Schmoo torte
 Schmoo torte on a plate | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Region or state | Western Canada |
| Main ingredients | Whipped cream, brown sugar, nuts |
| Part of a series on |
| Canadian cuisine |
|---|
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 Food portal |
Schmoo torte is a Canadian dessert. Although it is relatively popular and well-known nationwide,[1] it is most famous in Western Canada, especially Manitoba.[2][3][4] It is a torte with layered whipped cream, brown sugar, and nuts, commonly made using angel food or sponge cake.
History
The schmoo torte was first invented in 1948 by a Winnipeg mother, Dora Zaslavsky, for her son Murray's Bar Mitzvah in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[3][5] Zaslavsky was a Russian-Jewish immigrant who arrived to Canada in 1914.[5] She started introducing her recipes to Winnipeg via a catering business to support her family financially when her husband became ill.[5] Zaslavsky's catering business eventually expanded across North America.[5] Her schmoo torte became a favourite of singer Harry Belafonte.[5]
Murray's daughter Shannon Aceman stated in an interview that her grandmother's schmoo torte "was basically a mix of about three or four of her other best-known recipes for cakes with the rum torte."[5] Jewish food historian Kat Romanow told CTV News Winnipeg that schmoo is reminiscent of a central-European dessert called nusstorte.[5] Romanow told CTV News: "In many cases, the dishes that Ashkenazi Jews brought with them to Canada came to be iconic dishes of their new homes."[5]
How the schmoo got its name is unknown, however, some claim it comes from the name of the comic book creatures from Al Capp’s Li’l Abner.
See also
References
- ^ "Classic Caramel Pecan Schmoo Torte". The Busy Baker.
- ^ "Iconic Foods of Manitoba - a celebration of Canadian food for Canada 150!". 22 June 2017.
- ^ a b "RECIPE - Shmoo Torte". www.lcbo.com.
- ^ "Manitoba - World Travel Guide".
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dow, Katherine (May 3, 2022). "'The most delicious melange of flavours': Inside schmoo torte's quintessentially Winnipeg origin story". CTV News Winnipeg. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
External links