Mohn kichel, also known as mon kichel, or poppy seed kichel, is an

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

cookie made with poppy seeds. Mohn kichel were popular among the inhabitants of the

shtetl A shtetl or shtetel (; yi, שטעטל, translit=shtetl (singular); שטעטלעך, romanized: ''shtetlekh'' (plural)) is a Yiddish term for the small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before ...

, as they were more economical to make than other Jewish cookies such as

rugelach Rugelach ( ; , or yi, רוגעלעך, translit=rugelekh and he, רוגלך ''rōgalaḵ'') is a Pastry, filled baked confection originating in the History of the Jews in Poland, Jewish communities of Poland. It is popular in Israel, commonly f ...

. Despite its similar name, mohn kichel bears little resemblance to the light, airy and crisp

kichel Kichel ( yi, קיכל, plural kichlach , the diminutive of ''kukhn'' "cake") is a slightly sweet Cracker (food), cracker or cookie in Jewish cuisine. Made from eggs, flour, and sugar, the dough is rolled out flat and cut into bow-tie shapes. Comm ...

to whom it is similarly baked, as mohn kichel is generally thin, crisp, and rectangular-shaped.

Overview

Mohn kichel are a cookie flavored with poppy seeds, and generally made from a

pareve In ''kashrut'', the dietary laws of Judaism, pareve (from yi, פאַרעוו for "neutral", in Hebrew , and also parve and other variant English spellings) is a classification of edible substances that contain neither dairy nor meat ingredients. ...

(non-dairy) Dough, although dairy versions exist. Mohn kichel have been called a ''"peasant cookie"'' by some, and originate from the shtetls or impoverished Jewish villages of

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

. Their popularity has declined over the years in favor of other cookies containing chocolate, etc., and many nostalgically recollect their bubbes (Jewish grandmother) baking them. However they are still available, and general consist of a rectangular or square shaped cookie that is crisp and not very thick. They contain poppy seeds ( mohn), from which they derived their name, and the poppy seeds are generally left whole unlike in

hamantash A hamantash (pl. ''hamantashen''; also spelled ''hamantasch'', ''hamantaschen''; yi, המן־טאַש ''homentash'', pl. ''homentashn'', 'Haman pockets') is an Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, Ashkenazi Jewish triangular filled-pocket pastry, associat ...

; which lends the mohn kichel their signature crunchy texture which some have disparagingly described as gritty. Another variant exists which is more similar to a

butter cookie Butter cookies (or butter biscuits), also known as Danish biscuits, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is often categorized as a "crisp cookie" du ...

shortbread Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts plain wheat flour. Unlike many other biscuits and baked goods, shortbread does not contain any leavening, ...

as it is thicker and has a richer, more buttery texture.

Vegan variation

A vegan, gluten free variation of mohn kichel exists containing no eggs, which brown rice and tapioca flour substituting the wheat flour and coconut oil being used instead of cooking oil or butter.

Overview

Vegan variation

References

See also