The great kolache debate

Posted by Seth Tupper on 2/22/2010 at 8:09 AM in Central SD, Southeastern SD, General News

Years ago, state Sen. Frank Kloucek, D-Scotland, lost his effort to designate the Czech pastry known as a "kolache" as South Dakota's state dessert. Instead, legislators chose the German dessert called "kuchen."

Apparently, Kloucek has never gotten over that defeat. He's still trying to use the Legislature to promote the kolache, which is a staple of the Czech Days celebration held each year in Tabor, one of the towns in his legislative district.

With the dessert designation closed to him, Kloucek changed course this year and recently introduced Senate Bill 117 to "designate the kolache as the official state pastry."

As reported by Pierre's Capital Journal, Kloucek was stymied once again.

“My mother was born in Italy, and her father was a baker, and he made a mean cannoli, which is a pastry,” said Sen. Tom Nelson, R-Lead, who wondered why the kolache should be chosen over the cannoli.

“The bagel, that really comes from the Jewish ghettos of northern Europe, is much better known. If we can’t have the cannoli or the bagel, why the kolache?” asked Sen. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City.

The Senate Commerce Committee defeated Kloucek's bill on a 4-2 vote. Undaunted, the Czech Warrior vowed to continue the fight.

“It’s not dead yet,” Kloucek said. “This is only the first round of the kolache wars.”