One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
In Defense Of Canter's Poppy Seed Strudel
(Photo via Akiko I./Yelp)
It's amazing to think that babies feed off nothing but milk for the first few months of their lives, all while growing skin and bones and veins and hair and an entire body at a rapid rate. That milk truly is them. If you are what you eat, then, for infants, it is true in a very singular way.
All this is amazing to think until I realized that the poppy seed strudel at Canter's makes up a significant portion of my own physical make-up. I've been going to Canter's since before the age when I began producing declarative memories. And at some point in there (most likely thanks to my mother) I had the poppy seed strudel for the first time.
Poppy seed filling isn't commonly found in pastries around Los Angeles, don't ask me why. The filling is typical, however, with Central and Eastern European desserts (my own family being of Eastern European ancestry).
Poppy seed filling can be rendered overly-sweet at the hands of certain bakers. In other variations, raisins or various nuts are added to the mix. At Canter's, the poppy seed strudel's filling is grainy, sweet, and has just the right cut of that dark, nutty poppy flavor. Moreover, while some strudels are made with a soft, spongy dough, Canter's uses a flakey, thin phyllo dough.
The strudel is prepared in a long, almost log-like form, so prices depend on what size cut you order. I usually hold my index finger and thumb about two-inches apart when I tell my server "about this much," and it runs me about $5. For maximum impact, pair a slice of the dessert with a cup of coffee and take your time people-watching in Canter's main dining room—it's one of the best places in the city to do so.
Canter's is open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and is located at 419 N Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. (323) 651-2030.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
