The kosher Bagel Shop Café of the Lithuanian Jewish Community is in full gear getting ready for the Purim holiday. There are several new pastry items the chefs there have cooked up, including the “red velvet” pastry taking the Jewish culinary internet by storm. Their special hamantashen recipe passed down through the generations uses yeast as well.

Senior chef Riva Portnaja says her family calls hamantashen “omentashen,” and that her mother always put yeast in the dough. According to her, Litvak hamantashen only contain poppy-seed fillings, and the triangular pastry is made so that is almost closed.

The Bagel Shop will only have these treats on sale for two days, but children who come in wearing masks or who give the traditional Purim greeting “hag purim sameach” will receive a gift.

The Bagel Shop Café is located at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. Kids, come in and get one of “Haman’s ears!”

Holiday hours:
11:00 A.M. to 8:00 PM on March 23
11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on March 24

Questions may be directed to kavine@lzb.lt or projects@lzb.lt

Photos: Red velvet hamantashen pastry, by Milda Rūkaitė © 2016