Mouna, also known as Mona, is an

Algerian Jewish The History of the Jews in Algeria refers to the history of the Jewish community of Algeria, which dates to the 1st century CE. In the 15th century, many Spanish Jews fled to the Maghreb, including today's Algeria, following expulsion from Spai ...

sweet bread of

Sephardi 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 sefa ...

origin, similar to

challah Challah (, he, חַלָּה or ; plural: or ) is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually acceptable ch ...

kubaneh Kubaneh ( he, כֻּבַּאנֶה) is a traditional Yemenite Jewish bread that is popular in Israel. Kubaneh is traditionally baked overnight to be served for Shabbat morning accompanied by haminados (eggs that are baked in their shells along wit ...

or brioche, that is traditionally consumed for the Jewish holidays of Mimouna and Shabbat, which is commonly found today in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, and

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 ...

, and has a sweet taste enriched with oil and eggs and often contains anise, sesame,

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

, or other citrus.

Etymology

Mouna derives its name from the Jewish holiday Mimouna, a special holiday traditionally celebrated by Maghrebi Jews to mark the end of the

Pesach Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...

(Passover) holiday with a feast of sweets and baked goods. Mouna likely comes from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

word ''emunah'', meaning faith.

Overview

Mouna is a very popular bread, especially in Algerian

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 ce ...

, but also in

Moroccan Jewish Moroccan Jews ( ar, اليهود المغاربة, al-Yahūd al-Maghāriba he, יהודים מרוקאים, Yehudim Maroka'im) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman times. Jews b ...

Tunisian Jewish The history of the Jews in Tunisia extended nearly two thousand years and goes back to the Ancient Carthage, Punic era. The Jewish community in Tunisia is no doubt older and grew up following successive waves of immigration and proselytism ...

, as well as French Jewish and

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 State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, an Israel ...

(owing to the large population of Maghrebi Jews in both countries). Mouna is used in similar way as

is used by other Jewish communities, as the bread served for Shabbat and other holidays such as Mimouna of the

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' ...

break fast. Mouna is a delicate and sweet bread, and also sometimes contains a filling such as jam in the center.

Preparation

Mouna is prepared most often for Jewish holidays and special occasions in the Algerian Jewish community. Mouna is prepared by making an enriched dough made with flour, eggs, cooking oil, water, sugar, salt, and sometimes anise seeds, and orange or lemon zest or juice. The bread is then Kneaded and left to rise. It is then formed into small individual balls, and the balls of dough are joined together in a pan and are coated with an

egg wash An egg wash is beaten eggs, sometimes mixed with another liquid such as water or milk, which is sometimes brushed onto the surface of a pastry before baking. Egg washes are also used as a step in the process of breading foods, providing a substra ...

. Oftentimes mouna is topped with powdered sugar or sesame and anise seeds. The bread is then baked, and when it is ready it often looks somewhat similar in appearance to the

Yemenite Jewish Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ''Yehudei Teman''; ar, اليهود اليمنيون) are those Jews who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. Between June 1949 and September 1950, the ...

bread

(another popular Shabbat bread), or the American

monkey bread Monkey bread (also known by other names including plucking cake, pull-apart bread, and bubble bread) is a soft, sweet, sticky pastry served in the United States for breakfast or as a treat. It consists of pieces of soft baked dough sprinkled with ...

References

{{African cuisine Shabbat Jewish baked goods Jewish breads Sephardi Jewish cuisine Passover Algerian Jews Algerian cuisine North African cuisine Oran Pastries