History
According to food historian
Gil Marks Gilbert Stanley Marks (May 30, 1952 – December 5, 2014) was an American food writer and historian noted for his reference and cookbooks on the subject of Jewish food. He was the founding editor of ''Kosher Gourmet'' magazine. He moved to Israel ...
, the recipe for a filled jelly doughnut was first published in a 1485 cookbook in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
. The "Gefüllte Krapfen" consisted of "a bit of jam sandwiched between two rounds of yeast bread dough and deep-fried in lard". This doughnut became popular in northern European countries from Denmark to Russia during the 16th century. In 19th-century Germany it began to be called a
Berliner
Berliner is most often used to designate a citizen of Berlin, Germany
Berliner may also refer to:
People
* Berliner (surname)
Places
* Berliner Lake, a lake in Minnesota, United States
* Berliner Philharmonie, concert hall in Berlin, Germany
...
or a Bismarck, after German Chancellor
Otto von Bismarck
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...
.
Among
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 Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lo ...
, the jelly doughnut was fried in oil or
schmaltz
Schmaltz (also spelled schmalz or shmalz) is rendered (clarified) chicken or goose fat. It is an integral part of traditional Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, where it has been used for centuries in a wide array of dishes, such as chicken soup, lat ...
rather than lard, due to
kashrut
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
laws. In Poland, these doughnuts were known as ''
ponchkis''. Polish Jewish immigrants to
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
brought along their recipe as well as the tradition of eating them on Hanukkah. In
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, however, they took on a new name—''sufganiyot''—based on the Talmud's description of a "spongy dough" (see the
Etymology section).
Description
The ''ponchik''-style ''sufganiyah'' was originally made from two circles of dough surrounding a jelly filling, stuck together and fried in one piece.
Although this method is still practiced, an easier technique commonly used today is to deep-fry whole balls of dough, and then inject them with a filling through a baker's syringe (or a special industrial machine).
Modern-day ''sufganiyot'' in Israel are made from sweet yeast dough, filled with plain red jelly (usually strawberry,
sometimes raspberry), and topped with powdered sugar. Fancier versions are stuffed with
dulce de leche
''Dulce de leche'' (; pt, doce de leite), also known as caramelized milk, milk candy or milk jam in English, is a confection from Latin America prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk over a period of several hours. The resulting substance, wh ...
, chocolate cream, vanilla cream, cappuccino,
halva
Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...
, creme espresso,
chocolate truffle
A chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped and toasted nuts (typically hazelnuts or almonds), usually in a spherical, conica ...
,
or ''
araq'', and topped with various extravagant toppings, from coconut shavings and tiny vials of liquor to
meringue
Meringue (, ; ) is a type of dessert or candy, often associated with Swiss, French, Polish and Italian cuisines, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream of ...
and fruit pastes.
In 2014 one Jerusalem bakery produced ''sufganiyah'' dough saturated with flavored
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
.
File:Deep-frying sufganiyot.jpg, A baker deep-fries ''sufganiyot'' at the Mahane Yehuda Market
Mahane Yehuda Market ( he, שוק מחנה יהודה, ''Shuk Mahane Yehuda''), often referred to as "The Shuk" ( he, השוק, HaShuq), is a marketplace (originally open-air, but now partially covered) in Jerusalem. Popular with locals and touri ...
, Jerusalem
File:Sufganiyot at Mahane Yehuda shuk.jpg, Powdered and iced sufganiyot for sale in Jerusalem before Hanukkah 2014
File:Sufganiyot-roladin.jpg, Sufganiyot from Roladin
Roladin or Roladin Bakery & Café ( he, רולדין) is the largest bakery chain in Israel, with 99 locations around Israel.
History
The concept for Roladin was created in 1987 by two brothers Kobi and Avi Hakak. Homemade cakes were sold from d ...
, an Israeli bakery chain.
Mini sufganiyot
In 2016, Israeli bakeries began downsizing ''sufganiyot'' to appeal to health-conscious consumers, following an anti-junk food campaign by Health Minister
Yaakov Litzman
Yaakov Noach Litzman ( he, יַעֲקֹב נָח לִיצְמָן , born 2 September 1948) is an Israeli politician and former government minister. A follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, he heads Agudat Yisrael, part of the United Torah Judais ...
.
The usual size, packing 400 to 600 calories (1,700 to 2,500 kJ),
now appears in size with different fillings and toppings, earning the name "mini."
Popularity
In Israel
Until the 1920s, ''sufganiyot'' and
latkes
A latke ( yi, לאַטקע ''latke''; sometimes romanized ''latka'', lit. "pancake") is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients ot ...
were of comparable popularity among Jews in
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
during the Hanukkah holiday. The
Histadrut
Histadrut, or the General Organization of Workers in Israel, originally ( he, ההסתדרות הכללית של העובדים בארץ ישראל, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center ...
, Israel's national labor union formed in 1920, pushed to replace the homemade latke with the ''sufganiyah'' as Israel's quintessential Hanukkah food in order to provide more work for its members. Commercial bakeries began selling ''sufganiyot'' days and weeks before Hanukkah began, lengthening the employment period. Their effort was successful, and ''sufganiyot'' became the most popular food for Hanukkah in Israel.
By the 21st century, more Israeli Jews report eating ''sufganiyot'' on Hanukkah than fasting on
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...
.
Today ''sufganiyot'' are sold by Israeli bakeries as early as September.
Angel Bakeries
Angel Bakeries ( he, מאפיות אנג'ל ''Ma'afiyot Anjel''), also known as Angel's Bakery, is the largest commercial bakery in Israel, producing 275,000 loaves of bread and 275,000 rolls daily and controlling 30 percent of the country's brea ...
, the largest bakery in Israel, reportedly fries up more than 25,000 ''sufganiyot'' every day during the eight-day Hanukkah festival itself. Each batch uses of dough and makes 1,600 ''sufganiyot''. Local newspapers add to the excitement by rating the "best ''sufganiyah'' in town".
The Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
buys upwards of 400,000 ''sufganiyot'' for its soldiers each Hanukkah. As the troops overwhelmingly prefer jelly-filled doughnuts, the Defense Ministry purchases 80% with jelly filling and 20% with chocolate filling.
File:Sufganiyot at Mahane Yehuda shuk.jpg, ''Sufganiyot'' for sale at a stall in the Mahane Yehuda Market
Mahane Yehuda Market ( he, שוק מחנה יהודה, ''Shuk Mahane Yehuda''), often referred to as "The Shuk" ( he, השוק, HaShuq), is a marketplace (originally open-air, but now partially covered) in Jerusalem. Popular with locals and touri ...
.
File:Safed Jewish Boy.jpg, A haredi
Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
boy eats a ''sufganiyah'' in the old city of Safed
Safed (known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardi Hebrew, Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation, Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), i ...
.
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - 2011 Hanukkah Celebrations.jpg, Israeli soldiers enjoying ''sufganiyot'' as part of their Hanukkah festivities.
In other Jewish communities
Sufganiyot are a relatively recent introduction to the United States, where latkes
A latke ( yi, לאַטקע ''latke''; sometimes romanized ''latka'', lit. "pancake") is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients ot ...
are the traditional Hanukkah food.[ According to ]Gil Marks Gilbert Stanley Marks (May 30, 1952 – December 5, 2014) was an American food writer and historian noted for his reference and cookbooks on the subject of Jewish food. He was the founding editor of ''Kosher Gourmet'' magazine. He moved to Israel ...
, latke was still the dominant choice in American Jewish homes in 2012.[ Rabbi Levi Shemtov in 2019 said "Latkes used to dominate in the U.S., while doughnuts dominated in Israel. Now, I think both are equally popular in the U.S."][
The ''sufganiyah'' was introduced by American Jews who had visited or studied in Israel, and by Israeli Jews who had settled in the U.S. While ''sufganiyot'' were not commercially available in the United States before the 1970s, today bakeries in many Jewish communities sell ''sufganiyot'', as do non-kosher bakeries.] The doughnut chains Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...
and Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain.
Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans ch ...
purvey ''sufganiyot'' in their kosher-certified outlets.[
''Sufganiyot'' are also sold in kosher shops in Europe. Smaller Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine organize special "community bakes" to prepare ''sufganiyot'' for school and kindergarten parties.
]
Savory varieties
Savory ''sufganiyot'' also exist. In 2018, ''The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...
'' reported on a new trend of savory ''sufganiyot'' in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
eateries, in which the dough is filled with chicken schnitzel
A schnitzel is a thin slice of meat. The meat is usually thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer. Most commonly, the meat is breaded before frying. Breaded schnitzel is popular in many countries and is made using veal, pork, chicken, mutton, ...
, lamb bacon, liver, or pastrami. Other savory varieties include:
*''Panzerotti
A panzerotto (; plural panzerotti , also known as panzarotto ), is a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and dough used for its preparation. The term usually a ...
'' in Italy, filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce.
* ''Lachmazikas'' in Spain, filled with everything from lamb and mushrooms to whitefish, ricotta, peppers, and herbs.
* ''Sambusa
A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Samo ...
''-inspired savory ''sufganiyot'', filled with lentils and peas, are popular among Iraqi Jews
The history of the Jews in Iraq ( he, יְהוּדִים בָּבְלִים, ', ; ar, اليهود العراقيون, ) is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c. 586 BC. Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and mos ...
in Israel.
Gallery
File:Mini sufganiyot.jpg, Elegantly-styled "mini" ''sufganiyot''
File:Sufganiyah-Roland.jpg, Fancy sufganiyot
File:Sufganiyot at Jerusalem Central Bus station.jpg, Sufganiyot from a bakery in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
See also
* Bimuelos – Fritters served on Hanukkah by Sephardi Jews
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...
* Bombolone
* Culture of Israel
The roots of the culture of Israel developed long before modern Israel's independence in 1948, and traces back to ancient Israel ( 1000 BCE). It reflects Jewish culture, Jewish history in the diaspora, the ideology of the Zionist movement that de ...
* Fritas de prasa
* Israeli cuisine
Israeli cuisine ( he, המטבח הישראלי ) comprises both local dishes and dishes brought to Israel by Jews from the Diaspora. Since before the establishment of the Israel, State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, a ...
* Latkes
A latke ( yi, לאַטקע ''latke''; sometimes romanized ''latka'', lit. "pancake") is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. Latkes can be made with ingredients ot ...
* List of doughnut varieties
Doughnuts are a type of fried dough food. The following is a list of doughnut varieties.
Variations and specialties by region
The terms below constitute either names for different doughnut types created using local recipes, or for the local la ...
* Sfenj
Sfenj (from the Arabic word ar, السفنج, Safanj, meaning sponge) is a Maghrebi doughnut: a light, spongy ring of dough fried in oil. Sfenj is eaten plain, sprinkled with sugar, or soaked in honey. It is a well-known dish in the Maghreb and ...
* Zalabiyeh
Zalabiyeh ( ar, زلابية) or Pitulici is a fritter or doughnut found in several cuisines across Europe, the Middle East and West Asia. The fritter version is made from a semi-thin batter of wheat flour which is poured into hot oil and deep- ...
Explanatory notes
References
External links
Making non-traditional sufganiyot
a demonstration video with Phyllis Glazer
Sufganiyot – The Best
The best Hanukkah sufganiyot in Israel
{{Doughnut
Doughnuts
Hanukkah foods
Hanukkah traditions
Israeli desserts
Jewish baked goods
Jewish cuisine
Hebrew words and phrases