Sufganiyah

A "sufganiyah" (Hebrew: סופגנייה; plural, "sufganiyot": סופגנייות) is a ball-shaped doughnut that is first fried, pierced and injected with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar, similar to the German Berliner, the Polish pączki, or the Russian ponchik. In Yiddish, they are known as "ponchkes." They are usually eaten warm.

The Hebrew word "sufganiyah" derives from the Hebrew word for sponge ("sfog", _he. ספוג). [The New Even Shoshan Dictionary, volume II, p. 932] This is supposed to describe the texture of a "sufganiyah", which is somewhat similar to a sponge. The "sufganiyah" was originally prepared as two pieces of dough surrounding a jam filling, which was then fried together. Fact|date=October 2007 Today, balls of dough are deep-fried separately and then injected with a filling through the use of special injector machines.

Hanukkah treat

"Sufganiyot" are widely consumed in Israel in the weeks leading up to and including the Hanukkah holiday. At Hanukkah, Jews observe the custom of eating fried foods in commemoration of the miracle associated with the Temple oil. While potato pancakes ("latkes" or "levivot") are also eaten in Israel, "sufganiyot" are considered a more "Israeli" Hanukkah treat.

Bakeries and grocery stores build excitement for the approaching holiday by selling "sufganiyot" individually and by the box; they have become a favorite for school and office parties. Angel Bakeries, the largest bakery in Israel, reportedly fries up more than 250,000 "sufganiyot" every day during the eight-day Hanukkah festival. Each batch uses 100 kilograms of dough and makes 1,600 sufganiyot [ [http://www.food-lists.com/lists/archives/clipping-cooking/2003/12/1071940462.php [Clipping-Cooking Canadian Jewish 121803 Sufganiyot INFO and LINKS ] ] . Local newspapers add to the excitement by sending out food critics each year to rate the "best "sufganiyah" in town."

As a result of the national hubbub, some purveyors have elevated the basic filling recipe to an art form. The least expensive version (priced at about 30 cents) is stuffed with plain red jelly, while a more expensive version (priced at about $1 per "sufganiyah") is piped with dulce de leche. Outside Israel, there are many variations on the basic dough, including chocolate, no-yeast, and raised potato [ [http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/sufindex.htm jewish-food Sufganiyot archives ] ] .

References

ee also

*Hanukkah
*Pączki
*Berliner (pastry)
*Latkes