Spring and Easter Eastern European Foods: What to Get at Kalinka in 2026

Spring is the most food-forward season in Eastern European culture. The end of winter, fresh produce coming back, and the Orthodox Easter traditions make March through May the time of year when the best cooking happens — and when certain foods are only available for a short window.

Here is what to look for at Kalinka Euro Market in Battle Ground WA for spring 2026.

Orthodox Easter (Paskha) Foods

Orthodox Easter follows the Julian calendar and falls later than Western Easter. In 2026, Orthodox Easter is on April 12. The week before — Holy Week — is when most of the traditional food preparation happens.

The foods tied to Orthodox Easter are specific and have not changed much across generations. They are made once a year and carry the weight of that occasion.

Kulich — the tall, enriched yeast bread that is the centerpiece of the Easter table. Made with eggs, butter, citrus peel, and raisins. Baked in a cylindrical form (traditionally a tall round pan) and glazed with white royal icing, sometimes decorated with colored sprinkles. Kulich is placed in a basket with the other Easter foods and brought to church on Holy Saturday night to be blessed by the priest. It is not eaten until after the midnight Easter service.

The dough is close to brioche but more fragrant — the citrus, vanilla, and cardamom give it a distinct holiday character. A good kulich should be tall, airy inside, and slightly sweet.

Paskha (Easter cheese) — a molded dessert made from tvorog (farmer's cheese) combined with butter, sugar, eggs, cream, and dried fruit such as raisins and candied citrus. The mixture is pressed into a pyramid-shaped wooden mold marked with the letters XB (Христос Воскресе — Christ is Risen). After pressing overnight to drain, it is unmolded and served alongside kulich.

Paskha is rich — a small slice is plenty. The tvorog gives it a clean, slightly tangy base that contrasts with the sweetness.

Decorated eggs (Krashanky and Pysanky) — the Eastern European tradition uses natural dyes rather than artificial food coloring. Onion skins boiled with eggs produce a deep red-brown. Beet juice gives deep red. Onion skins with water creates golden-orange. Ukrainian pysanky involve wax-resist patterns and multiple dye baths, producing intricate geometric designs.

We carry tvorog year-round for paskha and kulich baking. Kulich availability in the store depends on the season — stop by in early April to see what's in stock.

Spring Soups and Starters

Spring shifts the soup rotation in Eastern European cooking. The heavy winter soups give way to lighter, brighter options.

Shchi from fresh cabbage — borscht's cousin, made with spring cabbage instead of beet. Lighter, more herbaceous, served with a large spoon of smetana.

Cold okroshka — a cold soup made from kefir or kvass, chopped vegetables (cucumber, radish, spring onion), hard-boiled egg, and ham. Eaten in late spring and summer when temperatures rise. Unusual by American standards, but refreshing on a warm day.

Cucumber and radish salad — the simplest Eastern European spring dish. Thinly sliced radishes, green onions, and a hard-boiled egg dressed with smetana and salt. Nothing else. Worth making once to understand what fresh smetana actually tastes like.

Spring Produce and Ingredients

Fresh dill — the herb that appears in nearly everything from April through summer. Borscht, pelmeni broth, potato dishes, cucumber salad, smoked fish. We keep it stocked year-round but spring brings the most consistent freshness.

Green onions — a spring table staple in Eastern European cooking. Eaten raw alongside bread and butter, added to salads, mixed into tvorog.

Sour cherries — when available in season, used in varenye (jam), kompot, and baking. They go fast. Check in late spring.

Rhubarb — used in compotes and baking in Russian and Ukrainian cooking, available earlier in the season than most fruit.

Pelmeni in Spring

Pelmeni are made year-round at Kalinka, but spring is when demand picks up. People are hosting more, cooking after months of simple winter meals, and looking for something that feels like a proper dinner without much effort.

Our pelmeni are made in-house — our specialty. Pork and beef filling in hand-pinched dough. Ready to boil in 15 minutes, served with smetana and fresh dill. The most reliable quick dinner in the Eastern European repertoire — and the thing most regulars say they cannot get anywhere else in Clark County.

The Easter Table

A traditional Eastern European Easter table is abundant. Not pretentious — just full. Cold cuts, pirozhki, pickled vegetables, kulich, colored eggs, paskha, and always a bottle of something to raise a glass.

A practical list for the Easter table from Kalinka:

• Tvorog (for paskha and syrniki)
• Smetana (for everything)
• Pelmeni — house-made, buy extra bags for the freezer
• Kolbasa — doktorskaya and smoked varieties for cold cuts
• Borodino bread — it toasts well, keeps well, holds up to butter and fish
• Medovik or Napoleon cake for dessert
• Alyonka or Korkunov chocolates for the Easter basket
• Kefir and ryazhenka for the breakfast table

Seasonal Item Availability

Kulich and special Easter items sell out. If you need something specific for April 12, call ahead at (360) 666-6919 or stop in a week before to check what is coming in. We can hold items for regular customers.

Kalinka Euro Market 813 W Main St UNIT 110, Battle Ground, WA 98604 Open daily 10 AM – 8 PM 15 minutes from Vancouver WA via WA-503 25 minutes from Portland via I-5 N and WA-503