What to Eat During Holy Week: Gastronomic Traditions by Region

What to eat during Easter Week in Spain: one country, many traditions

Spain celebrates Easter Week in very different ways depending on the region. The processions change, the music changes, and so does the food. What unites all tables is a constant: fish as the main dish and sweets to finish.

Abstinence from meat during Lenten Fridays (and especially Good Friday) has shaped the culinary traditions of each community for centuries. Each area has used its local resources to create dishes that began as a religious obligation and are now gastronomic heritage.

This tour takes you through the Easter tables from north to south, from east to west.

Northern Spain: cod, "fabada de vigilia" and "filloas"

Basque Country

Cod is the absolute king. The Basques have turned Icelandic cod into haute cuisine with preparations such as pil pil, bizkaína, and cod al club Ranero (with green peppers and tomato sauce). On Good Friday, practically all Basque households eat cod in one of these versions.

Galicia

Galicia combines local seafood with cod. "Pulpo á feira", cod empanada, and Galician broth with turnip greens are the star dishes. For dessert, "filloas": thin crêpes filled with cream or honey, heirs to the Carnival tradition that extend until Easter Week.

Asturias and Cantabria

"Fabada de vigilia" replaces the meats of Asturian fabada with cod and clams. The result is just as hearty. In Cantabria, salted anchovies from Cantabria play a special role: they are consumed as an appetizer or on toast.

Central Spain: "potaje", "torrijas" and battered cod

Castile and León

"Potaje de vigilia" (chickpeas, spinach, and cod) is the dish that defines Castilian Lent. Simple, nutritious, and inexpensive: three virtues that have kept it on tables for centuries. "Hornazos" (empanadas filled with egg and cured meats) are prepared for Easter Sunday, marking the end of abstinence.

Madrid

Madrid adopts the Castilian "potaje" and adds battered cod ("soldaditos de Pavía") as the star tapa of Easter Week. Madrid's "torrijas", soaked in milk and coated in sugar and cinnamon, are sold in bars, bakeries, and workshops throughout the season.

Castile-La Mancha

"Atascaburras" (shredded cod with mashed potatoes, crushed garlic, hard-boiled egg, and walnuts) is a hearty Manchego dish. It is reminiscent of French brandade but with its own character. For dessert, fried flowers and aniseed "roscos".

Southern Spain: cod with tomato, "potaje" and "pestiños"

Andalusia

Andalusian Easter Week is as intense in the streets as it is at the table. Cod with tomato, spinach with chickpeas, bean stew with cod, and sautéed wild thistles are dishes that are repeated throughout the community. For dessert, "pestiños" bathed in honey and wine torrijas.

Extremadura

Extremadura shares many dishes with Andalusia and Castile. "Chanfaina" (a stew of offal, but in its Lenten version replaced with cod), garlic soups, and "pestiños" are common. "Repápalos" (fried bread balls soaked in milk) are a unique dessert from the area.

Murcia

Murcian "caldero" is made with cod. Murcian sailors prepare a soupy rice with cod that is a marvel. "Pastel de cierva" (filled with meat, but adapted with tuna in its Lenten version) appears on the most traditional tables.

Eastern Spain: rice dishes, fritters, and "mona de Pascua"

Catalonia

In Catalonia, "bacallà a la llauna" (baked cod with garlic, parsley, and paprika) is the classic Lenten dish. Also, "bunyetes" (sweet fritters) and "coca de llardons". On Easter Sunday, the "mona" is given as a gift: a cake decorated with chocolate eggs that the godfather offers to his godchild.

At Bacalalo, from our stall at the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona, we experience this tradition firsthand. Every Easter Week, our sales of premium Icelandic cod multiply.

Valencian Community

Pumpkin fritters ("buñuelos de calabaza") are the Valencian Easter sweet (and Fallas, which coincide in dates). "Olleta de Cuaresma" (chickpea, bean, spinach, and cod stew) is the Valencian version of the Castilian "potaje". Here too, the "mona de Pascua" is given as a gift, with local variations.

Aragon

"Almojábanas" (fresh cheese and aniseed "roscos") and "crespillos de borraja" (borage leaves battered and fried with sugar) are unique Aragonese desserts. For the main course, "bacalao ajoarriero" (shredded with tomato, pepper, and garlic) dominates Zaragoza's tables.

Islands: unique traditions between sea and tradition

Balearic Islands

"Panades" (dumplings filled with fish and vegetables) and "robiols" (sweet dumplings with fresh cheese or angel hair) are the protagonists in Mallorca. In Menorca, sweet "formatjades" are prepared for Easter.

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands have a strong tradition of cod and salted fish inherited from centuries of Atlantic trade. "Sancocho canario" (salted fish cooked with wrinkled potatoes and mojo sauce) is the star dish of Good Friday. Sweet potato "truchas" (sweet potato dumplings) accompany as dessert.

The common thread: cod

From north to south, from east to west, cod appears in all Spanish Easter Week traditions. It is no coincidence. Salted cod was for centuries the only accessible fish in inland Spain, far from the sea. Affordable, versatile, and nutritious, it became the quintessential Lenten ingredient.

Today, with modern logistics, you can receive premium Icelandic cod at your home in 24-48 hours, ready to prepare any of these regional recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all regions of Spain eat cod during Easter Week?

Practically yes. Salted cod was for centuries the only accessible fish in inland areas. Even in coastal areas with access to fresh fish, cod maintains its prominence due to tradition. Each community prepares it differently.