Latartaa magazine about the culture of pastry art

An independent magazine about the culture of pastry art. This is not the La Tarta bakery's website; we do not take orders or sell cakes.

Latarta

Calendar

A calendar of traditions: holidays for which people in different countries bake something special. Each entry shows the date the piece was published and explains why the tradition matters. We don't tie entries to the dates of a particular year: many holidays, such as Maslenitsa and Easter, fall on different days each year. We publish festival and event announcements only after organizers confirm them, which is why there are none here.

  1. traditions

    Epiphany and the galette des rois

    In France, for Epiphany on January 6, people bake a galette des rois with a small fève figurine hidden inside.

    Why it matters: An example of baking as a game: whoever finds the fève becomes "king," and the pastry turns into part of the holiday ritual.

  2. traditions

    Maslenitsa and blini

    Maslenitsa week in Russia is tied to blini and saying goodbye to winter; its dates depend on the Easter calendar and change from year to year.

    Why it matters: Blini are an example of holiday food that matters more as a custom than as a pastry.

  3. traditions

    Easter: kulich and paskha (in Russian)

    Kulich, a tall Easter bread, and paskha, a sweet farmer's cheese dessert, are traditional Russian Easter foods.

    Why it matters: Easter recipes are often handed down in old notebooks, so it helps to know how to read their measures and ingredients.

  4. history

    Christmas: Stollen

    Stollen is a Christmas bake; Dresden Christstollen is a well-known German Christmas baking tradition tied to the city of Dresden.

    Why it matters: It shows how a baked good can become a symbol of a city and a season.

  5. craft

    Wedding season: the white cake and the croquembouche

    The white wedding cake and the French croquembouche are two distinct traditions of the celebration dessert.

    Why it matters: The wedding cake is the prime example of dessert as architecture and symbol: it stands at the center of the celebration and is cut at a ceremonial moment. Our analysis covers this.

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Sources

Information is current as of the date of preparation. If you spot an error in dates or facts, check the primary sources listed below.