The original kugels, a German word meaning “sphere,” were invented in the town of Lauscha, known for its glassmaking since the late sixteenth century. Here, smiths used a metal pipe and various moulds to blow the material into round balls and eventually hollow figures. To create a lustrous finish, the inside was silvered by a special liquid coating. At first, mercury was tried, but it did not adhere well, so the ingredient was quickly abandoned. Nevertheless, the products beautified by this process are often called “mercury glass.”
