Kolache
Encyclopedia
Kolache is a type of pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...

 that holds a dollop of fruit rimmed by a puffy pillow of supple dough. Originating as a semisweet wedding dessert from Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...

, they have become popular in parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Often in the United States, kolaches are used for breakfast, stuffed with sausage, cheese, and jalapeño
Jalapeño
The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...

s.

Kolache Celebrations

Several cities, including West, Texas; Temple, Texas; Zabcikville, Texas; Prague, Oklahoma
Prague, Oklahoma
Prague is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prague is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, Caldwell, Texas
Caldwell, Texas
Caldwell is a city in Burleson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,449 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Burleson County. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area....

, East Bernard, Texas
East Bernard, Texas
East Bernard is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Bernard is located at ....

, and St. Ludmila's
Saint Ludmila
Saint Ludmila is a Czech saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as daughter of a Slavic prince Slavibor...

 Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, IA
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

, hold annual Kolache Festival celebrations.

Montgomery, Minnesota
Montgomery, Minnesota
Montgomery is a city in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, in the United States, 45 miles south of Minneapolis. It was named after Richard Montgomery, an Irish-American soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The population was 2,956 at the 2010...

, claims to be the "Kolacky capital of the world"http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=21281 and holds an annual festival known as Kolacky Days. Verdigre, Nebraska
Verdigre, Nebraska
Verdigre is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 519 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Verdigre is located at ....

, stakes the same claim with their Kolache Days. Prague, Nebraska
Prague, Nebraska
Prague is a village in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 346 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prague is located at ....

, claims to be known as the home of the world's largest kolache. West, Texas
West, Texas
West is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, claims the title of "Kolache Capital of Texas" and holds a Labor Day celebration known as Westfest featuring a variety of Czech foods.

Still other communities in the United States hold Czech-American festivals, where kolaches may be found.

It was the sweet chosen to represent the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 in the Café Europe
Café Europe
This article is about the event, for the Croatian novel see, Café EuropaCafé Europe, Café d'Europe or also Café Europa was a cultural initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, held on Europe Day in 27 cafés of the capitals of the then 25 EU member states and the two countries...

 initiative of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n presidency of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

, on Europe Day
Europe Day
In Europe, Europe Day is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. There are two separate designations of Europe Day: 5 May for the Council of Europe, and 9 May for the European Union...

 2006.

Bakeries

In Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, many restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

s and bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...

 specialize in kolaches. In central Texas the kolache is particularly widespread among Czech Americans as well as their respective local communities, such as West
West, Texas
West is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area....

  and Caldwell
Caldwell, Texas
Caldwell is a city in Burleson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,449 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Burleson County. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area....

, Many other communities known for kolaches such as Weimar
Weimar, Texas
Weimar is a city in Colorado County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,981 at the 2000 census.In 1873 the town was founded as Jackson, but subsequently called Weimar in tribute to the German city of Weimar....

 and Schulenburg
Schulenburg, Texas
Schulenburg is a city in Fayette County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,699 at the 2000 census.Known for its German culture, Schulenburg is home of the Texas Polka Music Museum.-Geography:Schulenburg is located at ....

, Texas, have a considerable Czech ethnic population. Shipley's Donuts, a popular Texas donut chain, as well as other donut shops provide kolaches.

Related dishes

  • A related dish is a klobasnek
    Klobasnek
    A Klobasnek or klobasniky is a savory finger food of Czech origin. A klobasnek is often thought to be a variation of the kolache; however, most Czechs hold the distinction that Kolači are only filled with non-meat fillings...

     or klobasniki, which often uses similar bread but is filled with a piece of sausage. Purists assert that these are mistakenly referred to as kolaches. They may also contain ham and cheese, sausage, jalapeño
    Jalapeño
    The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...

     slices, and resemble a "pig in a blanket
    Pigs in a blanket
    Pigs in blankets Pigs in blankets Pigs in blankets (also known as worstenbroodjes or saucijzenbroodjes (dutch), kilted sausages (UK), pølse i svøb (danish) refers to different sausage-based foods in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia,...

    "
  • There is also a sweet and flaky filled pastry with Polish origins called Kolacz
    Kolacz
    Kołacz meaning cake, wheel cake, or coffee cake is a traditional Polish pastry, originally a wedding cake that has made its way into American homes around the Christmas and Easter holidays...

    .

American vs. Czech terminology

  • Unlike recent American usage, the Czech word "koláče" is a plural word. A single pastry is called a "koláč" or "koláček."

See also

  • Doughnut
    Doughnut
    A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...

  • Kalach
    Kalach (food)
    Kalach , also known in Ukrainian as kolach), is a traditional East Slavic bread used at various ritual meals. It name came from the Old Slavonic word kolo meaning "circle", "wheel"....

    : East Slavic
    Slavonia
    Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

     bread
    Bread
    Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

  • Klobasnek
    Klobasnek
    A Klobasnek or klobasniky is a savory finger food of Czech origin. A klobasnek is often thought to be a variation of the kolache; however, most Czechs hold the distinction that Kolači are only filled with non-meat fillings...

    : Czech
    Czechoslovakia
    Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

     pastry
    Pastry
    Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...

     popular in central and southeast Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

  • Kołacz: Polish
    Poland
    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

     pastry
    Pastry
    Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...


External links

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