In Bucovina of northeastern Romania, alongside the traditional rectangular cozonac, people also bake a round braided or swirled loaf. This celebratory bread is called colac, meaning “round.” The filled dough is rolled and coiled onto itself like a giant seashell, perhaps a symbol of the sun or the cyclical nature of life.
My friend and food writer Dana Burlacu Visternicu, who writes about her family traditions, makes a version with poppy seeds. She follows a recipe from her grandmother, who used to grow poppies on a little patch of land at the back of the house.
