What are your plans for Easter this weekend? We’re spoiled for choices here in Shanghai, Beijing, and Suzhou with gourmet 5-star hotel brunches, sashimi platters, burritos, oysters, and more; but not all of those foods are traditional Easter eats.

Besides the chocolate eggs and jellybeans, what do people around the world enjoy for Easter?

United Kingdom

Simnel Cake

This tasty, light cake is commonly eaten during the Easter season and signals the end of Lent as it’s filled with ingredients like spices and fruit that are forbidden during that time. It’s usually made with two seperate layers of either almond paste or marzipan and is topped with circular egg-shaped decorations.

Hot Cross Buns

These spiced sweet buns are often made with currants or raisins and drizzled with a lemon icing in the form of a cross.

United States

Honey Glazed Ham

There are tons of different ways to prepare this baked ham dish, but the most important aspect is ensuring a delicious sweet and savoury flavour combo. Popular options include cooking with pineapple and cherry, orange for a zesty citrus aroma, and brown sugar for an extra kick of sweetness.

Deviled Eggs

An ancient dish originating back in the Roman empire, these hard-boiled eggs are shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste made from egg yolk, mayo, and other ingredients.

Roast Chicken

What else can we say about roast chicken? It’s absolutely delicious, can be stuffed with savoury fillings, and even made into tasty soup on the next day.

Greece

Lamb

Greek Orthodox Easter may fall on a different day than Catholic Easter, but that’s alright. We’ll accept two feasts. Lamb is a must have dish on any Greek table for the holiday. Chefs also utilize the liver of the lamb to create a hearty stew called mageiritsa.

Red Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are dyed bright red in remembrance of the blood of Christ and are cracked open together to commerate the opening of his tomb.

Russia

Kulich

Literally meaning ‘a roll or loaf of bread,’ that’s exactly what kulich is. Each loaf is baked in a tall, cylindrical container, topped with icing, and blessed by a priest after Easter service and is then eaten for breakfast afterwards.

Poland

Jajka Faszerowany (Stuffed Eggs)

Reminescent to deviled eggs, these hard-boiled beauties are stuffed with ham, cheese, sour cream, and mustard; and topped with boiled, buttered bread crumbs.

Biała Kiełbasa (Polish Sausage)

Without fail, every Polish family has their own recipe for white pork sausages. Common seasonings include garlic, marjoram, salt, and black pepper.

Lithuania

Vedarai (Potato Sausages)

 Strange in appearance but memorable in taste, these ‘sausages’ are formed out of potato and then fried for a nice, crispy outer layer. To please the carnivores out there, bacon can make for a great addition.

Cepelinai Dumplings 

One of Lithuania’s national dishes, Cepelinai are named for their resemblance to the old-school airships called zeppelins, as in the band ‘Led Zeppelin.’ Made from grated potatoes, common fillings include cheese, mushrooms, and ground meat; and tasty toppings include pork rinds, bacon bits, and sour cream.

Egypt

Fesikh

Fesikh is a celebratory Egyptian Easter dish made by salting and fermenting the Mediterranean/Red Sea gray mullet fish. The traditional preparation process is passed down from father to son and is quite elaborate and complicated. Mistakes can cause bouts of food poisoning. We think we might just stick with ‘Peeps’ instead.

Yum! We hope everyone has a delicious Easter holiday.