Kugel
Kugel ( , pronounced ) is a baked pudding or casserole, most commonly made from lokshen or Jewish egg noodles ( ) or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Etymology. The name of the dish comes from the Middle High German meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round, puffed-up shape of the original dishes (compare to German —a type of ring-shaped cake). Nowadays, however, kugels are often baked in square pans. While Litvaks (Jews from Lithuania, northeastern Poland and northern Russia) call the pudding  , Galitzianers (Jews from southeastern Poland and western Ukraine) call it . History. The first kugels were made from bread and flour and were savory rather than sweet. About 800 years ago, Jewish cooks in Germany replaced bread mixtures with lokshen noodles or farfel. Eventually eggs were incorporated. The addition of cottage cheese and milk created a custard-like consistency common in today's dessert dishes. In Poland, Jewish homemakers added raisins, cinnamon and sweet curd cheese to noodle kugel recipes. In the late 19th century, Jerusalemites combined caramelized sugar and black pepper in a noodle kugel known as the Jerusalem kugel  (), which is a commonly served at Shabbat kiddushes and is a popular side dish served with cholent during Shabbat lunch. In Romania, this dish is called ("macaroni pudding") or . It is made with or without cheese, but almost always includes raisins. In Transylvania, especially in the Hungarian-speaking regions, a very similar dish is called . Savory kugel may be based on potatoes, matzah, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, spinach, or cheese. Romani people call it "pirogo". The Romani version is made with raisins, cream cheese, and butter. Varieties. Jerusalem Kugel. Kugel Yerushalmi, ( "kugl yerushalmi" in Hebrew), also known as Jerusalem kugel, or  Galilean kugel, is an Israeli kugel dish originating from the local Jewish community of Jerusalem in the 1700s. Noodle kugel. Noodle kugel, also known as lokshen kugel, is an Ashkenazi Jewish casserole, side dish and popular variety of kugel made with lokshen noodles and either a variety of dairy or pareve ingredients. Potato kugel. Potato kugel is a potato-based kugel of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, made with grated or pureed potatoes, onions, eggs, flour or matzo meal, oil, salt and pepper. Jewish festivals. Kugels are a mainstay of festive meals in Ashkenazi Jewish homes, particularly on the Jewish Sabbath and  other Jewish holidays or at a tish. Some Hasidic Jews believe that eating kugel on the Jewish Sabbath brings special spiritual blessings, particularly if that kugel was served on the table of a Hasidic Rebbe. While noodle kugel, potato kugel, and other variations are dishes served on Jewish holiday meals, matzo kugel is a common alternative served at Passover seders which is adjusted to meet Passover kosher requirements. South African slang usage. Among South African Jews, the word "kugel" was used by the elder generation as a term for a young Jewish woman who forsook traditional Jewish dress values in  favor of those of the ostentatiously wealthy, becoming overly materialistic and overgroomed, the kugel being a plain pudding garnished as a delicacy. The women thus described made light of the term and it has since become an amusing rather than derogatory slang term in South African English, referring to a materialistic young woman.