Kugel is more a class of foods, than a food. Growing out of the medieval Ashkenazi kitchen, it went through a multi-stage development process, and now comes in many forms. It remains, however, one of the most popular Shabbat dishes.

But primarily due to its popularity, it also grew into a dish that is particularly revered by Chasidic Jews. Understanding why also helps us to perceive the growth of spirituality across the board in Jewish life.

Interview: Adeena Sussman

Episode Notes

Definitions:
“Cake” – A typically sweet, somewhat light dessert or snack food that is made from flour, and usually includes eggs, sugar, water, and some sort of leavening agent.

“Casserole” – Both a type of cooking vessel, and the food made inside it. American-style casseroles typically bake together a protein, some vegetables, and a sauce of some kind, in an open shallow dish. Occasionally, though often not, they may include a binding agent. European casseroles are typically prepared in a covered dish.

“Dumpling” – A particularly confusing culinary term, as it means very different things in different countries, and has also developed new meanings over time. The original dumpling was a simple ball of dough that was cooked within a liquid, such as soup, or was steamed.

“Pashtida” – An Israeli dish that falls somewhere between a frittata and a kugel. Typically savory and egg based, it usually includes some vegetables as filling, and does not typically have a crust.

“Pudding” – In America, the term usually refers to a sweet, milk-based dessert, with a coagulant added in. In Britain, the term may apply to such milk puddings, but also can refer to the entire dessert course. Further, it is also used for a number of savory dishes, such as Yorkshire pudding, black (blood) pudding, or suet pudding. This latter usage applies ot a dish that is seen as the grain-based culinary descendent of a sausage.

“Quiche” – A French dish that fills a pastry crust with an egg custard, along with some vegetables or protein, and frequently cheese.

“Rebbe” – The Yiddish word for “rabbi.” A term of endearment from a Chasid in relation to the leader of his sect.

Sources and links:
Edouard de Pomiane, The Jews of Poland: Recollections and Recipes

Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food

Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food

A picture of a kugeltopf

Recipe for a savory, non-dairy lokshen kugel (surprisingly hard to find on the web)

Recipe for an American-style sweet lokshen kugel

About the “gefilte line”

Recipe for yapchik

Recipe for potatonik

Avery Robinson, “Kugel and Pudding: Tasting Jewish American Foodways”