Hallah Bread with Berries

Challah : Hebrew, Halla , plural: challot or challos) is a special Jewish bread, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Sabbath and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually-acceptable challah is made of dough from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering. The recipe was borrowed by Ashkenazim from the traditional Eastern European braided breads known as kalach, kalács, kolach, or colac. The term challah originally refers to the mitzvah of separating a portion of the dough before braiding. This portion of dough is set aside as a tithe for the Kohen. In Hebrew, this commandment is called hafrashat challah, or "separating challah". This obligation applies to any loaf of bread, not only to the Sabbath bread. The word challah is also used to refer to a specific type of bread loaf. The word challah likely comes from the Hebrew root halal. The etymology of this root is uncertain. It may originally have indicated roundness ("circle") and then also came to denote hollowness ("space"), or vice versa.The special Sabbath bread was originally called yachov in Hebrew, since it was baked in the form of a round loaf.[citation needed]. It also connotes "let go" of something, to put space between things, (as the dough is taken from the family bread dough, and "let go" to the priests. It is also now known as cholla bread. The bread was adopted by bakers in Poland and Russian Empire and is known as chałka (diminutive of chała) in Poland and khala in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.