Kuchen
Marmorkuchen
|
|
| Type | Desserts and pastries |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Germany |
 |
|
Kuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈkuːxən]), the German word for cake, is used in other languages as the name for several different types of savory or sweet desserts, pastries, and gateaux. Most Kuchen have eggs and flour as common ingredients while also, but not always, including some form of sweetener and/or fat. In Germany it is a common tradition to invite friends over to one's house or to a cafe between noon and evening to drink coffee and eat Kuchen ("Kaffee und Kuchen").
The term itself may cover as many distinct desserts as its English counterpart "cake". However, the word "cake" covers both Kuchen and Torte, sometimes confused with one another. The key difference being that a Torte is a Kuchen that is decorated or layered with cream, frosting, ganache, or fruit based filling after baking. A Kuchen is typically less decorative or fancy in nature. Examples of a Torte made from a base Kuchen include the Jewish Palacsinken Torte and Mohn Torte (or Kindli).
Kuchen also does not have to fall under a sweet category as there are savory variations of it as well. These are called Pikante Kuchen, with examples such as Zwiebelkuchen, Speckkuchen, and KartoffelKuchen (often paired with fresh wine or beer).
In the United States, back when Jewish immigrants were first arriving in the country, many of the recipes that they brought with them utilized dried fruits as it was difficult to come across fresh ones in their home countries. One that was particularly favored is compote. Desserts have long since changed to become more sophisticated as fresh fruits are now abundant.
Lekach is a Jewish honey cake of German origin. It comes from Lebkuchen, or honey-sweetened gingerbread. This has roots from as early as the twelfth century, when it was customary for boys attending heder (school for Jewish children) to bring a piece of honey cake to the first day of school.
Rugelach is a form of the rolled-pastry variation of Kuchen. They are usually filled with nuts and raisins, with a pastry composed of cheese curds and sour cream.
...
Wikipedia