Lokshen ( ), also known as (), locshen, lockshen, or Jewish egg noodles, is the common name of a range of Ashkenazi Jewish egg noodles that are commonly used in a variety of Jewish dishes including chicken soup, kugel, kasha varnishkes, lokshen mit kaese, and as a side dish to Jewish brisket, sweet and sour meat balls, apricot chicken, and many other dishes. They may also be served with melted butter or a simple tomato sauce. In the United States, lokshen are also used as the basis for various casseroles and baked dishes including tuna noodle casserole, and both sweet and savory lokshen kugels.
History
Origins
Noodles were mentioned in the Bible by the term "itriyot". Noodles are again mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud (Hallah 57d, Beitza 60d), which was published circa 350 CE, these were the first clear mentions of boiled noodles in general outside China according to food historian Charles Perry. Chinese noodles spread via the Silk Road to Persia where they entered the local cuisine around the 5th century CE, and Jewish merchants played a prominent role in the Silk Road trade. Noodles are later mentioned around this time in the Babylonian Talmud as "rihata" (probably related to "reshteh"), a word of Persian origin. Noodles were popular among the Jews of the Middle East during the first millennium CE period, and remained popular among the Sephardi Jewish population when they were later introduced to Italy, Spain, and Southern Europe. Pasta was popular among the Sephardi and Italian Jews, and later was popular among the French Jews of Provence which had a notable population in the 12th century CE. Mizrahi Jews also had numerous noodle varieties of their own during the first millennium as well.
Early history
The definitive Ashkenazi noodle, lokshen, was the confluence of both Central Asian and Provençal by way of Germany influences. According to Jewish food historian Rabbi Gil Marks, lokshen noodles were first made sometime around the 13th century.
Modern history
In Israel, Lokshen as the term for "Jewish egg noodle" fell out of use in Hebrew by the mid-20th century due to the efforts of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda who in 1908 replaced lokshen with the Ancient Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic word "itriyot", a word which slowly overtook lokshen in the Hebrew lexicon and by which they are still known by today.
Overview
Brands
There are many brands of lokshen around the world. Common North American brands include Manischewitz, No Yolks, Gefen, Kemach, Heimishe, and Greenblatt's. Israeli brands of lokshen (more commonly known as itriyot) include Osem and Meshubach. British brands of lokshen include Kleinblatt's Pure Egg and Sova Foods. Some European brands of lokshen such as Sova Foods sell their lokshen noodles in a in individual "nests", similar to Chinese noodles. There are also various private-label brands offering lokshen.
Types
Extra fine
Extra fine lokshen consist of very fine noodles similar in thickness to vermicelli, though they are often even thinner. They are very fragile and due to their fragility they are almost exclusively used in Jewish chicken soup, matzo ball soup, and other Jewish soups.
Fine
Fine lokshen are similar to extra fine, however they are slightly thicker and are more similar in thickness to vermicelli or angel hair pasta, though they sometimes are thicker than the aforementioned varieties. Like extra fine lokshen, these are typically used in various soups, however many people also use them in various lokshen kugels as the fine texture of the lokshen noodles creates a more dense consistency in kugel.
Medium
Medium lokshen are much thicker than fine egg noodles, and are somewhat similar to pappardelle or Chinese egg noodles, though medium egg noodles have a somewhat richer flavor due to the liberal amount of egg yolks traditionally used in their production. When boiled, medium lokshen are flat and are not wavy or curly like the varieties mentioned below. Medium Jewish egg noodles are mainly used to serve on their own dressed with a simple sauce or butter as a side dish, or they are used in a lokshen kugel, often sweet but sometimes savory varieties use medium lokshen as well.