Purim's classic cookie gets a modern remix

Catch up quick: Hamantaschen are three-sided baked goods that symbolize the triangle hat (or, in some interpretations, the purse) of Haman, the villain in the story of Purim.

• Ahead of Passover, when observant Jews eat matzo instead of bread, hamantaschen were made on Purim to "use up the flour," says Joan Nathan, food historian and Jewish cookbook author.
• "Jewish food came as an adaptation to what was around you," and that dictated the choice in fillings, she tells Axios.

Today, endless recipe inspiration on TikTok and expanded ingredient options at grocery stores are fueling more playful and off-book takes on the cookie.

• Not only does experimenting with hamantaschen fillings offer another way to appreciate Judaism, but it feels true to the joyous "Mardi Gras" vibe of the holiday, Nathan says.

Zoom in: Sunflower Bakery in Rockville, Maryland, offers 16 flavors of hamantaschen. New this year: pineapple and toffee crunch, as well as savory options with spiced beef and mushroom.

• The bakery only served three traditional flavors back in 2009, then added 10 more options in 2013.

• Growth has continued each year, says John Katz, the bakery's director of workforce and strategic initiative. He tells Axios the shop produces about 54,000 hamantaschen annually.
• "It's a fun time to look at all the flavor possibilities and push the envelope — but they still have to hold up," Katz said. "They have to look like a hamantaschen, bake like one and taste like one."

Even self-decribed "purist" Nathan, who prefers traditional recipes, will make one type of hamantaschen with a modern recipe: Nutella and chocolate chip.

• "That's what my kids like the best," she says.

The bottom line: The triangle remains tradition, but what's inside is up for grabs.