These Are The 10 Most Popular Foods To Eat In Spain This Easter

Easter is a big celebration in Spain. Families gather together to attend church, enjoy one of the many Santa Semana parades, and eat delicious Easter food.

Easter recipes in Spain vary from region to region and many of them reflect the religious imprint of Holy Week in both their design and their ingredients.

Want to cook something special for your friends and family this year? These are the 10 most popular foods to eat in Spain during Easter:

1. Torrijas

No matter where you are in Spain it’s likely that you’ll hear of Torrijas as it is the most famous dish for Holy Week in the country. These are easy to make at home. Just combine stale bread with milk, olive oil, eggs and sugar. Traditionally these are made with lemon, but gourmet variations are made with wine or chocolate. The result is a sweet dish that is creamy and rich. It’s impossible to spend Easter in Spain without snacking on Torrijas.

2. Easter Flowers (Flores de Semana Santa)

This is another Easter dish that is popular the country over, but it is especially popular in Castile. This is a dish that is cooked in a flower shaped mold to give it its distinctive shape. Easter flowers are an ancient dish that have been made in Spain since the medieval period. Flores de Semana Santa are tricky to make but they are worth taking time over in the kitchen. Make a dough of flour, eggs, sugar, water, and aniseed then fry in boiling oil.

3. Bacalao al Ajoarriero (Codfish in Ajoarriero Sauce)

Traditionally Catholic families choose not to eat meat during Easter and so this cod dish is hugely popular in Spain during Holy Week. Because this is such a popular dish every region and even home will have their own way of preparing it. Some of the most common are codfish in pil pil or ajoarriero sauce in the north, cod fritters in the rest of the peninsula, or al ajo mortero in Murcia.

The basic recipe calls you to layer ingredients like garlic, onion, tomato and peppers and fry then add salted cod. Cook slowly.

4. Sancocho Canario

If you’re not staying in mainland Spain then that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the Easter fun, On the Canary Islands in particular you’ll find incredible Easter cuisine. Sancocho Canario is one of the most popular of these dishes. Cherne, a species of fish exclusive to the waters of the Canary Islands, is simmered and served simply with potatoes and a Canarian mojo rojo

5. Patatas a la Riojana, Patatas Viudas, o Patatas a lo Pobre

Hearty dishes without meat are rare in Spain but this one is prepared especially for Easter. The good news is that this potato dish is easy to make. Just fry garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Add to potatoes and throw in a casserole dish. Cover in water and then cook until tender. Add plenty of Spanish paprika until orange and spicy.

6. Potaje de Vigilia

Another fish dish, and this one is a variation on pottage. A common dish in the middle of Spain that is incredibly popular in Spain all year round and particularly during Easter. Fish is the main ingredient, combined with chickpeas, beans and spinach. This is often made with salted cod to cut down on costs and fresh fish can be spicy.

7. Cod Brandada

We’ve already mentioned just how popular cod is in Spain over the Easter period. But there are a myriad of different ways to prepare this meaty fish. If you’re staying in the Levante regions then you’re likely to be served Cod Brandada as this is the most common way to serve the fish here. This is a tasty and easy to prepare fish.

Place desalted cod in a pan with fried garlic and onion then cook until tender, then whizz up in a blender. The end result is served pate-style with toasted bread.

8. Buñuelos de Viento (Wind Fritter)

Want something sweet to eat after all that fish? These are a popular dessert across Spain and are eaten year-round in the Valencia region, but are eaten all over Spain during Easter week. Another simple recipe to make at home, you just make a paste flour, water, oil, milk, eggs and yeast, rule this into small balls and then deep fry. They will become puffed out and fluffy.

9. Pavias

Seville is one of the best places to be in Spain for Holly Week not just for its parades and celebrations, but for its stand-out food. Pavias is considered the very best dish in the city to eat at Easter. Served in small, tapas-style portions, thin and crispy dough is wrapped around a piece of fish and then dipped into aioli sauce or mayo. Simple but delicious, and an easy recipe to make if you have any left-over fish, particularly cod.

10. Mona de Pascua

Finally, if you’re in Barcelona or wider Catalonia then you’ll know that Mona de Pascua is one of the most famous Easter food traditions in Spain. Every Easter Sunday godparents give their godchildren chocolate figures. These can range from simple shapes to animals, castles, or their favourite cartoon characters for children. But godchildren of all ages (including adults) can expect a chocolatey treat from their godparents on Easter Sunday.

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