Hamantashen Recipes
Hamantashen is a triangular-shaped, filled pastry which is traditionally served on Purim. While today the pastry is filled with a variety of sweet options, it is most traditional to fill the pastry with poppy seed filling. The source of the pastry was poppy seed treats called "Mantashen".
The name was intentionally distorted to "Hamantashan" which means "Haman's pockets" in Yiddish. Some say that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and that is why the pocket of dough is triangular.
In Hebrew, the pastry is called "Oznei Haman" which means Haman's ears. This name may have come from the midrash which says that when Haman entered the King's treasury, he was bent over with shame and humiliation (literally with clipped ears).
- About Judaism: Kids' Hamantashen
- Mimi's Cyber-Kitchen: Easy-Bake Hamantaschen
- AllRecipes.com: Hamantashen
- Hamantashen from the Sephardic Tradition
- Jewish-Food.org: Variety of Hamantashen
Mishloach Manot (literally "sending of portions") is another Purim food tradition. These are baskets filled with cakes, cookies, nuts, fruits and other treats given to neighbors, friends, and especially the needy. Hamantashen is often the centerpiece of these food baskets.Seudat Purim
It is traditional to have a Purim Seudah (feast) on Purim day. At this meal, some serve an especially long, braided challah (in memory of the rope used to hang Haman), soup with kreplach (triangular shaped in memory of Haman's hat), and turkey (in memory of King Ahasuerus's reign from India ("Hodu") to Ethiopia and of his foolishness). Others have a vegetarian meal since Esther ate as a vegetarian in order to keep kosher in the King's Palace. Of course, for dessert there is hamantashen.
