Origin and symbolism of cakes
All of us enjoy a bit of cake on celebratory events like weddings and birthdays or even at home when we crave for a bit of sweet indulgence. Have you ever wondered how cakes came to be? The deep history of cake is highly rich in symbolisms and rituals from various countries and cultures, all coming forward to give shape to the cakes we eat today.
If food historians are to be believed, the first culture to give proof of baking interest and skills were the ancient Egyptians. These Egyptians were probably frustrated with the game meat and wished to try something new. They, however, were more inclined towards bread and in place of sugar; honey was what they used as a sweetening agent. The word cake comes from the Viking origin. It hails from the Norse word called “kaka”.
Cake symbolizes the value of the person you baked it for because in the old days, the ingredients like nuts, dried food and refined sugar were excessively costly. Although they aren’t as costly at present, the message still holds truth. Baking is a way to show you care for someone.
Cakes used to be a part of ancient rituals
Cakes had a major role to play in ancient beliefs and superstitions, few of which are carried on to modern age. In olden days, people would use cake as an offering to their respective gods and the spirit all over the world. Chinese people celebrate Harvest Moon festival in which they honour moon cakes to their Moon Goddess. Even today, this tradition is practiced. Russians, on the other hand, have sun cakes, which are called “blini”. These are thin pancakes, which are made to pay respect to a deity known as “Maslenitsa.” Ancient Egyptians rolled lots of cakes down a hill in the Beltane festival, which would be held on the first day of spring, for imitating solar movement. Such a rich history and association of humans with cakes, it is not a wonder that they are such an important part of our lives.
Why are cakes round?
Although nowadays we have a large variety of shapes, starting from heart-shaped to animals, cartoon characters, castles and lots more, but if you are particularly inclined, a cake is traditionally round. You might go deep after reading this but round cakes symbolize the cyclical nature of life. The round shape of the sun and the moon is probably the reason we have cakes during grand events; focusing that we are about to embark on a new journey in our lives.
Also, ancient breads were round in shape, typically cut into round balls, further baked in shallow pans. Later in the 17th century, hoops made out of metal or wood came into use increasingly for baking.
So the cake that you are so fond of, the cake which is a part of all your celebrations, the cake which you send across through cake delivery online was just not born out of nowhere!
