What Greek flatbread is traditionally eaten on Clean Monday? The answer is lagana. This broad, flat Greek bread is the signature food of Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent in the Eastern Orthodox calendar. Bakeries sell it especially for the holiday, when families eat it with olives, taramasalata, beans, seafood, and other fasting foods.
Lagana is typically oval or elongated, with a surface pressed by fingertips and sprinkled generously with sesame seeds. Olive oil, herbs, or other seasonings may also be added. Historically, the bread was made without yeast, matching the unleavened foods associated with the opening of Lent, but modern Greek lagana is more often leavened.
The name comes from the ancient Greek laganon, a flat pastry or sheet of dough. That word is also related to the historical roots of “lasagna,” although Greek lagana and Italian lasagna are distinct foods today. Lagana is not simply another name for pita: its holiday symbolism, sesame topping, and Clean Monday tradition give it a separate place in Greek cuisine.