Sufganiyah

Sufganiyah(Hebrew:סופגנייהorסופגניה,Hebrew:[ˌsufɡaniˈja];pl.:sufganiyot, Hebrew:סופגניות,Hebrew:[ˌsufɡaniˈjot], or in Yiddishpontshkeפּאָנטשקע) is a roundjelly doughnuteaten around the world during theJewishfestival ofHanukkah. The doughnut is deep-fried, injected withjamorcustard, and then topped withpowdered sugar. The doughnut recipe originated in Europe in the 16th century, and by the 19th century was known as aBerlinerin Germany and aReligieusein France.Polish Jews, who called it aponchki, fried the doughnut inschmaltzrather thanlarddue tokashrutlaws. Theponchikwas brought toIsraelby Polish Jewish immigrants, where it was renamed thesufganiyahbased on theTalmud's description of a "spongy dough".
On Hanukkah,Jewsobserve the custom of eating fried foods in commemoration of themiracleassociated with theTempleoil.The tradition of eating deep-fried pastries on Hanukkah was considered ancient even in the time of the 12th-century rabbiMaimonides, whose father, Rabbi Maimon ben Yosef, wrote that "one must not make light of the custom of eatingsofganim[fritters] on Chanukah. It is a custom of theKadmonim[the ancient ones]". Thesesofganimwere likely syrup-soaked fried cakes, akin to modernzalabiyain theArab world.
The Hebrew wordsufganiyahis aneologismfor pastry, based on theTalmudicwordssofganandsfogga, which refer to a "spongy dough".The word is built on the same root as the Modern Hebrew word for sponge (ספוג,sfog), which is derived fromKoinē Greek:σπόγγος,romanized:spóngos.Sfenj, aMoroccandoughnut, comes from the same root.
A popular Israelifolktaleholds that the word "sufganiyah" comes from the Hebrew expression "Sof Gan Yud-Heh" ("סוף גן יה"), meaning "the end of the Garden of theLord" (referring to theGarden of Eden). According to the legend, whenAdam and Evewere cast out of the Garden by the Lord, He cheered them up by feeding themsufganiyot. No known commentator on theTanakhsupports this interpretation.
According to food historianGil Marks, the recipe for a filled jelly doughnut was first published in a 1485 cookbook inNuremberg. The "Gefüllte Krapfen" consisted of "a bit of jam sandwiched between two rounds of yeast bread dough and deep-fried in lard". This doughnut became popular in northern European countries from Denmark to Russia during the 16th century. In 19th-century Germany it began to be called aBerlineror a Bismarck, after German ChancellorOtto von Bismarck.
AmongPolish Jews, the jelly doughnut was fried in oil orschmaltzrather than lard, due tokashrutlaws. In Poland, these doughnuts were known asponchkis. Polish Jewish immigrants toMandatory Palestinebrought along their recipe as well as the tradition of eating them on Hanukkah. InIsrael, however, they took on a new name—sufganiyot—based on the Talmud's description of a "spongy dough" (see theEtymology section).
Theponchik-stylesufganiyahwas originally made from two circles of dough surrounding a jelly filling, stuck together and fried in one piece.Although this method is still practiced, an easier technique commonly used today is to deep-fry whole balls of dough, and then inject them with a filling through a baker's syringe (or a special industrial machine).
Modern-daysufganiyotin Israel are made from sweet yeast dough, filled with plain red jelly (usually strawberry,sometimes raspberry), and topped with powdered sugar. Fancier versions are stuffed withdulce de leche, chocolate cream, vanilla cream, cappuccino,halva, creme espresso,chocolate truffle,oraraq, and topped with various extravagant toppings, from coconut shavings and tiny vials of liquor tomeringueand fruit pastes.In 2014 one Jerusalem bakery producedsufganiyahdough saturated with flavoredvodka.
In 2016, Israeli bakeries began downsizingsufganiyotto appeal to health-conscious consumers, following an anti-junk food campaign by Health MinisterYaakov Litzman.The usual 100-gram (3.5 oz) size, packing 400 to 600 calories (1,700 to 2,500 kJ),now appears in 50-gram (1.8 oz) size with different fillings and toppings, earning the name "mini".
Until the 1920s,sufganiyotandlatkeswere of comparable popularity among Jews inMandatory Palestineduring the Hanukkah holiday. TheHistadrut, Israel's national labor union formed in 1920, pushed to replace the homemade latke with thesufganiyahas Israel's quintessential Hanukkah food in order to provide more work for its members. Commercial bakeries began sellingsufganiyotdays and weeks before Hanukkah began, lengthening the employment period. Their effort was successful, andsufganiyotbecame the most popular food for Hanukkah in Israel.By the 21st century, more Israeli Jews report eatingsufganiyoton Hanukkah than fasting onYom Kippur.
Todaysufganiyotare sold by Israeli bakeries as early as September.Angel Bakeries, the largest bakery in Israel, reportedly fries up more than 25,000sufganiyotevery day during the eight-day Hanukkah festival itself. Each batch uses 100 kg (220 lb) of dough and makes 1,600sufganiyot.Local newspapers add to the excitement by rating the "bestsufganiyahin town".
TheMinistry of Defensebuys upwards of 400,000sufganiyotfor its soldiers each Hanukkah.As the troops overwhelmingly prefer jelly-filled doughnuts, the Defense Ministry purchases 80% with jelly filling and 20% with chocolate filling.
Sufganiyot are a relatively recent introduction to the United States, wherelatkesare the traditional Hanukkah food.According toGil Marks, latke was still the dominant choice in American Jewish homes in 2012.RabbiLevi Shemtovin 2019 said "Latkes used to dominate in the U.S., while doughnuts dominated in Israel. Now, I think both are equally popular in the U.S."
Thesufganiyahwas introduced by American Jews who had visited or studied in Israel, and by Israeli Jews who had settled in the U.S. Whilesufganiyotwere not commercially available in the United States before the 1970s, today bakeries in many Jewish communities sellsufganiyot, as do non-kosher bakeries.The doughnut chainsDunkin' DonutsandKrispy Kremepurveysufganiyotin theirkosher-certifiedoutlets.
Sufganiyotare also sold in kosher shops in Europe. Smaller Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine organize special "community bakes" to preparesufganiyotfor school and kindergarten parties.
Savorysufganiyotalso exist. In 2018,The Jerusalem Postreported on a new trend of savorysufganiyotinManhattaneateries, in which the dough is filled with chickenschnitzel, lamb bacon, liver, or pastrami.Other savory varieties include: