A real Purim story: How Hamantaschen cookies got their name

Many Jewish people have been getting ready for Purim - the Jewish holiday that begins on Monday night - by baking hamantaschen cookies, triangular treats made of dough with poppy seeds or fruit jam in the middle.

Asked what the dessert signifies, many celebrants would quickly answer that they're in the shape of the triangular hat supposedly worn by Haman, the villain of the Purim story in the Book of Esther. But there's more history than that to the cookie - and clues can be found in its name.

Early versions of the cookies were more commonly known as oznei Haman, meaning "Haman's ears." The la...