Barbra Streisand’s mom believed this Jewish drink would improve her daughter’s voice
Barbra Streisand with fellow actor Kris Kristofferson, circa 1970; New York Photo by Getty Images
By Rukhl Schaechter November 17, 2023
Long before Barbra Streisand published her bestselling memoir My Name is Barbra, she shared recollections of her mother encouraging her to gulp down a traditional eastern European Jewish drink called a gogl-mogl. The reason? Her mother believed it would improve her daughter’s singing voice.
Although the sweet, eggnog-like drink was originally a dessert, it also became a Jewish home remedy for the common cold. Recipes varied depending on geographical location but the most well-known version consisted of an egg yolk, milk and honey. Other variations used sugar instead of honey, flavorings like cinnamon or vanilla or even rum.
Here Yiddish food scholar and chef Eve Jochnowitz demonstrates how easy it is to make a gogl-mogl yourself.
Interestingly, Streisand didn’t like the drink, which is surprising. Most people who grew up drinking gogl-mogl told me that they loved it and even occasionally feigned illness in order to get a glass of it!
