The American Jewish tradition of Chinese food on Christmas has now achieved apotheosis in the form of a unique babka, a collaboration between two Bay Area food businesses.
A sesame red bean babka will be for sale to celebrate the holiday season at the Jewish diasporic bakery Loquat, and at all four locations of Mamahuhu, the fast-casual Chinese American restaurant.
The babka is made with sweet red bean caramel, sesame, orange zest and osmanthus (an edible plant).
“This is a true collaboration, Mamahuhu makes the red bean caramel filling, and then we take that filling into our bakery production and make babka,” Loquat co-owner Tal Mor wrote to J. “The Mamahuhu team really led the charge on flavors and fillings. We wanted the filling to draw from Chinese flavors, as babka is entirely Jewish. We went back and forth for a couple months with different fillings, portions, soaks, and toppings, finally settling on a red bean caramel with white and black sesame.”
Babka was chosen over sufganiyot for practical reasons, since it travels better.
The babka will be available for purchase at all Mamahuhu locations and Loquat Dec. 6-25. In addition, the babka will make an appearance at the popular “Loquat at Night” from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, served alongside lamb sandwiches, vegetarian squash, cucumber salad, egg and chive bourekas, cream puffs and a “special” sheet cake. Loquat is at 198 Gough St., S.F., and Mamahuhu has two city locations, at 517 Clement St. and 3991 24th St., one in Mill Valley at 173 Throckmorton Ave. and another in Palo Alto at 855 El Camino Real, Suite 75.