Cajun kolaches

The kolache wave has arrived!  Formerly restricted to the boundaries of Texas (and claimed by Texans to have originated there of course), kolaches are moving east and replacing the donut as the breakfast food of choice.  While many people envision the quintessential Cajun breakfast as chicory coffee and beignets with lots of powdered sugar, most Cajuns actually favor savory dishes in the morning.  The kolache is just the logical extension of something we have always wished for: a quick an easy way to carry around three of our favorite foods: eggs, cheese, and pork fat.

If I can get all historical on you for just a minute (and they say you can’t do anything with a history degree!): Kolaches are actually an Czech creation but initially were only of the sweeter variety and more akin to a dessert than a breakfast food.  In the 1800’s, many Czech’s immigrated to central and eastern Texas (hence the great sausages now associated with Texas BBQ).  Those immigrants must have realized that stuffing their bread with meat and cheese was more profitable that fruit fillings, because the Kolache soon took on a savory side.  These days, it is hard to go a mile in Houston or Austin without coming acrossing a place peddling the kolache.  If you’re thinking sausage, egg, cheese, and jalapeno kolaches are klobasneks and not kolaches, you are correct, but while I am a geek, you my friend, are a nerd.

Anyway… Cajuns really never prescribed to the whole East Coast thing of donuts for breakfast.  Dunkin Donuts has pretty much been restricted to one location in Louisiana as far as I know of, and Krispy Kreme (blueberry cake donuts are insanely awesome), while having a stranglehold (almost literally) on much of the South.  In fact, a Krispy Kreme just recently shut down on Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge, which arguably sees more driveby traffic than any other surface street in BR (hello gridlock).

Despite popular belief, we really don’t eat beignets all that often either.  In fact, I do not have a single friend or acquitance that eats beignets more than once a week and possibly even once a month.  We eat ham, eggs, biscuits, and SAUSAGE, and what we have been waiting for is the kolache.

I am starting to run across kolaches more often in Acadiana.  I have not run across any in Baton Rouge yet kolache close 225x300 Cajun kolacheshowever, so I think the fad has not crossed the Mississippi River yet.  Here, they are invariably stuffed with eggs, meat, and cheese.  If you’re lucky, the place will also make a jalapeno variety.  Donuts Galore in Opelousas is just a such a place.  All of the aforementioned ingredients are tucked into a homemade yeast roll and make up the perfect breakfast sandwich.  The sausage patty is tasty and while the eggs are slightly overdone, it must be excused as the method of preparation practically requires precooking the eggs.  Make no mistake about it, when you order the jalapeno version, you get jalapenos.  My kolaches have ranged from a 1/4 inch think layer of jalapeno slices to one and a half jalapenos per bite, so have your drink of choice ready.

Where Donuts Galore really shines though is their roll.  It’s dense and slighlty chewy, but soft and buttery at the same time, and the bread to filling ratio is right on.  It is almost a bite for bite match of the bread used by Chick-fil-A for their Chick-n-Mini’s and you should already know how good those things are. You can’t help but think about all the times your mom made pigs in blanket, ham and cheese biscuits, or even beignets, and never thought to combine them all in one handy package.

The kolache has come a long way from its origins across the pond, but I promise you, the journey for a lucky few end right here with me.

For another take on this, try the stuffed beignet (which they named something cute) at Espresso, Etc.  in New Roads.  Powdered sugar AND pork fat.

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