Dreidle & Latkes (1916)

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:37 PM -0400 8/5/02, James A. Landau wrote:
>
>I could not find "latkes" but I did find in volume IV (1903) page 257 column
>2 article "Cookery" the following:  The Haman Tash, a kind of a turnover
>filled with honey and black poppy-seed, is eaton on the Feast of Purim, but
>probably has no special meaning."
>

A spelling incorporating what I understand to be a folk etymology.
If hamantashen really does come from "mohn" ('poppy seed') + "tashen"
('pockets'), Haman had nothing to with it, other than the convenience
of being associated with the three-cornered hat that the triangular
shape of the pastry is said to represent.

I couldn't find "hamantash(en)" in the OED or AHD4 at all.  (So what
are we supposed to nosh when we merry merry be?)

Larry