Question – There is a custom to eat Hamantaschen on Purim. A friend told me that the real ones are those that are filled with poppy seeds. Is that true? What’s wrong with the better-tasting Hamantaschen like the ones filled with jam, custard, or chocolate?

 

Answer   -   While it has become widespread to eat a variety of kinds of Hamantaschen on Purim, unfortunately, there is some validity to that claim.

 

One of the main reasons that we eat Hamantaschen on Purim is based on a teaching of the sages that when Esther was in the palace she tried her best to adhere to all the laws of Judaism without giving away her Jewish identity. One of the more difficult ones was keeping kosher as eating specific types of meat and fish would arouse suspicion. So Esther went on a very strict diet of small seeds and grains to achieve her goal. To remember this part of Esther’s dedication we eat hamantaschen on Purim which is originally a pastry filled with poppy seeds remembering the small seeds that Esther ate in the palace.

 

However, given that Purim is a day of celebration anything delicious eaten that day is all part of the Purim spirit.

 

Purim Sameach

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