 Babka is popular among Jews,
particularly those with family origins in
Eastern Europe. It is made from a doubled
and twisted length of yeast dough and is
typically baked in a high loaf pan. There is
never a fruit filling; the dough contains
either cinnamon or chocolate. It is usually
topped with streusel. A similar cake called
a kokosh is also popular in Jewish bakeries.
Kokosh also comes in chocolate and cinnamon
varieties, but it is lower and longer than
babka, is not twisted, and not topped with
streusel.
Babka of this style has become popular in
North American cities with large Jewish
populations, including Montreal, New York
and Toronto. This sort of babka was used as
a MacGuffin in the Seinfeld episode "The
Dinner Party."
Other than the dessert variety, there also
exists a traditional Eastern European Jewish
variety prepared during Passover in lieu of
bread. Generally, this sort is not sweet and
is prepared using crushed matzos with water,
egg, and salt. Some Polish Jews refer to
pancakes with these ingredients as bubbeleh,
a name similar to babka. |
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