Kugel Yerushalmi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kugel Yerushalmi

Kugel Yerushalmi
Alternative names	Jerusalem kugel
Type	Kugel
Place of origin	Israel
Created by	Local Jewish followers of the Gaon of Vilna
Main ingredients	Noodles, caramel, black pepper

Kugel Yerushalmi, also known as Jerusalem kugel, is a special dish from Israel. It's a type of kugel that started in Jerusalem with the local Jewish community way back in the 1700s. The name kugl yerushalmi comes from Hebrew.

A Taste of History

This unique kugel was first made in Jerusalem during the 1700s. It was created by Ashkenazi Jews, who are a group of Jewish people from Central and Eastern Europe. They were followers of a wise Jewish teacher called the Vilna Gaon.

What Makes Jerusalem Kugel Special?

Kugel Yerushalmi sliced and packaged for sale.

Jerusalem kugel is different from other traditional noodle kugels. It has become a very important part of Ashkenazi Jewish meals.

• This kugel always uses thin egg noodles. They look a lot like spaghetti.
• A key ingredient in Jerusalem kugel is black pepper. This is unusual for kugel dishes. It can give the kugel a strong, spicy taste. A food writer once said it could be "sinus-clearing"!
• The noodles are coated in a sauce that tastes like caramel.
• After coating, the noodles are seasoned with black pepper.
• Then, the mixture is placed in a baking pan. This can be a pan with a hole in the middle, like a Bundt cake pan. Or it can be a round, flat pan, like a cake pan.
• Finally, it's baked in the oven until it's ready.

Jerusalem kugel usually does not contain any dairy products. This means it is considered pareve, which is a food category in Jewish dietary laws.