Poppy seed roll facts for kids
Walnut (diós) and poppy seed (mákos) bejgli
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| Alternative names | Walnut roll |
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| Type | Pastry |
| Region or state | Western Europe: Austria
Northern Europe: Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania Central and Eastern Europe: Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Serbia, Russia |
| Main ingredients | Flour, sugar, egg yolk, milk or sour cream, butter, poppy seeds or walnuts or chestnuts |
The poppy seed roll is a yummy pastry that looks like a roll. It's made from sweet yeast bread, which is a bit like a soft, rich dough. Inside, it has a thick, tasty filling, usually made from poppy seeds.
Sometimes, instead of poppy seeds, the filling is made from crushed walnuts or chestnuts. This sweet treat is very popular in many countries in Central Europe and parts of Eastern Europe. People often enjoy it during special holidays like Christmas and Easter.
Contents
Where It's Popular and What It's Called
This delicious roll is a traditional food in many different cultures. Here are some of its names:
- In Poland, it's called makowiec.
- In Hungary, it's known as mákos bejgli.
- In Slovakia, it's makovník.
- In the Czech Republic, it's makový závin.
- In Austria, it's called Mohnstrudel or Mohnstriezel.
- In Ukraine, you might hear it called pyrih z makom or makivnyk.
- In Croatia and Serbia, it's makovnjača or štrudla sa makom.
- In Slovenia, it's makova potica.
- In Romania, it's coarda cu mac or coarda cu nucă.
- In Lithuania, it's aguonų vyniotinis.
- In Latvia, it's magonmaizite.
- In Germany, it's also Mohnstrudel.
- In Denmark, it's part of wienerbrød, which means Vienna bread.
How It's Made
Making a poppy seed roll involves a few steps.
The Dough
The dough for this roll is made from simple ingredients like flour, sugar, egg yolk, milk or sour cream, butter, and yeast. Sometimes, people add a bit of lemon or orange zest or even rum to give the dough extra flavor.
When you first mix the dough, it can feel quite firm and dry. But as you knead it and let it rest, it becomes very stretchy and strong. This makes it perfect for rolling out into a big, thin sheet.
The Filling
The most common filling is made from ground poppy seeds. These are mixed with milk, butter, sugar or honey. Other flavors like lemon zest and juice are often added. Sometimes, raisins are mixed in too.
Another popular filling uses ground walnuts. These are combined with milk, butter, and sugar. People often add flavors like coffee or orange zest, and sometimes raisins. This walnut filling can also be spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or vanilla.
Putting It Together
Once the dough is rolled out, the filling is spread evenly over it. The dough is then carefully rolled up into a long cylinder, like a log.
Before baking, the roll is often brushed with egg white (left over from the egg yolks used in the dough). Then, the unbaked roll is gently placed on a baking sheet and left to rise. Finally, it's baked until it turns a lovely golden-brown color. Some recipes use different washes before baking, or add a sweet glaze or icing after it's baked.
Different Kinds of Rolls
In Hungarian cuisine, it's common to serve two rolls together: one with poppy seed filling and one with walnut filling. This combination is called mákos és diós, which means "poppy seed and walnut."
Sometimes, a very long roll might be bent into a horseshoe shape to fit on a baking sheet. In Hungarian, this shape is called a patkó.
A newer type of filling is made from chestnuts. This "chestnut-filled bejgli" (gesztenyés bejgli) is becoming popular, especially among younger families in cities.
Similar Pastries
There are other pastries around the world that are similar to the poppy seed roll:
- Nazook is an Armenian pastry. It's made from flour, butter, sugar, sour cream, yeast, vanilla, and eggs. It often has a filling of chopped nuts, especially walnuts.
- Nokul or lokum is a type of puff pastry from Turkey and Bulgaria. It's made by rolling out yeast dough and sprinkling feta-style white cheese, walnuts, or poppy seeds over a thin layer of butter. The dough is then rolled up, cut, and baked.
See also
In Spanish: Rollo de frutos secos para niños
