A delicious journey through Calabrian Easter desserts
2 minutes
Visiting Calabria at Easter is the best way to sample some of the local pastry delights and the most delicious spring products.
After Lent, the period of preparation for Calabrian Easter desserts begins. Delicacies rooted in ancient folk and rural traditions, now reinterpreted by master pastry chefs with a touch of originality and a focus on organic and certified products.
The journey through Calabrian Easter desserts is wide-ranging, taking us across all the provinces, some united by shared recipes, others distinguished by flavours and preparations unique to their local area.
Calabrian Easter desserts: from cuzzùpe to biscuits
The undisputed queen of Calabrian Easter desserts is Her Majesty, the cuzzùpa. The name may vary depending on the area of origin: from the most popular cuzzùpe from Catanzaro and Cosenza, to the gute from Reggio Calabria and its surroundings (softer, with a brioche-like consistency), to the cudduràci, typical of the Cosenza area. The shape also varies according to local traditions or the baker's preference, ranging from forms that explicitly evoke Easter symbols (such as the fish) to versions shaped like hens or hearts.
Whatever the name and whatever the shape in which they are served, the essence remains the same: a biscuit-like dough, or a softer version, prepared a few days before Easter Sunday and decorated with one or more whole eggs baked in their shells, which become hard-boiled in the oven. The egg, linked to rebirth and Easter, also recalls an ancient romantic tradition. In the past, in many towns, the Easter period coincided with a romantic exchange, during which betrothed young women would give their fiancé a cuzzùpa as a token of love: the more eggs it contained, the greater the affection it was intended to express.
Similar to cuzzùpe, cuddùre (or curùji) are braided ring-shaped breads, either fried or baked, sweet or savoury, and recognised with the PAT label (Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale ("Traditional Agri-food Product")). The name derives from ancient Greek, κολλύρα or kollýra (meaning a small loaf), while the shape is thought to have been practical for shepherds and travellers, who would thread them onto a staff and carry them along during long journeys. Finally, among the Calabrian Easter desserts, glazed biscuits in all their variations cannot be missed: 'ncinetti or fiscòtta, in the province of Vibo Valentia, are covered with sugar icing flavoured with the grated peel of a lemon. Dipped into milk or tea, even at breakfast, Easter biscuits recall a cherished childhood memory that remains impossible to resist.
Candied fruit, ricotta and spirits
The main ingredient in Calabrian Easter desserts is candied fruit, especially citrus fruits. Whether it is Bergamot of Reggio Calabria DOP, Citron of Calabria DOP, or peel obtained from local oranges and mandarins, Clementines of Calabria IGP or Lemons of Rocca Imperiale IGP, candied fruit is always a delight and represents the (not-so) secret ingredient that gives sweet creations that extra-special touch.
Another essential ingredient in pastry making and, in general, in Calabrian Easter desserts is ricotta. Among the finest is Aspromontana goat ricotta, paired with select varieties of Calabrian honey (chestnut, strawberry tree, sulla, and eucalyptus). The perfect way to end the meal? Raising a toast with Calabria's excellent spirits: bergamot, citron, limoncello, nocino, liquorice, wild strawberry, anise, wild fennel, moscatello, and wild herbs provide the ideal finale to Easter in Calabria.
