If you want this delectable Jewish pastry, you'll have to go to Cleveland

Russian tea biscuits are so much a part of Cleveland's landscape that locals are surprised to learn that these rugelach-like pastries are from their hometown. As a Clevelander, I didn't discover the truth until I moved to several cities and Russian tea biscuits were nowhere to be found, prompting me to do a little digging online. I discovered that the pastry's origin story - a story that feels more like a legend - is connected to the Cleveland Jewish community.

Even though Salon published a lively discussion in 2011 about the origins of Russian tea biscuits, the pastry's full story remains a m...