Is Kugel losing its crisp?

Two weeks ago, I had dinner with friends Justin and Amanda, and somehow it turned into a full-blown debate: is the bagels, lox, kugel, and Ashkenazi spread losing its relevance and appeal? Are the comforting kugels of our bubbies and synagogue kiddush losing their charm in the face of the irresistible, spice-kissed world of Sephardi dishes?

As we argued over whether our sweet noodle kugel was “too soft” or still “a divine relic of our people,” I realized this isn’t just about noodles—or kugel crispiness. It’s about identity, memory, and how we choose which flavors of Judaism to carry forward.

Will Ashkenazi classics survive the culinary revolution, or quietly fade, replaced by za’atar, harissa, and golden-sizzled eggplant? We joked that Ashkenazi Jews don’t have fancy restaurants; we have places like Katz’s Delicatessen in NYC, serving up comfort foods: pastrami, rye, and matzo ball soup. The Sephardim have it better, no question—places like Zohara in West Hartford, CT, are the kind of spots you want to tag in a photo and share with family and friends visiting town.

Sitting with my unrelated sushi in front of me, I shot back: bagels and kugel aren’t meant to compete with our sleek brethren for dinner or lunch. We own breakfast and brunch. A really good bagel? So Jewish. Didn’t our people practically invent the term “bageling” for when we’re looking for a Jewish partner?

As we stared down at our sushi and chicken teriyaki, we realized the lack of appeal for lox, herring, and bagels in the morning wasn’t so bad after all. All three of us, hailing from our European past, do really prefer the more competitive taste-bud-friendly Sephardi fare.

Maybe the answer is simple: keep your kugel warm, your challah fresh, and your spice rack adventurous. After all, a little Sephardi flair never hurt anyone—but don’t mess with my crispy Kugel.

Simon Lichter is the writer of the popular column Jew and the City, featured on the website JewsAreCool.com.