Happy Purim! On the evening of Purim, Jews go to the synagogue, where the rabbi shares the story of Esther, who stood up to Haman and helped the Jewish people escape his tyranny. This commemoration leads into the Purim schpeil, a community play acting out the Megillah (story of Esther).
Some of my favorite Purim memories include Harvey Gibb dressing up as Queen Esther – and, of course, the infamous time I brought a non-Jewish family to the Megillah reading. Little did they know what was coming! It is a wild time with noise makers, costumes and foot stamping. The young son turned to his father and said, “Dad, can we join this church?”
One sign that Purim is approaching across the country is the reemergence of the seasonal treat, Hamantaschen. (You can read all about why we eat it now in a blog post from 2016.) If you’re a frequent visitor of the bakery, however, you probably know we sell Hamantaschen year-round – one of the few bakeries who do. Well, there’s a story about why.
A lady named Ms. Ramirez, who was not even Jewish, used to call Bobby every few weeks asking for Poppyseed Hamantaschen because she loved them so much! He said he didn’t want to make them unless she ordered a lot, and then she ordered three dozen Hamantaschen. So, we made them along with a few extra for the store, all of which sold. Ms. Ramirez called back a few weeks later and ordered even more. Sure enough, every few weeks, she would call again asking for more. It got to the point where Bobby just started making them every day, so he wouldn’t have to gear up for Ms. Ramirez, and people bought them. In fact, the bakery sold out repeatedly.
This happened about ten years ago, and it is such a neat and distinctive year-round feature for Three Brothers Bakery. We are so thankful to everyone who continues to enjoy our delicious Hamantaschen year-round. Whether it’s your first time or you’ve lost count, we hope you’ll come try the latest variation of these sweet treats – rainbow Hamantaschen! These are the same beloved treats that our customers and family have enjoyed for years, only now with a more colorful crust. But you will need to come during Purim. Be warned – they are a pain to make, so get them while you can or you have to wait until next year.
