Berches / Tascher (Challos)

What today is known to be called Challoh, was called Barches or Berches in most of Germany and Hungary, and Tascher in some places in southern Germany. This was because of the Posuk "ברכת ה' היא תעשיר", which refers to Shabbos according to the Yerushalmi, and because there were Brochos on Hafroshas Challoh and many other Brochos said later in public.

In the past they were made only of water and flour, sometimes with שומן put on them, or baked together with meat, therefore they had a special design (so they would not be eaten later during the week with milk) - at the time of the Yosef Ometz they put the knife in it a few times so it would look different, and some brought that the Yekkim made them look like the letter "Vov", and the Polish Jews braided them.
The Yosef Ometz says that when he was young they were made from flour and water only, but in his days they started already adding spices, and he says this is good to do so Lekoved Shabbos.

Michael FRBSH