Allerheiligenstriezel

Allerheiligenstriezel
Alternative names Strietzel, Allerseelenzopf, Allerseelenbreze, Seelenspitze, Seelenbrot
Type Pastry
Place of origin Austria, Germany (Bavaria)
Main ingredients Flour, eggs, yeast, shortening or butter, raisins, milk
Cookbook: Allerheiligenstriezel  Media: Allerheiligenstriezel

Allerheiligenstriezel or simply Strietzel (regional names include Allerseelenzopf, Seelenspitze, Seelenbrot, or Allerseelenbreze) is a braided yeast pastry. Its name means "All Saints' braid" in English and it consists of flour, eggs, yeast, shortening or butter, raisins, milk, salt, and decorating sugar or poppy seeds. Some regional variations also include rum or lemon juice.

The word Strietzel is derived from Middle High German strutzel, strützel, in turn from Old High German struzzil. Its further origin is unclear.[1]

Traditions

An unglazed Christmas Strietzel with raisins and flaked almonds, sprinkled with icing sugar

In Austria and Bavaria it is given to godchildren by their godfathers for All Saints' Day. This tradition has its origin in the ancient funeral cults in which mourning was expressed by a woman's cutting off her braided hair. In the 19th century, it was common to give this rich kind of cake to the poor due to a depiction by the Austrian vernacular writer Peter Rosegger. Especially for children in rural areas, the present meant a compensation for poor food and hungry times throughout the year. Also common (especially in Linz) was the superstition that the luck of the forthcoming year depends on the success of the pastry. If the yeast did work and the dough did not rise, disaster or death were supposed to follow. Another practice of young men was to mock single women because of their singleness by giving them Striezels made of straw.[2]

In Dresden, the cake is now generally called Dresdner [Christ]stollen, Stollen being an unplaited German cake with a similar recipe. However, its name in the city used to be Dresdner Striezel, and from 1434[3] gave its name to the Dresdner Striezelmarkt ("Dresden Striezel Market"). A cake of that name is still (2014) baked in Dresden as a Christmas speciality.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Seebold, Elmar. 1999. Kluge Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 23rd edition. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, p. 802.
  2. ↑ Fielhauer, Helmut. 1966. "Allerheiligenstriezel aus Stroh." Volkskundliche Beiträge 1: 21–34, p. 21.
  3. ↑ "Striezelmarkt". Dresden.de. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Dresdner Striezel". Retrieved 1 January 2015. (in German)
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