Top 10 Easter Foods From Around the World in 2026

Hot Cross Buns have anchored British Good Friday since the 12th century, with spiced, fruit-studded dough marked by a cross. A single bun contains approximately 180 calories and 8 grams of sugar—35% less sugar than tsoureki, making them a lighter Easter option. Monks originally baked them with medicinal herbs, and today Britons toast 50 million buns each Easter week. They are 60% cheaper than roast lamb per serving, offering accessible tradition. However, Tsoureki outperforms them in flavor complexity with its mahlepi note. The cross, traditionally carved before baking, sets them apart from Polish mazurek's icing patterns. Served buttered alongside tea, these buns provide quick satisfaction, with 4 grams of protein per serving—modest compared to lamb, but ideal for a pre-feast snack.

Italy's Colomba di Pasqua is the most iconic Easter dove cake, shaped like a dove and topped with pearl sugar and almonds. Created in the 1930s by Milanese confectioners, its yeasted dough is similar to panettone but contains 20% more butter, giving it a richer crumb. Each year, over 2,000 Italian bakeries compete for the best colomba, with sales exceeding 100 million euros annually. The dove shape symbolizes peace and the Holy Spirit, reinforcing its cultural significance as a celebratory centerpiece.

Pashka is a creamy pyramidal dessert made from quark cheese, cream, butter, and dried fruits, unmolded on Easter Sunday in Russia and Eastern Europe. Stamped with the letters "XB" (Khristos Voskres), it achieves a dense, rich texture that contains 30% less sugar than the average fruitcake, yet provides 12 grams of protein per 100-gram serving, outshining #7 Bacalhau in nutritional density. It is always served alongside kulich, the tall cylindrical Easter bread, and together they symbolize resurrection and renewal, with pashka's shape representing Christ's tomb.

Portugal's dried and salted cod, bacalhau, headlines Holy Week and Easter, with locals claiming 365 recipes—one for each day of the year. On Good Friday, Bacalhau a Bras (shredded cod with eggs and potatoes) is the most popular preparation. Bacalhau's light, savory profile offers a contrast to sweet Easter breads, making it a balanced centerpiece for the Portuguese table.

Simnel Cake is a rich fruitcake layered with marzipan and topped with 11 marzipan balls representing the apostles, skillfully baked to form a dense, flavorful treat weighing approximately 2 kilograms. Its sturdy texture makes it ideal for slicing and sharing with family gatherings.

This rich, creamy soup combines 12 distinct grains and legumes — each representing one of the 12 apostles — with dried cod, creating a flavor profile that is 30% heartier than the average Easter soup. Served exclusively during Holy Week, fanesca demands meticulous cooking techniques including soaking and grinding the grains, a process that costs families roughly $15 per pot. The dish is a symbol of religious devotion and communal effort, often shared among extended families in portions exceeding 2 liters per household during the holiday.

Kulich is a tall, cylindrical Easter bread from Russia and Eastern Europe that breaks the Lenten fast on Easter morning, and it is 25% richer in butter and eggs than typical holiday breads. Brought to church on Easter Saturday for a priest's blessing, kulich is the first food consumed after 40 days of fasting, often sliced into pieces weighing 150 grams each. The recipe requires at least 8 hours of preparation to achieve its characteristic airy texture and golden crust, with the blessing ceremony adding a spiritual dimension that elevates its role above mere sustenance.