paska

Paska is a traditional Easter bread widely prepared in Eastern European Christian communities, particularly in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and parts of Russia. It refers to a rich, yeast-raised loaf that is baked for the Easter feast and often presented in a tall, cylindrical or domed form. The bread is typically sweetened with eggs, milk or cream, sugar, and butter, and may include raisins, almonds, or citrus zest. It is usually decorated with a light icing or dusted with powdered sugar.

In many households, paska is baked in large quantities for the Easter celebration and is blessed in church during the Easter feast. The bread is shared at the Easter table and in some traditions accompanies other festive foods such as dyed eggs and kulich, a similar Easter loaf found in Russian and some Polish traditions. The appearance and flavor of paska can vary by region, with differences in shape, size, and additional ingredients.

A related but distinct dish often referred to simply as paskha (or paskha) is a sweet cheese dessert prepared for Easter. This paskha is made from curd cheese (tvorog), butter, sugar, and flavorings, sometimes molded in a pyramid or dome shape and served with the bread and eggs. The two foods share a name and the Easter association but differ in texture and composition.

Etymology traces the name to Pascha, the word for Easter in Church Slavonic and related languages. Paska embodies the festive, celebratory character of Easter in many Eastern European traditions.