Traditional Spanish Food at Easter

Easter in Spain is an important time, with many parades and solemn religious observances going hand-in-hand with music and ritual. Spain is also famous for its culinary arts which usually centre around the sharing of food between family and friends.

In ‘Semana Santa’(Holy Week), the shops overflow with cakes and breads traditionally eaten at this time.

The most famous of these is possibly the ‘Mona de Pascua’ (Easter Cake), which can be seen everywhere. This is a round sponge cake topped with boiled or chocolate eggs and colourful decorations.

‘Sopa de ajo’ (garlic soup) is made with smoked peppers, chicken stock, garlic and hard-boiled eggs. It makes a nourishing meal at the end of winter.

‘Flores fritas’ (fried flowers), are sweet and crunchy with a cookie like texture, found in many bakeries throughout Spain.

‘Borrachuelos’(fried dough),are pieces of dough soaked in wine or brandy and dusted with powdered sugar. The name is derived from the word ‘borracho’, which means ‘drunk’ in Spanish!

‘Bacalao’(cod) in pil-pil sauce was particularly popular in the past during Lent, since fish was the only flesh that people could eat. Oil from the fish is released during cooking then whisked with olive oil and vinegar to form a rich, thick sauce.

Lastly, ‘Torrijas’(French Toast ) is a Spanish version of the French classic, dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

There’s lots of food to try in Spain at Easter that’s part of Spain’s great culinary and cultural experience.