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The Dark Side Of Easter: Foods Named For Judas Offer Taste Of Treachery

Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, is the archvillain of Easter week (though he has his defenders). He also has an intriguing range of food and drink named after him — from cake to bread to beer.
Peter Stanford poses with his book <em>Judas: The Most Hated Name in History</em> and two bottles of Judas, a Belgian beer that looks pale but is treacherously strong.

Easter is associated with currant-studded hot-cross buns and chocolatey eggs – foods that symbolize rebirth and renewal. But what about Judas cake? Or Judas beer? Or Judas bread?

Judas Iscariot, the archvillain of Christianity who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, has an intriguing range of food and drink named after him – some traditionally consumed in the days leading up to Easter.

Some of Judas' namesake foodstuffs, like the Judas fig, were so christened thanks to dark medieval depictions, while others, like the fiery and the ultrastrong Judas ale, have more playful contemporary roots. What binds them, though, is their association with blood and death and

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