12 Fascinating Easter Food Traditions Around The Globe

For many, the Easter weekend is a time for enjoying lovingly made meals and sweet treats with friends and family, though the exact food choices will differ somewhat depending on who you speak to. Much like with Thanksgiving and Christmas, everyone seems to have their own specific traditions. And, if you zoom out even further, you'll discover that Easter feasts around the world come in a variety of different forms.

In the United States, a roasted meat centerpiece, such as glazed ham or slow-cooked lamb, is an ever-popular option for the Easter Sunday meal. Pair this with roasted or mashed potatoes and a medley of tender veggies, and you've got a pretty epic spread to share with loved ones. For dessert, a decadent cake might be your go-to, perhaps decorated with spring-like pastel colors. Then, of course, we have eggs — deemed the Christian symbol of new life and rebirth. Some might prefer to enjoy these in the form of savory, bite-sized deviled eggs. Or, maybe chocolate eggs are a non-negotiable.

In other parts of the world, however, things can look very different. From hearty pies and warming soups to traditional breads and fruity desserts, Easter is celebrated with an array of delicious dishes from country to country. So, let's open our minds and explore some of the fascinating Easter food traditions from all corners of the world. You might even feel inspired to switch up this year's menu!

Dating back to the early 18th century, the hot cross bun has long been enjoyed as an Easter treat in England. These soft, spiced buns feature a distinct cross marking, representing the crucifixion of Christ. They were once sold on the streets of London, early on the morning of Good Friday, picked up by passers-by to eat for breakfast before attending church. Today, hot cross buns feature in just about every British supermarket at Easter time, with many opting to bake their own at home too.

Hot cross buns are made from a yeasted dough, prepared with milk, butter, strong bread flour, salt, sugar, and egg. The dough is kneaded, left to prove, then combined with dried fruits and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Next, we shape the dough into individual buns. After a final prove, the cross marking can be added. This was traditionally scored into the dough, but today it's typically created with a layer of flour paste piped neatly onto each bun. Then, simply bake the hot cross buns until the tops are a glorious golden brown. They're fantastic served halved and toasted with a smear of salted butter, a dollop of fruity jam, or even spread with some warm Nutella.

In Russia, a colorful, show-stopping dessert takes center stage on the Easter table. Symbolizing the tomb of Jesus Christ, the pyramid-shaped pashka is a creamy, cheesecake-esque dessert decorated with candied fruits. The dessert is often marked with a cross shape, or the initials "XB," which translates to "Christ has risen" in ancient Celtic language.

Most pashka recipes feature farmer cheese (aka tvorog), though this is sometimes substituted for cottage cheese, curd cheese, or cream cheese. Your chosen cheese should first be strained through a sieve. Then, you'll whisk egg yolks with sugar until fluffy before mixing in the strained cheese and butter, plus any flavorings of your choice. Nutmeg, citrus peel, and vanilla are popular choices, while some variations feature flaked almonds, sultanas, and even chopped chocolate. Then, gradually stir in heavy cream and transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth-lined pashka mold. The mold will typically have a small drainage hole in the bottom, so set it over a bowl and weigh down the top with a heavy plate to help squeeze any excess moisture out. 

After chilling the pashka in the fridge overnight, gently flip it onto a plate, remove the mold and cheesecloth, and reveal the perfectly formed dessert beneath. Now, you can decorate it as you please, adding colorful candied fruits around the base and up the sides or in any pattern you fancy.

Mämmi is a rich, pudding-like dessert from Finland that's made with rye and often sweetened with molasses. There are many variations of this dish, with some featuring beer or apple juice and others incorporating raisins or dried cranberries. Orange zest does appear to be a pretty universal add-in, though, giving the pudding plenty of fragrant citrus flavor. Mämmi hasn't always been enjoyed in such a sweet and appetizing form, however. Its origins can be found in the centuries-old Finnish practice of combining just two ingredients (malted rye and water) into an unsweetened pudding that could provide sustenance during Lent — a time when consuming sweet treats was prohibited. Today, the pudding has, thankfully, evolved somewhat.

To make a simple mämmi pudding, start by stirring both malted rye and rye flour into a saucepan of boiling water, then leave everything to sit for up to an hour. This helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the malted rye. Next, add more boiling water, malted rye, and flour, along with molasses, orange zest, salt, and any other add-ins of your choice. Stir the mixture well, and cook it for 10 minutes on a low simmer. Now, you can transfer it to a rectangular baking pan and pop it in the oven, where it'll slowly develop a crust over the next two to three hours. The pudding is traditionally served cold with heavy cream and a sprinkling of sugar, so make sure to refrigerate it after baking.

Easter in Mexico comes with many food traditions, from spicy chiles rellenos to bacalao — a dish made with dried, salted cod. And, when it comes to dessert, there's a stand-out favorite. Capirotada certainly bears resemblance to a classic bread pudding, but this Mexican version includes an unlikely ingredient — cheese. Often eaten during Lent, capirotada is thought to hold religious symbolism, with specific ingredients representing different elements of Christ's sacrifice. For example, the bread is the body of Christ, with the sweet syrup portraying the blood and the cheese being the Holy Shroud.

A classic capirotada starts with bolillo rolls. These are a type of Mexican bread with a fluffy middle and crusty outer layer. You could switch this out for French rolls if that's easier. First, cut the rolls into slices, butter each piece, and toast them briefly in the oven. Then, heat water on the stovetop with piloncillo or brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves until syrupy, and leave everything to steep for a further two hours. To assemble the capirotada, you'll layer the toasted bread with raisins, sliced almonds, shredded cheese (such as cheddar, Colby, or Monterey Jack), and the infused syrup, before baking until gooey and golden.

This hearty, veggie-filled pie originated in Northern Italy in the 14th century and was crafted from local, seasonal vegetables at a time when meat was often too costly to source. Today, this savory treat is still enjoyed at Easter time, often as part of an Easter Sunday feast.

The outer layer of a torta pasqualina is a simple puff pastry, which can absolutely be store-bought. Line a round cake pan with the first sheet of pastry, then prepare the fillings. First, wilt washed spinach leaves in a covered saucepan over low heat. Let these cool, squeeze out the excess moisture, then chop the wilted leaves roughly into small pieces. Mix in ricotta cheese, Parmesan, parsley, an egg, and some salt and pepper, and transfer the mixture to your pastry-lined pan. This will now go into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or so. The next step is rather fun. You'll create wells in the spinach mixture and crack an egg into each. Finally, top the pie with another sheet of puff pastry, crimping the edges together, brush the top with beaten egg, and bake. As you slice into the pie upon serving, you'll reveal the beautiful cross sections of egg, which look fantastic against that vibrant green spinach.

If you fancy trying something a little different this Easter, why not whip up a colorful fanesca soup? This dish has Ecuadorian roots and comprises an impressive array of wholesome grains, beans, and vegetables, as well as dried salt cod. In fact, it's thought that fanesca was originally prepared with exactly 12 types of grains and legumes to represent Jesus' 12 apostles.

The fanesca soup begins with vegetables, such as butternut squash, zucchini, and cabbage, which are boiled until tender, and blitzed into a puree. Then, boil pre-soaked dried salt cod in milk for a couple of minutes until heated through. Remove the fish from the milk (reserving the liquid for later), roughly chop it, and saute the pieces in a frying pan for a couple of minutes before setting aside onto a plate. Next, saute diced onion and garlic with achiote, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Once the onions have softened, pour in the vegetable puree and reserved milk from the fish prep. Now, it's time to add those all-important beans and grains. These could include fava beans, green peas, cannellini beans, and lupini beans, amongst others. Whilst everything simmers, blend roasted, salted peanuts with milk to create a paste. Add this to the soup, and continue simmering. When the soup is almost ready, you'll stir in heavy cream, crumbled queso fresco, and fresh parsley before serving each bowlful with the prepared cod and an array of other toppings like empanadas and hard-boiled eggs.

A staple on the Easter table in Greece, tsoureki is a type of sweet bread with a wonderfully fluffy middle and shiny, golden brown crust. It generally features two specific spices — mastic and mahlab — which give the bread a distinct aromatic flavor. Tsoureki can be served alongside both sweet and savory ingredients. It's often soaked in eggs and milk and fried in butter to create French toast, which is topped with fresh fruits and syrup. Or, it can serve as a base for fried or poached eggs.

The tsoureki dough is made with warm water, sugar, yeast, the signature spices, butter, milk, eggs, strong bread flour, and orange zest. Once formed into a soft, slightly sticky dough, the mixture is left to prove until doubled in size. It's then cut into three portions (or six if you're making two loaves), with each piece rolled, shaken, and stretched out into a long sausage shape. Now, the three sections can be braided together and left to rise again. Before placing it in the oven, brush the bread with beaten egg and scatter over some flaked almonds. Then, it's ready to bake until beautifully puffy and golden.

Another country where a soup features prominently on the Easter menu is Poland, this time in the form of zurek. What makes this dish unique is the addition of a rye starter called zakwas, which gives the soup a distinct, tangy taste. Zurek is thought to date back to the Middle Ages when rye would have been one of the staple foods, and though the exact ingredients can vary, it tends to feature bacon, sausage and various vegetables, as well as a hard-boiled egg garnish.

The zakwas, or rye starter, can be made from scratch at least five days before preparing the soup. You'll need rye flour, water, garlic, bay leaves, and allspice berries. Just add everything to a jar, mix well, secure a paper towel over the top with an elastic band, and leave everything to ferment. Give the mixture a quick swirl every 24 hours, and after five days, it'll be ready to add to the zurek. Prepare the base of the soup by sauteing diced bacon and sliced sausage in a large pot. Add your veggies, such as carrot, parsnip, onion, and celery root, as well as garlic and bay leaves. Top the pot up with water, and let the mixture simmer for about 40 minutes. Next, stir in the zakwas and boil everything for a final few minutes before serving the zurek with your toppings of choice. Some people like to add a little prepared horseradish to the soup, too.

Head to South Africa, and you'll likely encounter pickled fish during Easter time. This recipe typically calls for white fish such as hake or cod, which is fried (sometimes in a batter), before being left to soak in a mixture of curried onions and vinegar. The result is a deeply flavorful, tender fish dish with plenty of spice and natural sweetness from the onions.

Begin by frying the fish portions for a couple of minutes on each side until perfectly flaky, whether that involves dipping them into a batter, or simply seasoning them with salt and pepper. Now, you can set the cooked fish aside and get to work on the onions. Slice these into rings and saute them with minced garlic until softened. Then, you can add the spices. These might include things like coriander seeds, cinnamon, cumin seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, and allspice berries, though the exact blend can be tweaked depending on your taste preferences. Pour in a generous glug of red or white wine vinegar, sprinkle in some brown sugar, and stir well. Let the liquid simmer for about 20 minutes. For the final step, arrange your cooked fish in a large dish and pour the onion-vinegar mixture all over the top. Cover and leave to chill in the fridge overnight to let the pickling liquid infuse the fish thoroughly before serving.

An Easter tradition you might be more familiar with is the sweet indulgence of tucking into a chocolate egg. Deemed a symbol of rebirth and renewal, eggs featured in early pagan rituals during springtime and painting eggs with bright colors has long been an Easter activity in various parts of Europe. It is, however, thought that France and Germany first began developing egg-shaped chocolates back in the early 1800s. Many of these original eggs were completely solid, with the appropriate chocolate-making and molding technologies for making hollow eggs not coming into play until later in the century.

Today, the chocolate eggs we know and love come in various forms and flavors. Some are made with a simple milk, dark, or white chocolate, molded into two halves that come together to form a large, hollow egg. Others are filled with caramel, creamy ganache, and of course, there's the iconic white and yellow fondant of a Cadbury Creme Egg. Some even incorporate decadent decorations, such as edible gold, chopped nuts, or intricate pipework. 

In Croatia, a soft yeasted bread called pinca is a common addition to the Easter spread. Pinca is beautifully light and fluffy, with a rich flavor, thanks to the addition of butter and citrus zest. Some recipes also incorporate dried fruits, rum, and rosewater.

For the dry components of the dough, combine flour with salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Then, separately mix the yeast with warm milk and sugar. In another bowl, melt butter and set this aside to cool. Next, you'll warm some more milk in a jug and combine this with sour cream plus your choice of flavorings, such as rum, rosewater, or orange juice. Pour the contents of the jug, plus the yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and citrus zest, into your flour mixture. If you're adding dried fruits such as raisins, now's the time to add these too. The next step is kneading everything together using the dough hook attachment on your mixer. Once combined, shape the dough into a ball, pop it in a greased bowl, cover it, and leave it to prove until doubled in size.

The dough can now be split into the individual round loaves (usually around two to four), and transferred to a lined baking sheet. Before going in the oven, these will need a second round of proving. Finally, brush the pincas with beaten egg, score each three times across the middle, sprinkle them with sugar, and bake.

This meaty, flavor-packed centerpiece is essential to any Ethiopian Easter feast, gratefully devoured by Orthodox Christians after a long period of fasting throughout Lent. Doro wat is a spicy, slow-cooked chicken stew, often topped with hard-boiled eggs and served with injera, a traditional Ethiopian flatbread.

To prepare a traditional doro wat, start by mixing minced garlic and ginger into a paste with a splash of neutral oil. Add diced onions to a large pot and cook low and slow until caramelized, which should take around 30 minutes. Now, you can add the garlic-ginger paste, and saute this for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Next, come the spices. Berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend made with ingredients like cayenne pepper, ground coriander, allspice, and cardamom, is a key addition here, while incorporating nutmeg and black pepper is also common. For added richness, doro wat also typically includes niter kibbeh — a herb- and spice-infused clarified butter.

Once all of these ingredients have been simmered briefly with water to create a flavorful broth, you can add the chicken thighs. Then, leave everything to cook slowly in the covered pot for around one hour until the chicken is beautifully tender and falling off the bone. Towards the end of cooking, add the hard-boiled eggs, allowing these to heat through in the flavorful stew before serving.