Hamantaschen: A Forensic History of a Purim Pastry

In this episode, we trace the origins and evolution of hamantaschen across a wide range of sources. From early printed references to autobiographical accounts preserving lived Purim memories, we explore how this iconic pastry entered Jewish cultural life. Along the way, we examine Purim plays, parodies, and humorous literature that shaped, and popularized it. Taken together, these materials reveal how minhag emerges not only in the beit midrash, but also in memoir, satire, and the printed page — offering a cultural and textual biography of hamantaschen across the centuries.