants. In the course of time Halloween has developed into a colourful, scary festival for young and old. Today this celebration where people dress up and eat special treats is more popular in the USA than anywhere else. In recent years, however, Halloween has gradually become more popular in a number of European countries.
Pumpkin - a delight to carve out and eat
While the Irish used to scoop out turnips and place candles inside to ward off evil spirits, in America pumpkins were soon used for this ancient tradition (the so-called jack-o'-lantern). These not only looked better, but were also easier to prepare. Even today pumpkins with eerie, carved faces are placed in houses and gardens as decoration during the Halloween season. And such handicrafts are not only pleasing for the eye but also for the palate. The flesh that is scooped out may be used to conjure up some special autumnal treats. A tasty conclusion to a Halloween buffet for example is a "fruity pumpkin mousse". Gelatine lends this dessert a special mouth feeling. Although this natural protein is neutral in taste, it underlines the taste of the fresh ingredients. As gelatine melts at body temperature, the mousse literally melts in the mouth. Try it out for yourself:
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