On the Chocolate Trail

Purim’s March madness brings funny faced yeast pastries, gifts of food, festive meals, and donations to the needy. While Hanukkah marks the survival of Judaism, Purim rejoices in the survival of the Jewish people. Built around the biblical book of Esther (Megillat Esther), the creative costumes, silly megillah based skits, and crazy carnivals foment frivolity. The holiday commemorates heroes Mordecai and Esther his niece, who prevented the evil Haman from annihilating Jewry.

Just as noisemakers blot out Haman’s name during the reading of the story of Esther, so too, there’s playful revenge in eating yeasted pastries shaped like Haman’s eyes (ojos de Haman), or his ears (orejas de Haman, oznei Haman, orecchi de Aman) or his triangular hat or pockets (Ashkenazi hamentashen). Triangular shaped Bukharian kulchi qandiy, baked with vodka and criss-crossed with a knife, portray the demise of Haman. Perhaps inspired by Easter breads, several of these goodies bake strips of dough, perhaps imitating prison bars, over hard boiled eggs in a rounded dough such as the Sephardi foulares or the Greek version folarikos. Pastry wrapping of the egg constrains Haman’s body, which is ultimately deliciously devoured. In Italy bread may depict Haman’s shoes. Little dough dolls of Haman’s despicable sons appear in Israeli food baskets. Some shape a hangman’s tower which had been intended for the Jews but ultimately punished Haman and his sons.

Puns on Haman’s name may be discerned in the popular poppy seed filling or ‘mohn’ of Yiddish and German. The Ladino haminados, meaning whole eggs long cooked or baked in the shell, also play on Haman’s name. In addition to hamentashen, Ashkenazim feast on one to two feet long saffron infused challah loaves. This koylitsh bread appears often in popular Yiddish culture. The braids represent Haman’s hanging ropes.

Recently Rabbi Susan Schnur argued for updating the Purim into what she called a womantasch:*

pubic triangles traditionally filled with black seeds—are pre-spring, full-moon fertility cookies, suggesting the potency of female generative power, and heralding women’s and the Earth’s seasonally awakening creativity.*

Another addition to the Purim repertoire could include shaping challah into grapes, a happy face emoji, a megillah, a crown, or a cluster of grapes. Plus, based on the Talmudic requirement to drink alcohol at Purim until one cannot distinguish between the names of Mordecai and Haman, we might indulge in a shikkere babka or flambe a challah. Or, we could use the alcohol infused dough from the Seven Heaven Challah.

Generations before us found relief and release in these historic and hysterical foods. So might we.

*(Susan Schnur, “From Prehistoric Cave Art to Your Cookie Pan: Tracing the Hamantasch Herstory,” Lilith, March 14, 1998)