Each national cuisine has its distinctive taste because it is rooted in the unique cultural heritage of the country. Since Jewish culinary traditions aren’t limited to those of Israeli people, Jewish foods are incredibly diverse. Flavorful and versatile, many Jewish foods like falafel are part of the global cuisine. But what makes Jewish cuisine so unique, is its connection to Jewish traditions and holidays. For example, there is a Jewish set of dietary rules called “Kashrut”. It is more than just a special diet, it is a spiritual tradition around Jewish food. Basically, the Jewish cuisine itself is more than just a combination of dishes, it is a spiritual tradition.
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Understanding Kashrut And Kosher Foods
If you study the culinary traditions of Jewish cuisine, then you should know the Kashrut (כַּשְׁרוּת in Hebrew). These are special ritual and dietary rules that characterize compliance with the requirements of the Torah. All Jewish foods that satisfy the Kashrut rules are “kosher” (כָּשֵׁר in Hebrew) or meet Kashrut standards. Here is a brief overview of the Kashrut dietary regulations:
- Only meat from animals that are pair-hoofed and grass-fed is safe to eat. These include goats, gazelles, cows, and sheep. Poultry is also allowed, except for predatory, exotic, and singing varieties such as owls, canaries, pelicans, and eagles. The Jews cook ducks, pigeons, geese, quail, and turkeys. It is strictly forbidden to eat insects.
- Fish is a neutral product that is not related to either milk or meat. But it, too, is subject to certain restrictions.
- All kosher birds and animals must be slaughtered in a special ritual way.
- It is forbidden to consume the blood of birds and animals. The Jews believe it contains the souls of the slaughtered creatures.
- Jews don’t combine meat products with dairy and sour milk products in one dish.
- Fruits, seafood, vegetables, and berries can safely be combined with meat or milk (not at the same time).
The Tradition Of Shabbat
A religious holiday, Shabbat also has its special culinary tradition. Shabbat is the seventh day of the week, Saturday. According to the Torah, on Saturdays, people should rest and refuse any work. A Shabbat meal includes two loaves of challah bread on the table, which represent two manna the Israelites collected in the desert. The challahs are covered with napkins, and just before the family meal begins, the head of the family removes them and makes a longitudinal cut on the bread. Then he places the palms of his hands on the challah and pronounces the words of blessing.
Next, the man makes a cut at the place of the mark, takes a piece, and eats it after dipping it in salt. Then the family members cut challah and share it. After the ritual described above, the Shabbat meal itself begins. According to Jewish traditions, it should consist of various, tasty and colorful kosher dishes, but they must be kosher. Since there are no strict rules, the options for the festive meal are endless, but the Jews traditionally start it with a cup of grape juice or wine and accompany it with blessings. Besides blessings and festive meals, the Shabbat has to be a meaningful and special day for the whole family. A great idea for a Shabbat is to take “a technology break” and listen to authentic Jewish music instead of watching movies or gambling at 20Bet.
Top 7 Jewish Foods You Have To Try
With an array of flavors and textures, Jewish food also has its cooking basics. The Jews often add spices such as black pepper, dill, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and garlic to their foods. Stewing and boiling are the preferred ways of cooking meat, fish, vegetables, and other products. Of course, all the foods have to satisfy the Kashrut laws. Whether you want to celebrate Shabbat at home or want to impress your Jewish friends, take a look at these delicious and iconic Jewish foods:
- Matzo ball soup.
Matzo ball soup could be a synonym for “comfort food” in Hebrew. This is also a popular holiday food for Shabbat. It is the chicken broth with balls made of wheat flour (“matzo balls”), chicken, celery, carrots, and other vegetables.
- Сholent stew.
Cholent is a hearty slow-cooked stew. To cook cholent, you need to slow-cook beef, beans, chickpeas, and different vegetables (potatoes, carrots, unions, etc.).
- Gefilte fish.
Gefilte fish or “stuffed fish” in Yiddish is a groundfish (for example, carp) that is cooked with eggs, carrots, and unions. This is a staple dish of Jewish cuisine.
- Esik fleish.
This delicious dish is a slow-simmering stew with beef, prunes, tomatoes, honey, and lemon juice.
- Kugel.
Kugel is a kind of casserole dish made with potatoes, eggs, and unions. Since it is a stable Shabbat dish, there are many variations of it. Some people bake kugels with noodles (“noodle kugels”). There are also kugels with rice, zucchini, beets, and carrots.
- Kreplach.
Kreplach are triangular-shaped dumplings. The Jews bake kreplach with different fillings: meat, poultry, cheese, vegetables, and even dried fruits.
- Falafel.
Falafel is a kind of meatball or ball with ingredients such as chickpeas (sometimes beans) and all sorts of allowed spices. The chickpeas are soaked or boiled, puréed, made into balls, and then fried.
A Jewish meal would be incomplete without traditional bread. The challah bread is festive bread made from puff pastry dough. Matzah or matzo bread is a Jewish flatbread made from water and flour. It replaces bread and can be kept for a long time. And enjoying sweet mouth-watering sufganiyout (doughnuts filled with jelly) is a great way to end the meal.
