Noodle kugel ( , pronounced ), also known as lokshen kugel or kigel, is an

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

casserole A casserole (French language, French: diminutive of , from Provençal dialect, Provençal , meaning 'saucepan') is a kind of large, deep cookware and bakeware, pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven; it is also a categor ...

that is traditionally served as a side dish and popular variety of

kugel Kugel ( , pronounced ) is a baked casserole, most commonly made from lokshen ( ) or potato ( ). It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbos and Jewish holidays. American Jews also serve it for Thanksgiving dinner. Etymo ...

made with

lokshen Lokshen (, ), also known as (), locshen, lockshen, or Jewish egg noodles, is the common name of a range of Ashkenazi Jewish egg noodles that are commonly used in a variety of Jewish dishes including chicken soup, kugel, kasha varnishkes, lokshen ...

noodles and either a variety of dairy or

pareve In ''kashrut'', the dietary laws of Judaism, pareve or parve (from for "neutral"; in Hebrew , ''parveh'', or , ''stami'') is a classification of food that contains neither dairy nor meat ingredients. Food in this category includes all items tha ...

ingredients, often served on

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

and

Jewish holidays Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' (, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar.This article focuses on practices of mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. ...

Etymology

The name of the dish comes from the

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

word meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the

cholent Cholent or Schalet () is a traditional slow-simmering Sabbath stew in Jewish cuisine that was developed by Ashkenazi Jews first in France and later Germany, and is first mentioned in the 12th century.Rabbi Yitzahk ben Moishe or "Zaruah" in his ...

, a traditional

stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish. The kugel later would evolve into its present form sometime in the 13th century CE.

History

Though sweet noodle kugels predominate, there is a wide range of noodle kugel varieties ranging from sweet, slightly sweet, to savory. They may be baked in a large

casserole dish A Dutch oven, Dutch pot (US English), or casserole dish (international) is a thick-walled Cookware and bakeware, cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens are usually made of seasoned cast iron; however, some Dutch ovens are instead mad ...

or in individual ramekins. Noodle kugels often contain raisins or other dried fruits, though some choose to omit these as a personal preference. They were traditionally either topped with a cinnamon

streusel In baking and pastry making, streusel () is a crumbly topping of flour, butter, and sugar that is baked on top of muffins, breads, pies, and cakes.

or more commonly not topped at all, however beginning in the 20th century noodle kugels began to be topped with a variety of toppings including crushed

cornflakes Corn flakes, or cornflakes, are a breakfast cereal made from toasting flakes of corn (maize). Originally invented as a breakfast food to counter indigestion, it has become a popular food item in the American diet and in the United Kingdom where ...

. The

Lithuanian Jews {{Jews and Judaism sidebar , Population Litvaks ({{Langx, yi, ליטװאַקעס) or Lita'im ({{Langx, he, לִיטָאִים) are Jews who historically resided in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (covering present-day Lithuan ...

(also known as Litvaks) are known for their preference for dishes seasoned with a fair amount of salt and pepper and are said to be the progenitors of many of the savory noodle kugels, while the

Polish Jews The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jews, Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the long pe ...

(those from southeastern Poland also known as Galitzianers) are known for their preference for sweet dishes and are said to be progenitors of many of the sweet noodle kugels. When the Jews fled antisemitic oppression and

pogrom A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...

s in Eastern Europe and found refuge in

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

since at least the 19th century, more Jews emigrated from Poland than Lithuania, which resulted in the Polish Jews and Galitzianers having a larger influence on

American Jewish cuisine American Jewish cuisine comprises the food, cooking, and dining customs associated with American Jews. It was heavily influenced by the cuisine of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States from Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th cent ...

and the later predominance of the sweet noodle kugel that would appear in North America.

Variations

Sweet noodle kugel is the most common variation of noodle kugel, and is frequently made at home by those in the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community especially for various

and

. It is also a popular dish at various Jewish delis and restaurants. Though some prefer their noodle kugels without any additional toppings, as they enjoy the traditional crispy top of the kugel, consisting of lokshen noodle poking through the surface of the kugel and getting crispy through the baking process, many also prefer their noodle kugel to be topped with a variety of toppings including various crushed cereals such as

. A

streusel In baking and pastry making, streusel () is a crumbly topping of flour, butter, and sugar that is baked on top of muffins, breads, pies, and cakes.

or crumb topping was first popularized by the

German Jews The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...

. Jews in the American South top their noodle kugels with pecan pralines. Savory noodle kugels may be topped with

breadcrumbs Breadcrumbs are a culinary ingredient consisting of flour or crumbled bread of varying dryness, sometimes with seasonings added. They are used for a variety of purposes, including breading or crumbing foods before frying (such as breaded cutlet ...

, similar to a

macaroni and cheese Macaroni and cheese (colloquially known as mac and cheese and known as macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom) is a pasta dish of macaroni covered in cheese sauce, most commonly cheddar sauce. Its origins trace back to cheese and pasta casserol ...

. A cornflake topping for sweet noodle kugels, typically for those containing dairy ingredients and not pareve, was first popularized in the early 20th century in the United States as the confluence of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

and

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

Jewish cuisine Jewish cuisine refers to the worldwide cooking traditions of the Jewish people. During its evolution over the course of many centuries, it has been shaped by Jewish dietary laws (''kashrut''), Jewish festivals and holidays, and traditions cen ...

. This topping is prepared by pulverizing cornflakes either by hand or with a food processor, and then mixing them with sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. The sweet noodle kugel is prepared and then the topping is placed either prior to baking or in the middle of the baking process.

References

External links

* {{Noodles Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine Desserts Jewish cuisine Israeli cuisine Pasta dishes Jewish desserts Yiddish words and phrases Casserole dishes Shabbat Israeli desserts Savory puddings Kugels Jewish American cuisine Jewish noodle dishes Romani cuisine

Etymology

History

Variations

See also

References

External links