Pesaha Appam is traditionally made and eaten on Maundy Thursday (Picture: Getty)

Maundy Thursday marks the day before Jesus’ crucifixion, when told his disciples that wine was now his blood and bread was his body.

The fifth day of Holy Week involves various rituals around the world, including the Queen giving out silver coins to pensioners in a cathedral.

And on the night of Maundy Thursday, something called Pesaha Appam is eaten in a specific part of the world.

But what is it? And how is it made?


Pesaha Appam is eaten on the Passover night by Christians in India (Picture: Getty)

Pesaha Appam is an unleavened Passover bread eaten by the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala in India, also known as the Nasrani.

It is eaten on the Passover night of Maundy Thursday, and the word Pesaha means Passover.



It is a pale, somewhat anemic-looking bread and the main ingredient is rice batter. No yeast is used in this instance, though usually it would be to make appam.

Coconut, garlic, onion, water and urad bean paste all tend to be used as ingredients as well.

It is served after dinner and dipped in syrupy palkurukku or Pesaha Pal, which are made of jaggery and coconut milk.

Traditionally, the head of the household breaks the appam, dips it and hands it to the other family members.

The bread is eaten together with a syrupy paste (Picture: Getty)

The bread comes from ancient Jewish tradition, and has been handed down through the Malabar Yehuden, aka the Malabar Jews of Kerala.

Some families have the custom of singing traditional Kerala Nasrani Christian songs on passover night.

The Nasrani people and the Cochin Jews, the oldest Jewish group in India, observe Pesaha Appam.

Appam itself is a staple food throughout India for people of all religions and is often served with an egg in the middle.

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