Rugelach, other spellings: rugelakh, rugulach, rugalach, ruggalach, rogelach
(all plural), rugalah, rugulah, rugala, roogala (singular), is a Jewish
pastry of Ashkenazic origin. It is very popular in Israel, commonly found in
most cafes and bakeries. It is also a popular treat among American and
European Jews.
Traditional rugelach are made in the form of a crescent by rolling a triangle
of dough around a filling. Some sources state that the rugelach and the
French croissant share a common Viennese ancestor, crescent-shaped pastries
commemorating the lifting of the Turkish siege, possibly a reference to the
Battle of Vienna in 1683. This appears to be an urban legend however, as both
the rugelach and its supposed ancestor, the Kipferl, pre-date the Early
Modern era, while the croissant in its modern form did not originate earlier
than the 19th century (see viennoiserie). This leads many to believe that the
croissant is simply a descendant of one of these two.