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March 2, 2007
Bringing pocketfuls of pure joy
Purim means it's time for hamantashen – and Israeli bakeries
are all too happy to oblige.
BATSHEVA POMERANTZ ISRAEL PRESS SERVICE
Purim wouldn't be the same without hamantashen, the triangular
pastries with dollops of fillings ranging from poppy seeds to nut
blends. While Purim cuisine developed differently in the various
countries where Jews lived, the most popular tidbit today is the
three-cornered hamantashen.
The word hamantashen is in itself an amalgamation of meanings, reflecting
the original filling. Hamantashen is made up of two Yiddish words
– mohn (poppy) and tashen (pockets). It is said
that because the names of these cookies sounded like Haman, the
villain who was intent on destroying the Jewish people during the
Persian Empire, they came to be called hamantashen (Haman's
pockets). The three-cornered treat symbolizes the three-cornered
hat said to have been worn by Haman when he was senior advisor to
King Ahasuerus.
In Israel, hamantashen are known as Oznei Haman (the Ears
of Haman). According to the Midrash, Haman's schemes against the
Jews were backfiring, with his arch-foe Mordechai rising to power,
so Haman went to see the king. He entered his house bent over with
shame and humiliation – literally with clipped ears.
Poppy seeds were used to flavor breads, cakes, rolls and cookies
in Europe and the Middle East and for many years – until fillings,
over time, became more varied – were the most popular filling
for hamantashen. This may well be because Queen Esther is said to
have eaten only poppy seeds during her three-day fast while praying
for Haman's decree to annihilate the Jews to be revoked.
Hamantashen are available in Israeli shops and bakeries about a
month before the brief Purim holiday. They are an essential part
of the mishloach manot (sending of portions), which are prepared
and sent to family and friends on Purim and are a highlight of the
holiday.
Some add a few individual hamantashen to the mishloach manot plate,
while others give an entire box in decorative packaging with a bottle
of wine or some other edible item, thus fulfilling the obligation
of giving a minimum two portions to one person.
Parents and children sometimes bake hamantashen from scratch, but
Israeli bakeries offer an assortment of hamantashen for every taste.
Herby's Bakery is owned by Herby Dan, a native of Memphis, Tenn.
He started his baking career in Memphis, finishing the early shift
at a bakery before rushing off to court as a lawyer. After moving
to Israel and leaving behind his law career, he fulfilled a dream
in 1989 by opening Herby's Bakery in Beit El, near Jerusalem. Today,
he starts baking hamantashen around Tu b'Shevat, a month before
Purim. Herby's hamantashen are known for their fine-textured dough
with a home-made flavor.
In a poll of bakeries conducted two years ago by the Jerusalem
Post, Herby's hamantashen came in first place. "We make
hamantashen with date, chocolate, strawberry and blueberry fillings,"
said Dan. "Apricot is particularly popular." Marketed
in and around Jerusalem, Herby's offers two sizes of hamantashen,
regular and small. "Although there's more labor involved in
baking the smaller size, people like them because they're cute,"
said Dan.
Berman's Bakery, founded 130 years ago in Jerusalem, is known for
its bread and baked goods throughout Israel. Its customers also
prefer the smaller hamantashen. "They're crispier and the proportion
between the filling and the dough is better integrated in the smaller
size," said the bakery's Benny Mahalla. "Customers prefer
the more traditional date and poppy seed fillings, but we also produce
chocolate, which is almost as popular. Halva filling is appreciated
by those with more refined tastes."
Berman's markets its hamantashen in chains and groceries throughout
Israel and recently started exporting them to Switzerland.
Israel's largest bakery, the Angel Bakery, was founded in Jerusalem
in 1927. Hamantashen are produced about two months before Purim
so clients in the United States can receive them in time for the
festival.
"The production process includes both machine and manual work,"
said Yigal Khayat, deputy manager and head of Angel's pastry shops.
"The machine prepares and cuts the crisp dough into circles.
We then add the filling with a special implement and close the circles
manually."
Khayat said the most popular filling is poppy seed, followed by
date and chocolate. "Halva, blueberry and nut fillings are
appreciated by customers looking for unique flavors, but the traditional
fillings appeal to our ultra-Orthodox customers."
Unlike Herby's and Berman's, Angel customers prefer the larger of
the two sizes that they make. A twist on the traditional hamantashen
is prepared only a week before Purim. These are the extra large
hamantashen made with yeast dough. Each one weighs a hefty 150 grams.
Roladin, founded in 1987 by brothers Avi and Kobi Hakak, concentrates
on hand-made products using only top-quality, natural ingredients,
with no additional flavor enhancers. An unusual feature of this
bakery is the Roladin Visitors' Centre, set in the heart of the
Sharon region's orange groves. This is particularly popular during
Purim, when visitors of all ages get to view the 10-metre observation
window – through which Roladin's bakers can be watched preparing
hamantashen – the giant ovens, each of which bakes 120 trays
of goods simultaneously and the huge mixers that stir 120 kilograms
of flour at a time. The tour ends at a large table, where the ingredients
for making hamantashen await. The pastry chef provides personal,
hands-on guidance in correct preparation methods.
Although the sages point out that Purim is not all about food, drink
and festivities and does actually have a deeper spiritual meaning,
most Israelis are intent on polishing off the hamantashen and mishloach
manot before embarking on Pesach preparations.
An easy recipe for hamantashen
1 stick margarine (110 grams)
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup oil
2 cups flour
Combine the ingredients to make a soft dough. Roll out to the thickness
of your choosing. Cut into circles with the rim of a cup or glass
and place a teaspoon of filling in the centre. Form triangles by
folding the sides inwards towards the middle. Bake at 350 degrees
Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Alternative fillings: date spread with added cinnamon for flavor,
poppy seeds, halva and nuts.
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