Easter in Spain isn't just celebrated with chocolate eggs, there is a whole range of culinary delights to suit both sweet and savoury tastebuds.

La Mona de Pascua
A very typical Easter treat in Valencia, Murcia, Cataluña and La Mancha, with regional variations now found across Spain, the Mona de Pascua is a cake which has boiled eggs cooked within its rounded form. During Lent, eggs were traditionally one of the foods that Christians abstained from eating and so eggs hatched between Ash Wednesday and Easter were blessed and given as gifts, often within the cake, to grandchildren and godchildren. The number of eggs, to a maximum of twelve, represents the child's age. If you want to give baking your own a try, you can find a simple recipe for Mona de Pascua at the Spanish tourism website. Nowadays Monas de Pascua range from the traditional to chocolate coated ones and even come decorated with Spain's favourite football players! Look out for them in your local shops just before Easter.

Torrijas
Similar to French Toast, Torrijas are thick slices of bread that are soaked in a batter of egg and milk then fried with oil and served with honey sugar or even wine. Delicious with a glass of sweet wine from your local bar or a café con leche.

Hornazo
A savoury pie stuffed with chorizo, hard-boiled eggs and pork, this is found in the north in Ávila and Salamanca. Like the Mona de Pascua, the eggs laid during Lent didn't go to waste. Instead they were boiled and preserved for eating on Easter Monday, also known as Lunes de Aguas in these towns.


Buñuelos
Best eaten fresh from the fryer with a coating of icing sugar, a squeeze of lemon or stuffed with egg custard, these are a sweet treat to make your mouth water and have you coming back for more! Similar to a doughnut, they are made with eggs, flour, water and milk which once made into a batter are fried at a high temperature. You'll find them served at Easter at local gatherings but also in November on All Saints Day.

A lot of the traditional foods eaten at Easter in Spain have their historic roots in Spain's rich past - often adaptations of Moorish foods to suit Christian beliefs. What we can't deny though, is that there is a reason they have been around for centuries. They really are truly scrumptious!

Why not try them this Easter when staying at your holiday home? Or, if you are currently looking for a new home in Valencia or Murcia, contact us to find out where to head for the best local food as you start your search for your own home in the Spanish sunshine.