Hamantash

Homemade prune hamantashen

A hamantash (also spelled hamentasch, homentash, homentasch, (h)umentash, pluralized with -en or -n {sometimes singular is spelled this way also}; Yiddish המן־טאַש) is a pastry in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine recognizable for its three-cornered shape. The shape is achieved by folding in the sides of a circular piece of dough, with a filling placed in the center. It is traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim. While occasionally seen other times of year in secular contexts, this is not traditional. Hamantashen are made with many different fillings, including poppy seed (the oldest and most traditional variety),^[1] prunes, nut, date, apricot, apple, fruit preserves, cherry, chocolate, dulce de leche, halva, or even caramel or cheese.^[2] Their formation varies from hard pastry to soft doughy casings.

The name hamantash (המן־טאַש), is commonly known as a reference to Haman, the villain of Purim, as described in the Book of Esther. The pastries are supposed to symbolize the defeated enemy of the Jewish people, and thus resemble the "ears of Haman".^[3] Another possible source of the name is a folk etymology: the original Yiddish word מאָן־טאַשן (montashn) or German word mohntaschen, both meaning poppyseed-filled pouches,^[4] was transformed to Hamantaschen, likely by association with Haman. In Israel, they are called Oznei Haman (Hebrew: אוזני המן‎), Hebrew for "Haman's ears" in reference to their defeated enemy's ears. Hamantashen can cause drug tests for opiates to show up positive if eaten in large amounts due to the amount of poppy seeds in them.

Three Hamantashen. At top: Poppy seed. Bottom left: Raspberry. Right: Apricot.

Plural

The word "hamantash" is singular; "hamantashen" is plural and is the word form more commonly used. However, many people refer to these cookies as hamantashen even in the singular (for example, "I ate an apricot hamantashen").

See also

• The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate

References

1. ^ What is Hamantashen?
2. ^ Epi Log: The latest in Food News, the Culinary Arts & Cooking
3. ^ Purim, Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906, 'In this connection it may be mentioned that for the celebration of Purim there developed among the Jews a special kind of baking. Cakes were shaped into certain forms and were given names having some symbolic bearing on the historical events of Purim. Thus the Jews of Germany eat "Hamantaschen" and "Hamanohren" (in Italy, "orrechi d'Aman"), "Kreppchen," "Kindchen," etc.'
4. ^ MyJewishLearning.com - Holidays: Purim Foods