Seasons and holidays

Easter foods around the world

Easter tables feature sweet breads, lamb, eggs and pastries, many of which mark the end of Lent. Each region has its own traditional loaf or cake.

Hot cross bun
United Kingdom
A spiced bun marked with a cross that marks the end of Lent in Britain.
A hot cross bun is a spiced bun, usually containing small pieces of raisins and marked with a cross on the top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Hot Cross Bun Day is the 11th of September.
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Simnel cake
United Kingdom
A fruitcake with marzipan, associated with Lent and Easter in the United Kingdom.
Simnel cake is a fruitcake associated with Lent and Easter and widely eaten in the United Kingdom, Ireland and countries with patterns of migration from them.
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Kulich
Russia
The Russian Easter bread, tall and round with a glazed top.
Kulich is the Russian name for Easter bread. For the eastern Slavs, festive bread is round and tall, and dough decorations are made on top of it. The cylindrical shape of the cake is associated with the church practice of baking artos.
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Paska
Belarus Moldova
A traditional Ukrainian Easter bread, also known across Eastern Europe.
Paska is a traditional Ukrainian Easter bread particularly spread in Central and Eastern European countries with cultural connections to the ancient Byzantine Empire, Eastern Orthodoxy or Eastern Catholicism.
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Colomba di Pasqua
Italy
The 'Easter dove' cake, the Italian Easter counterpart of panettone and pandoro.
Colomba pasquale or colomba di Pasqua (lit. 'Easter dove') is an Italian traditional Easter bread, the Easter counterpart of the two well-known Italian Christmas desserts, panettone and pandoro.
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Pastiera
Italy
A Neapolitan wheat berry and ricotta tart usually eaten at Easter.
Pastiera or pastiera napoletana is a type of Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs and ricotta cheese, and flavored with orange flower water. It is usually eaten at Easter.
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Mazurek
Poland
A very sweet flat cake baked in Poland for Easter.
Mazurek (plural: mazurki) is a very sweet, flat cake baked in Poland for Easter. In common with simnel cake, it is closely associated with Easter and eaten after the Christian festival of Lent.
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Tsoureki
Armenia Greece
A braided sweet holiday bread, in Greece baked for Easter with red-dyed eggs.
Tsoureki, also known as bsatir, čʿorek, or katʿnahuncʿ ; çyrek (Albanian); kozunak ; cozonac (Romanian); paskalya çöreği (Turkish); or šurēk, is a sweet holiday bread made with flour, milk, butter, eggs, and sugar.
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Cozonac
Bulgaria Moldova
A sweet braided bread common in Southeastern Europe, baked for holidays such as Easter.
Cozonac or Kozunak is both a sweet bread and a sweet yeast dough that can be used to make different traditional holiday breads and cakes. Often mixed with raisins or nuts, it can be baked as a loaf or rolled out with fillings like poppy seed or walnuts.
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Babka
Belarus Poland
A sweet yeast cake from Poland and Eastern Europe, tied to the Easter bread tradition.
In many European countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holidays.
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Folar
Portugal
A Portuguese Easter bread, often baked with eggs or meats.
Folar or folar de Páscoa is a traditional Portuguese bread served at Easter. The recipe varies from region to region and it may be sweet or savory.
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Hornazo
Spain
A meat- and egg-filled pastry eaten around Easter in Spain, notably in Salamanca.
Hornazo is a Spanish meat pie eaten in the provinces of Salamanca and Ávila. It is made with flour and yeast and stuffed with pork loin, spicy chorizo, and hard-boiled eggs.
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Fanesca
Ecuador
A rich Ecuadorian soup of grains and beans, eaten during Holy Week.
Fanesca is a soup traditionally prepared only on Good Friday and is eaten by households and communities in Ecuador. This dish is an Ecuadorian tradition that is prepared to give thanks to God for the food provided and blessings.
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Capirotada
Mexico
A Mexican bread pudding traditionally eaten during Lent and Holy Week.
Capirotada or Capilotade, also known as Capirotada de vigilia, is a traditional Mexican food similar to a bread pudding that is usually eaten during the Lenten period. It is one of the dishes served on Good Friday.
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