Tell Me, Where Is Fancy Bread?

... as the Bard almost said

I've been reading up on braided bread recently - which exists in many European cultures. 

The Czechs and Bohemians use golden raisins and condensed milk in their recipe and call it houska.

Polish housewives make chalka - with or without dried fruit. It is very popular at Eastertime. And if any is left over, it is turned into makowki - a bread pudding sprinkled with poppyseeds.

Swiss Butterzopf is a special Sunday treat in many families, particularly at Easter

From the Vendée region of France [on the Atlantic coast] we get Brioche Vendéenne, which is flavoured with brandy or orange blossom water.

From Hungary comes the round kolach  loaf. However, I suppose the most well known braided loaf is the challah, of the Ashkenazy Jews,

particularly popular at the start of the Jewish New Year [Rosh Hashanah] There are many stories about the size and shape of the challah loaves, often very ornate.

Braided ones, which may have three, four, or six strands, are the most common, and because they look like arms intertwined, symbolize love. Three braids symbolize truth, peace, and justice. Twelve humps from two small or one large braided bread recall the miracle of the 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel.

Braids,ropes, plaits, twists - there are so many different variations on the theme.This weekend, if you fancy one of these plaited treats, I suggest you pop down to your local European Supermarket, where there may be a special offer on Aldi's Ropy Loaf