Kulich (bread)
Russian Easter bread with pagan and Christian symbolism.
Kulich is the Russian name for Easter bread, a round and tall festive bread with dough decorations on top. Its cylindrical shape is associated with the church practice of baking artos, and it is a traditional cultural part of countries with an Orthodox Christian population. Kulich represents not only Easter but also the spring, and has been described as unmistakably phallic, betraying pagan traditions that underlie Christian celebrations.
Quick Facts
- Course
- Before breakfast
Facts from the source article.
Preparation
Kulich is a dense, cylindrical bread baked in tall tins, similar to Italian panettone but heavier. After the Easter service, a basket of kulich decorated with colorful flowers is blessed by a priest. The blessed bread is then eaten each day before breakfast, while any unblessed leftovers are served with paskha for dessert. Once cooled, the bread is topped with white icing that drips slightly down the sides and adorned with more flowers. Historically, it accompanied cheese paska marked with the letters ХВ. Kulich is consumed only from Easter until Pentecost.
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