Kolache Crawl: Klobasneks

On the left, Hruska’s pan sausage and cheese kolache, on the right, Weikel’s link sausage kolache. I loved them both. But the slightly dried, peppery link sausage inside of Weikel’s version put it over the top. However, I am told that these sausage kolaches aren’t really kolaches at all. Sausage kolaches are actually called klobasneks.

Food word etymologist Barry Popick’s website defines a klobasnek this way:

Klobasnek or Klobasnik (“sausage kolache”)
A “klobasnek” (or “klobasnik”) is a Czech food that has been also called a “sausage kolache” (pastry). Both the kolache and the klobasnek are popular with the Czech population in central Texas.

Here’s the Wikipedia entry:

A Klobasnek is a pastry of Czech origin that has found popularity in the central and southeast regions of Texas. A klobasnek is often thought to be a variation of the kolache. The term klobasnek is derived from the Czech word “klobase” meaning traditional sausage similar to the polish sausage kielbasa.

So I guess the boudin kolache at Shipley’s on Main Street that we raved about recently is actually a boudin klobasnek. It’s nice to know the right word for things–but good luck ordering a klobasnek in a Korean-owned kolache shop in Houston.