Nut roll

Nut rolls can be found in the United States and in Central European cuisines. In the United States, "nut roll" is a more or less generic name for pastries of this type, no matter where they originate. Nut rolls are known also by many specific regional names, including: potica, gubana, guban'ca, or povitica in Slovenian; orechovník in Slovak; makowiec in Polish; Povitica,Gibanica, Orahnjača in Croatian (walnut variant, Makovnjača for variant with poppy seed, in Croatia can also be made with carob); and kalács and beigli in Hungarian.

Regional variations on nut rolls are part of weddings, for Easter and Christmas, as well as other celebrations or holidays.

Preparation and design

Types or forms of nut roll are: rolled log, loaf made via a bread pan, and a "crazy loaf" style with a unique texture. Similar ground walnut filling is used in Buchteln, a bun shaped pastry, also with yeast dough.

Different types

Nut rolls in the U.S. are often made with some combination of walnut, poppy seed, and coffee. There are other variations. These U.S. nut rolls are originating in the Slovenian poviticas and the Polish makowiec.

Traditional Rolls in Central Europe, like makowietz and bejgli, are a special type of rolled log shaped Central European pastries generally made with two types of filling, walnut and poppyseed filling. In addition to ground nut fillings, cinnamon, raisins or currants, bread crumbs, lemon zest, rum and heavy cream or sour cream are used.

Another type of pastry also called poticas are baked in special round cake tins with a tube in the middle. These poticas are usually ring shaped cakes. These pastries are not rolls, but a regional variant of Gugelhupf. There are at least fifty different kinds of these round poticas, differing in fillings. Traditional fillings consisted of walnuts, hazelnuts, honey, mint, curd, cream, cracklings, bacon or dried fruits. Today, the round poticas are often made with cocoa, chocolate or carob fillings.

The povitica, a traditional Croatian and Slovenian pastry, is made from buttery pastry dough rolled into very thin layers and covered with a layer of brown sugar, spices, and walnuts. The log-shaped loaf is then baked. Other roll shaped European pastries are filled with thick jam (called lekvar, usually apricot or cherry) called lekvarostekercs or Swiss roll.

Geographic areas for nut roll consumption in U.S.