Lekach

Lekach is a cake sweetened with honey, traditionally prepared by Jewish communities for Rosh Hashanah. In Hebrew, it is called *ugat dvash* (literally "honey cake"), while the Yiddish term *lekach* is more widely known among Jews globally; in Israel, it is commonly eaten by Israeli Jews. The cake is associated with the hope for a sweet new year. Among Chabad Jews, it is also customary to request and receive a honey cake on the eve of Yom Kippur.

Honey-sweetened cakes have existed since ancient times in Egypt, Rome, and the Middle East. Arab traditions brought such cakes to Sicily and Moorish Spain. By the 11th century, a dense, heavily spiced cake made from breadcrumbs and honey—similar to panforte—became popular in Italy, and Italian Jews later introduced these styles to Western and Central Europe. The earliest known Jewish reference to a cake called *lekach* (from Middle High German *lecke*, meaning "to lick") appears in the medieval *Sefer ha-Rokeach* by Eleazar ben Judah of Worms, Germany. By the 13th century, many Ashkenazi versions were influenced by German *Lebkuchen* or *Honigkuchen* (honey cake). These spiced cakes, akin to English gingerbread, were popular across medieval Europe among all religious communities, especially during feasts and holidays. Over centuries, lekach changed drastically, and modern versions bear little resemblance to earlier forms. Today, variations range from dense and heavy to light and delicate, though it is never frosted. Ashkenazi immigrants brought lekach to the Land of Israel.

A traditional Austrian Jewish honey cake uses equal weights of white rye flour and dark honey, strong Austrian coffee instead of water, and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and allspice, along with golden raisins in the loaf and slivered almonds on top. It also includes eggs, vegetable oil (typically corn oil), salt, and baking powder.

Recipes vary widely. Lekach is usually a dense, loaf-shaped cake, but some versions resemble sponge cake or pound cake, with honey and spices added, sometimes using coffee or tea for color. Others are more like gingerbread, *pain d'épices*, or *lebkuchen*.