Alternative names | Poppyseed filling |
---|---|
Type | Spread, pastry filling |
Place of origin | Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe |
Created by | Ashkenazi Jews |
Main ingredients | Poppyseeds (additional ingredients include sugar or honey, milk (or water if pareve, apricot jam, binder such as cake crumbs or matzo meal |
Mohn (Yiddish: מאָן mohn), is an Ashkenazi Jewish paste or spread made from ground poppy seeds, and is traditionally used as a filling in a number of Jewish baked goods such as hamantaschen, babka, mohn kichel, rugelach, mohn bars, mohn rolls, cakes, and more.[1][2]
Overview
Mohn generally has a very thick, paste-like consistency similar to peanut butter or a thick custard. It is typically sweet but has been said to have a subtle bitterness and citrus notes due to the presence of poppyseeds; which are it’s main ingredient. Sometimes lemon or orange zest is added to further accentuate these notes. As the poppyseeds used in mohn have been ground to a powdery consistency, they have less of a tendency to get stuck in your teeth.[3][2]
Depending on what it is going to be used for, and due to kosher dietary laws, there are two main kinds of mohn. Dairy mohn, which may contain milk, heavy cream, and/or butter; and which is used in baked goods such as hamantaschen which are made with a dough containing dairy and which will be served with a dairy meal. And pareve (non-dairy) mohn which typically replaces the milk with water and the butter with margarine or oil, and is used in pastries that are meant to be served with meat meals such as mohn rolls, pareve hamantaschen, etc. Pareve mohn is also suitable for vegan applications.[2]
Today many people buy mohn premade instead of preparing it themselves. Traditionally mohn was almost exclusively prepared at home, however beginning in America in the 20th century various commercially-made canned varieties by brands such as "Solo" became available and are still sold online and in grocery stones in areas of the country with significant Jewish populations such as the Northeast, Southern California, and South Florida. Homemade mohn and premade mohn have significant differences in ingredients, and premade mohn is generally pareve. Some assert that homemade mohn is of superior quality as packaged mohn often contains ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives.[2][4]
Preparation
"According to owner Uri Sheft (acclaimed Israeli pastry chef and owner of Lehamim Bakery), the secret to his poppyseed hamantaschen — which he said he sells more of than the rest of the flavors combined — is the seeds. To preserve their sweetness, he uses a special machine to press rather than grind them and bakes them immediately after."
— Andrew Tobin, Jewish Telegraphic Agency[5]
Mohn is prepared by grinding poppy seeds in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor for several minutes until they reach a powdery consistency but before they turn into a paste. Grinding the poppyseeds helps release their natural oils which enhances the flavor of the final product, as well as theirs starches which help thicken the mohn filling, and it also helps the poppyseeds not get stuck in your teeth.[2][6]
Depending on whether dairy or pareve variation of mohn is being prepared, milk (or water) and sugar (or sometimes honey or silan) are simmered in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is thoroughly heated. The ground poppyseeds, along with a flavoring such as lemon zest or vanilla extract is added, and sometimes other ingredients such as chopped walnuts are added. The mixture is then stirred continuously until it thickens and reaches a jam-like consistency. At this point it is typically removed from the heat, and sometimes apricot jam may be added for flavor and cake crumbs or matzo meal may be added as a binder and to help ensure the mohn doesn’t leak out of when used as a filling in hamantaschen and other baked goods. It is then allowed to cool and refrigerated prior to being used as a filling or spread. It has a shelf life of approximately 3 days.[7]
Uses
Mohn is primarily used as a filling for a number of Jewish pastries, cookies, and cakes. It is most associated with hamantaschen as it has been said to be the most-popular and most-traditional filling for the traditional Purim cookies.[2][8]
References
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.
- ^ a b c d e f Marks, Rabbi Gil. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH.
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.
- ^ "Israeli chefs take hamantaschen to a whole new level". JTA. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.
- ^ Scheft, Uri. Breaking Breads. Artisan Books.