Editing Noodle kugel

{{merge to|Kugel|discuss=Talk:Kugel#Merger proposal|date=March 2023}}

| name = Noodle Kugel

| image = File:Kugel.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| alternate_name =

| country = [[jews|Jewish]] from Central Europe. Today mostly in [[Israeli cuisine|Israel]], the [[American Jewish cuisine|United States]], [[French Jews|France]], [[Canadian Jews|Canada]], [[British Jews|United Kingdom]], [[Australian Jews|Australia]], [[Argentine Jews|Argentina]], [[South African Jews|South Africa]], and other communities in the [[Jewish diaspora]].

| region =

| creator = [[Ashkenazi Jews]]

| course = Side dish

| type = [[Kugel]] or [[casserole]]

| served = Cold, room temp, sometimes warm

| main_ingredient = [[Lokshen]] noodles, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, oftentimes [[raisins]] or other [[dried fruit]], can be made with dairy or [[pareve]] ingredients, if dairy: [[cottage cheese]], [[sour cream]], [[cream cheese]], butter, milk, ricotta, farmers cheese are common, if pareve: [[cooking oil]] or [[margarine]], [[applesauce]], toppings include [[cornflakes]], [[streusel]] and crushed [[graham crackers]]

| variations = [[Kugel Yerushalmi]]

| calories =

| other =

'''Noodle kugel''' ({{lang|yi|לאָקשן קוגל}} {{lang|yi-Latn|lokshen kugel}}), pronounced {{IPA-yi|ˈkʊɡl̩|}}), also known as '''lokshen kugel''' or '''kigel''', is an [[Ashkenazi Jewish]] casserole that is traditionally served as a side dish and popular variety of [[kugel]] made with [[lokshen]] noodles and either a variety of dairy or [[pareve]] ingredients, often served on [[Shabbat]] and [[Jewish holidays]]. Though sweet noodle kugels predominate, there is a wide range of noodle kugel varieties ranging from sweet, slightly sweet, to savory. They may be baked in a large [[casserole dish]] or in individual ramekins. Noodle kugels often contain raisins or other dried fruits, though some choose to omit these as a personal preference. They were traditionally either topped with a cinnamon [[streusel]] or more commonly not topped at all, however beginning in the 20th century noodle kugels began to be topped with a variety of toppings including crushed [[cornflakes]], [[graham crackers]], [[Frosted Flakes]], [[pecan pralines]], and other toppings.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5189151 |title=In Search of the Holy Kugel |last=Vered |first=Ronit |date=February 22, 2012 |work=[[Haaretz]] |access-date=March 30, 2019}}</ref>

The name of the dish comes from the [[Yiddish]] word {{lang|yi|kugel}} meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the [[cholent]], a traditional [[Shabbat]] stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish. The kugel later would evolve into its present form sometime in the 13th century CE.<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food">{{cite book |last1=Marks |first1=Rabbi Gil |title=The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food}}</ref>

===Kugel-kigel split===

While [[Litvaks]] (Jews whose families formerly resided in [[Lithuania]], northeastern [[Poland]] and [[northern Russia]]) call the dish {{lang|yi-Latn|kugel}}, [[Galitzianers]] (Jews whose families formerly resided in southeastern Poland and [[western Ukraine]]) call it {{lang|yi-Latn|kigel}}. The latter pronunciation fell out of favor in the United States during the early 20th century due to its linguistic similarity to the [[kegel exercise]] technique.<ref name ="Spiel">{{cite book |first1=Joyce |last1=Eisenberg |author2=Ellen Scolnic |title=The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories |publisher=Incompra Press |date=2016 |page=132 |isbn=978-0-69272625-9 }}</ref>

===Litvak-Galiztianer split===

The [[Lithuanian Jews]], also known as Litvaks are known for their preference for savory and also sour dishes seasoned with a fair amount of salt and pepper, and caramelized onions also feature prominently in their cuisine. While the [[Polish Jews]], also known as Galitzianers, are known for their preference for sweet dishes as well as those which combine sweet and savory flavors. The Galitzianers are said to be progenitors of many of the sweet noodle kugels, while the Litvaks are said to be the progenitors of many of the savory noodle kugels. When the Jews fled antisemitic oppression and pogroms in Eastern Europe and found refuge in [[Canadian Jews|North]] [[American Jews|America]] since at least the 19th century, more Jews emigrated from Poland than Lithuania, which resulted in the Galitzianers having a larger influence on [[American Jewish cuisine]] and the later predominance of the sweet noodle kugel that would later result in North America.<ref name="Spiel" /><ref name="The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food" />

===Sweet noodle kugel===

Though some prefer their noodle kugels without any additional toppings, as they enjoy the traditional crispy top of the kugel, consisting of lokshen noodle poking through the surface of the kugel and getting crispy through the baking process, many also prefer their noodle kugel to be topped with a variety of toppings including various crushed cereals such as [[cornflakes]], [[frosted flakes]], among others. Crushed graham crackers are a popular topping as well, and with a sweet cheese noodle kugel it creates an effect similar to a [[New York cheesecake]]. A [[streusel]] or crumb topping was first popularized by the [[German Jews]], and remains popular to this day and is reminiscent of a [[crumb cake]]. Sometimes [[Nilla Wafers]] or similar vanilla wafers, as well as [[gingersnaps]], [[Oreos]], and other similarly crisp cookies are crumbled and used as a topping. Some, especially Jews in the American South, top their noodle kugels with pecan pralines. Savory noodle kugels are often topped with [[breadcrumbs]], similar to a [[macaroni and cheese]].<ref name="The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food" />

A cornflake topping for sweet noodle kugels, typically for those containing dairy ingredients and not pareve, was first popularized in the early 20th century in the United States as the confluence of [[American cuisine|American]] and [[Ashkenazi]] [[American Jewish cuisine|Jewish cuisine]]. Cornflakes remain a popular topping for noodle kugels, particularly in the [[Northeastern United States|East Coast]] and [[Midwestern United States]]. This topping is prepared by pulverizing cornflakes either by hand or with a food processor, and then mixing them with sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. The sweet noodle kugel is prepared and then the topping is placed either prior to baking or in the middle of the baking process.<ref name="Joan">{{cite web |title=Joan Nathan makes sweet and crunchy kugel |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIgSw0Sg7B8 |website=Tablet on Youtube |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>