Where Does Babka Come from?

A babka is a sweet braided bread or cake which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: עוגת שמרים) and in the Jewish diaspora.

Why do Jews eat babka?

Jewish Babka is thought to have first come about during the early 1800s. Housewives making dough for challah bread, braided bread eaten on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, would have prepared extra dough, to be filled with cinnamon or jam, which was then rolled up and baked as a special treat.

What language is babka from?

From a Slavic language. Compare baba, in the sense of "rum soaked cake".