Monkey bread is called "monkey bread" primarily because of the way it is eaten—by pulling apart the sticky pieces of dough with your fingers, much like how a monkey might pick at food. Another theory suggests the name comes from the bread's resemblance to the monkey puzzle tree. The exact origin of the name is unclear, but these are the most popular explanations. The bread itself has roots in a Hungarian dessert called aranygaluska ("golden dumpling") brought to the U.S. by Hungarian immigrants. The term "monkey bread" became common in the U.S. around the mid-20th century and was popularized further by figures like Nancy Reagan.