Even though I grew up in a Lithuanian-Russian home, I never had Jerusalem noodle kugel (or kigel, as Polish Jews call it). The first time I even realized such a thing existed was relatively late—and completely by chance—during a walk through the Machane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem. Until then, I was convinced kugel was a savory potato casserole with salt and black pepper.
Sugar in a noodle casserole? In our house—especially on my dad’s side—that would have been completely out of the question.
As I got older and started to understand the nuances between the various Jewish cuisines, I realized that Jerusalem kugel—the one with sugar and black pepper (and sometimes cinnamon)—comes from Polish culinary tradition, where adding sugar to dishes is quite common.
To this day, my dad still doesn’t like the sweet version, but absolutely loves the potato one. Which makes sense—potatoes were, and still are, his favorite food in the world. (Honestly, same.)
On the other hand, my mom’s Hungarian-Romanian cuisine definitely embraces sugar (who else grew up with meat served with compote?), so somewhere between the two, I ended up loving both versions—this noodle kugel and the potato one.
This recipe has been made for hundreds of years and is a true classic in synagogues on Shabbat, and just as perfect during the week alongside pickles.
The person who reminded me of it—and even made it the day we met—is Gil Gutkin, who many of you probably know from his wonderful Instagram. So this is the perfect opportunity to say thank you—and to recommend that you follow him.
One last note about the noodles: I searched everywhere, checked countless Israeli and international recipes, and in the end, the conclusion was clear—you need thin egg noodles. If you can’t find them, thin egg noodles for soup or other thin wheat noodles will work, but these really give the best result.
And about the sugar: keep in mind this is a large, very filling kugel that you take a slice of. Yes, it’s still a generous amount of sugar, even after I took out at least half a cup from the original version.
If you want to reduce it even further, you can take out another 1/2 cup or replace part of it with dark brown sugar or demerara. But remember—the sugar here doesn’t just sweeten; it caramelizes, stabilizes, and defines the dish. And honestly… you don’t argue with a classic 😊
And if you’re wondering—No, despite the sugar, this isn’t overly sweet like a dessert. The black pepper and salt balance everything beautifully.
Now go make it—I can’t wait to see how yours turns out.