Mohn kichel are a cookie flavored with poppy seeds, and generally made from a pareve (non-dairy) Dough, although dairy versions exist. Mohn kichel have been called a "peasant cookie" by some, and originate from the shtetls or impoverished Jewish villages of Eastern Europe. Their popularity has declined over the years in favor of other cookies containing chocolate, etc., and many nostalgically recollect their bubbes (Jewish grandmother) baking them. However they are still available, and general consist of a rectangular or square shaped cookie that is crisp and not very thick. They contain poppy seeds (mohn), from which they derived their name, and the poppy seeds are generally left whole unlike in hamantash; which lends the mohn kichel their signature crunchy texture which some have disparagingly described as gritty. Another variant exists which is more similar to a butter cookie or shortbread as it is thicker and has a richer, more buttery texture.