Lagana is traditionally an unleavened bread, made without a sourdough starter. Its origins are associated with the bread eaten by the Israelites on the night of their Exodus from Egypt under Moses.
Unleavened bread was subsequently prescribed by Mosaic law throughout Passover. In the Christian tradition described here, Christ blessed leavened bread at his final Passover.
The story of lagana runs through food traditions from antiquity to the present day. Aristophanes refers to lagana being baked in “Assemblywomen”, while Horace describes it in his writings as a sweet treat of the poor.
The custom has survived through the centuries. Traditionally prepared with care by the neighbourhood baker, crisp and generously sprinkled with sesame seeds, lagana is eaten on Clean Monday, the first day of the Orthodox Lenten fast.
Why is it called Clean Monday?
The name is linked to the custom of washing all cooking utensils with hot water and ash on that morning, treating it as a day of cleansing.
The utensils were then hung back in their places, where they remained until the fast ended.
Families also went out into the countryside, spread their meals on the ground and ate fasting foods such as halva, olives, taramasalata and, of course, lagana.
