Kolaches: Breakfast Hot Dogs, Texas-Style

Unless you're from Texas, you've probably never heard of Kolaches, a delectable breakfast snack as common in the Lone Star State as bagels and cream cheese are in New York. Traditional kolaches (pronounced KO-LA-CHEESE) are sweet, flat yeast rolls filled with fruit jam, poppy seed paste or soft cheese.

Kolaches are said to have been introduced stateside by Czech immigrants in regions like Eastern and Central Texas. The term has also come to refer to a savory variety stuffed with items like mini-sausages, cheese and jalapeño. The slightly sweet roll is best eaten warm, with the gooey cheese melted all around the salty sausage.

Some believe this non-sweet adaptation on the pastry that is widely popular across Texas, to be the result of Americanization. Others maintain that the correct term for the variety is Klobasnek, a distinct albeit similar item whose name translates in Czech to "Pig in a Blanket." Most call it a good excuse to eat hot dogs for breakfast.