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Jewish cuisine interesting facts. Jewish (Israeli) cuisine - homemade step-by-step photo recipes of national dishes. Jewish rules of kashrut for cooking

E Jews - an ancient agricultural people who lived in Palestine (Forward Asia, located off the eastern shores Mediterranean Sea). Their diet was dominated by grain products, various vegetables and fruits. Bread has always been the main component of any meal. It was made primarily from wheat, but barley, millet, spelt, peas and lentils were also used. Bread was baked from crushed grain (crushed, pounded, ground). The wheat was pre-cooked and dried in the sun. Prepared sour dough. During Passover, the Bible forbade the consumption of leavened bread and it was replaced with matzo. It's thin and brittle white plates made from wheat flour and water; thinly rolled unleavened dough was baked on a special fryer similar to a waffle iron. It was typical to eat liquid flour dishes (flour mash, soup seasoned with noodles or flour fried in fat), porridges made from millet, barley, and later rice. Lentils, peas, peeled sesame and sesame seeds were often cooked. Vegetables and melons occupied a large place in the diet. Among them: cabbage, radish, cucumbers, pumpkin, melons, spinach, watercress, mustard greens. The dishes were seasoned with onions and garlic. According to custom, garlic was a necessary component of the Shabbat lunch. The herbs of coriander, dill and parsley were used at the Jewish table. Fresh milk was consumed relatively little. They prepared milk soups and liquid milk porridges. They made butter, and cottage cheese and cottage cheese from skim milk.

They ate meat rarely, mostly lamb, less often beef; they preferred the meat of young animals. Game was considered a gourmet dish. The meat of a freshly slaughtered animal was eaten raw and smoked; salted and pickled meat was consumed. Broths and soups were made from meat. In addition to boiled and stewed meat, they prepared dishes from ground meat (meatballs, dumplings). Fried meat was usually served at the holiday table. Breeding poultry (chickens, geese, turkeys, pigeons, pheasants, ducks) enriched the national cuisine. Favorite dishes were stuffed goose necks, stewed poultry stuffed with apples, and poultry giblet goulash.

Egg dishes were popular. Eggs were eaten raw, soft-boiled, or hard-boiled. Egg fillings were used to prepare kugols (a type of casserole) from noodles, matzo, vegetables, and rice; yolks - for unleavened dough, hard-boiled eggs were added to various snacks. A variety of dishes were prepared from fish: fish soup, jelly, boiled and fried fish, stuffed fish, etc. Fish was a traditional dish on Saturday. To prepare various dishes, they mainly used poultry fats (especially rendered goose fat) and olive oil.

The most commonly consumed fruits were wine berries, grapes, apples, pomegranates, rose hips, nuts, fruits of the olive tree - olives and black olives, as well as dates and figs. Since time immemorial, it has been considered a symbol of health and fertility. vine. The Jews revered her as a divine gift. According to legend, Moses, before leading his people to the land of Canaan (the ancient name of Palestine), did not leave Egypt until his messengers brought a huge bunch of grapes - proof of the fertility of that land. It is noteworthy that date palm was the emblem of ancient Judea. The palm tree was minted on coins and medals, its name was reflected in the names of ancient cities: Jericho - “city of palm trees”, Tamar - “date palm”.

Honey was also considered the most valuable gift of nature. Outstanding thinkers of antiquity (Aristotle, Hippocrates, Avicenna, etc.) argued that honey improves health and prolongs life. The wise King Solomon compared the sweetness of love with the sweetness of honey.

Spices (black pepper, anise, nutmeg, hyssop, mint, cloves, cinnamon, saffron, etc.) were essential components of almost all dishes and culinary products. They were added in small quantities in order to give food a unique dense (spicy) aroma and characteristic taste. It is known that such food stimulates appetite, improves mood, and improves digestion. An ancient Jewish proverb says: “There is no benefit or joy in food without spices.” With the help of spices you can diversify the taste and aroma of dishes prepared from the same products. Spices were used as preservatives to preserve food freshness. In addition to spices, spicy vegetables (carrots, celery root and parsley, onion, garlic, horseradish, etc.).

For old Jewish cuisine in general, a number of restrictions in the selection of products and their mixing, determined by religious instructions, are specific. It is allowed to consume the meat of large and small cattle, domestic and wild animals (deer, antelope, gazelle). Birds of prey are not eaten. The bird must have a crop and stomach, the fish must have scales and a developed spine (pike, carp, carp, flounder, herring; sturgeon are not used). Blood, pork, meat of wild predatory animals, reptiles and amphibians are not allowed for consumption. Vegetables and fruits should not be wormy. If, after cooking, a wormhole is discovered in them, they are considered unsuitable.
It is prohibited to consume milk together with meat products or poultry (with fish, you can), as well as using them together in recipes (after eating meat, drinking milk is allowed no earlier than 6 hours later). These products are usually stored in separate containers. You cannot cook fish with meat. There are special techniques for preparing so-called kosher food (that is, prepared according to the requirements of the Jewish religion).

As you know, all religions require fasting. The Jewish religion considers it a “godly deed” to fast twice a week - on Mondays and Thursdays (in the Orthodox religion, fasts are on Wednesdays and Fridays), and also in case of severe grief. In addition, fasts are observed: on New Year's Eve, Easter, the Feast of Forgiveness (Yom Kippur) and the ninth of Ab. You cannot fast on Saturday and on holidays. Patients (and women during pregnancy) are not required to fast.

The resettlement of Jews in different countries of the world (diaspora) led to the convergence of their tastes with the tastes of the peoples of the countries of residence. This was also facilitated by changes in their lifestyle and the composition of food products. It is quite natural that the cuisines of peoples with whom people of different nationalities live side by side are mutually enriched.
Assimilation processes also influence national cuisines. Therefore, the traditional cooking of Jews living in Eastern European countries combines elements of Polish, German and, partly, Romanian cuisine, and the cuisine of Jews living in Western Asia bears the imprint of Iranian and Arab cuisine. It is hardly possible to talk about any single Jewish cuisine in our country, which has a vast territory, a variety of natural conditions and national composition. It is clear, therefore, that the range of products and culinary recipes among Jews living, for example, in Bukhara and Belarus, should differ.

At the same time, we often see among Jews from various places of settlement the preserved national flavor and taste of their favorite dishes, such as kugol, tsimmes, stuffed fish, stuffed neck, many flour dishes confectionery. One of the heroes of Sholom Aleichem’s novel “Wandering Stars”, while in New York at the famous Jewish restaurant Sholom, ordered the following lunch: “Well-peppered goulash from navels, liver and wings (prepared from chicken products) is number one. Broth with a solid piece of chicken - number two. Vertuta with crushed noodles - number three. Carrot "tsimes" with stuffed neck - number four. A glass of finchampagne cognac, with it, grated radish and a good glass of beer - number five."

The daily food of Tevye the milkman looks much more modest in the story of the same name by the same author, in which we read: “Where is it said that Tevye must suffer for the thin soup, for the coarse kulesh...”. True, the rich Kyiv Jews, as Tevye testifies, ate much better: “In general... they set the table and began to carry hot samovars, tea on trays, sugar, jam, fried eggs, buns, fresh fragrant, then all sorts of dishes - fatty broths, roasts, goose, the best wines, tinctures...". What kind character traits, characteristic of ancient cooking, has been preserved by modern Jewish cuisine? This is primarily a simple composition of recipes, usually including a few components.

If possible, more complete and economical use of food raw materials. So, along with boiled chicken, you get a rich broth, and at the same time you can prepare a stuffed neck, from the liver and stomach - a salad of chicken giblets, from the wings, stomach and legs - goulash or jelly.
Further, an appropriate combination of products of animal and plant origin, which allows not only to prepare highly nutritious dishes, but also to enhance their beneficial effect on the body of a healthy and sick person. An example is kugol, which is made from boiled products (noodles, rice, chopped beets, potatoes, etc.): they are placed in a deep frying pan, filled with egg, stirred and cooked under a lid on the stove or baked in the oven. Another example is the use of stuffing techniques: stuffing poultry with stuffings made from apples, cabbage and other vegetables; eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini - minced meat.
Finally, the simplicity and speed of preparing many dishes. Minced meat is often used, from which it is easy to make cutlets, meatballs, dumplings, rolls and fillings for pies and other flour products.

Traditional quick-cooked dishes are tsimmes: vegetable stew(carrots, potatoes or beets) along with dried fruits, seasoned raw egg, mixed with flour or semolina porridge.
Favorite dishes remain sweet and sour meat, which is also prepared with dried fruits; snacks and hot dishes from beef, veal, chicken or goose liver.

One of the most ancient. There are many recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation for many thousands of years. Thanks to the fact that Jews live all over the world, their cuisine has become significantly enriched. It featured dishes from different nations, such as borscht, cabbage rolls, dumplings and dumplings.

Basic laws of kashrut

Despite all its diversity, Jewish cuisine shares some strong traditions. Many of them are primarily determined by the laws of kashrut.

One of its main postulates is the complete separation of dairy from meat products. They need to be prepared in different dishes. In general, there are a lot of rules of kashrut. We won’t describe everything; we’ll highlight a few more main ones.

You cannot combine milk and meat in any way (neither in the menu nor in dishes). You should also not mix meat and fish. You cannot eat Jewish dishes made from milk and chicken at the same meal, even if they are on different plates.

Jews do not eat the following foods:

meat of predatory animals;
pork;
animal blood;
wild bird meat;
hare meat;
fish without scales.

Veal and beef liver, poultry are the most commonly consumed meat products. Jews prefer chicken. Fish is a traditional Jewish food. Pike dishes are especially popular. Jewish cuisine is dominated by plant foods and dairy products. The most favorite vegetables are potatoes, carrots, radishes, beets, onions and cabbage.

Jewish cuisine: popular dishes and most commonly used ingredients

If we talk about first courses, then Jews prefer broths with various flour additives. Stuffed Jewish dishes are most in demand. For example, this could include dishes made from ground meat (rolls, etc.). Stuffed fish and vegetables are also popular.

Jewish cuisine has other characteristic features. Which ones exactly? For example, there is a lot flour products and dishes. There are many flour preparations that can be stored for a long time and then used to prepare food. Lekah, teiglakh, challah are national confectionery products. To prepare such delicacies, flour (wheat), honey, poppy seeds, nuts and raisins are used.

Spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, dill, bay leaf, etc.) are mandatory components of Jewish dishes. But they are used in limited quantities, since the taste of food should not be strong. Only half-tones of spices should be felt in the taste gamut. Therefore, you should add them in moderation if you want to follow the rules of Jewish cuisine.

Matzah - unleavened product

Matzah is unleavened bread. This dish belongs to For preparation you need:

half a liter of water;
kilogram of flour.

How to prepare such a fresh product?

Sift the flour and add in a heap.
Pour in water in a thin stream, stirring quickly to prevent lumps from forming.
Next, roll out thin flat cakes (no thicker than 1.5 mm), prick them with a fork, and bake over low heat. You can even cook it in a waffle iron.

Stuffed chicken neck

Jewish cuisine. How is it prepared? Let's talk about this now.

To prepare this dish you will need:

chicken necks with skin (one kilogram);
chicken fat (a little, required for frying);
chicken liver (500 grams will be enough);
salt (to your taste;
bulb;
heaped flour (two tablespoons);
spices, for example, freshly ground black pepper, a third of a teaspoon of nutmeg (grated).

The procedure for preparing a delicious national dish is as follows:

First, wash the necks and remove the bones. As a result, you should get solid tubes, hollow inside.
Next, make the minced meat. To do this, lightly fry the flour in fat. Separately, fry the onion (finely chopped) and chicken liver.
Next, pass the liver through a meat grinder.
Then add to the onion and flour.
Fill the prepared necks with the resulting minced meat. Sew up and simmer in broth for about thirty minutes. The stuffed chicken neck is almost ready. All that remains is to remove it from the broth and fry it in fat. Then you can serve it to the table. Choose a good side dish to go with the neck.

Potato balls with onions

This dish is also easy to prepare. To create balls you will need:

one onion:
pepper (to taste);
vegetable oil (necessary for frying);
boiled potatoes (five pieces);
salt;
one tablespoon of olive oil;
half a glass of potato flour;
250 grams of champignons.

Cooking an interesting dish of boiled potatoes at home is described below.

Make mashed boiled potatoes, add olive oil, salt and pepper. Next, stir.
Then finely chop the onion and champignons.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Next, fry the onion over medium heat until golden. Stir constantly during the process. Then add the mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Then fry them over high heat until they turn a bright golden color. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine the resulting mass with puree, stir, pepper and salt. Form balls with a diameter of five centimeters, roll in flour.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the resulting balls on all sides.
Place finished products on paper towels to degrease. Serve hot with salads and other side dishes.

Classic forshmak: what kind of dish is it and how to prepare it?

When describing Jewish recipes, one cannot help but remember mincemeat. The dish is easy to prepare. You won't even need to stand at the stove.

To prepare you will need:

two onions;
three slices of loaf;
salted herring;
sour apple;
greens (for decoration):
a pinch of ground pepper, citric acid or lemon juice (to taste);
a glass of boiled water;
half a teaspoon of sugar;
one teaspoon each of vinegar and butter.

Step-by-step recipe for preparing a traditional Jewish dish at home:

How to cook classic mincemeat? First you should prepare all the products. Start with herring. Clean the fish and wash it. If the herring is very salty, soak it in milk for three hours (on average). Next, the whole herring needs to be cleaned and washed again. After this, divide it into fillets, while removing the bones.
Cut the crust off the slices of bread.
Then break the crumb, put it in a bowl, and fill it with boiled water.
Peel one apple, then slice.
Cut the herring fillet into pieces too.
Then do the same with the onion. Try to cut it as small as possible.
Next, combine all these crushed products. Then add the pre-pressed bread.
Pass everything through a meat grinder. Next, stir.
Then add oil, pepper, citric acid and sugar. Then mix everything thoroughly again. Decorate with greens.

Duck with prunes

This is quite a tasty and popular dish among Jews. It's easy to prepare. The resulting dish has a very original taste.

To prepare you will need:

vegetable oil (for frying);
duck (two wings, thighs and shanks, two fillets);
pepper;
salt;
two onions;
200 grams of pitted prunes.

Preparation:

1. Initially, separate the duck if you did not buy the meat components separately. Make punctures with a knife, rub with pepper and salt (carefully).

2. Fry the pieces in batches until well browned in sunflower oil.

4. Then fill with boiling water. Let everything boil for a couple of minutes (two or three).

5. Then switch to the lowest heat and leave to simmer without boiling for five hours.

6. After the specified time, you will have a flavorful dish with a beautiful, dark sauce. Note that the meat, of course, will come off the bones easily. It will literally melt in your mouth. Serve this duck with delicious side dish or a light salad. Bon appetit.

Jewish tzimmes with prunes and raisins

What is carrot tzimmes? This is a sweet, colorful holiday stew that is very easy to prepare. At the same time, the dish will be remembered by loved ones not only appearance, but also excellent taste.

To prepare you will need (for two persons):

50 grams of prunes, raisins;
5 pieces of carrots;
a teaspoon of lemon juice;
a pinch of ground cinnamon;
two tbsp. spoons of olive oil;
salt;
three tbsp. spoons of honey and light brown sugar;
ground black pepper.

Creating a dish of dried fruits and carrots:

Wash and peel the carrots, cut into medium-thick slices. Fry over high heat in oil (olive) for about five to six minutes.
Rinse dried fruits thoroughly.
Next, add them to the carrots. Then add sugar, honey and water (tbsp). Then stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid. Simmer for approximately 90 minutes.
Remove the lid, add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes.

Challah - Jewish baked goods

This bread is very easy to make. For cooking you will need:

two large eggs;
egg yolk;
half a glass warm water(temperature - 55 degrees);
three and a half glasses of flour;
1.25 tsp. salt;
1/5 cup sugar and vegetable oil;
2.25 tsp. dry yeast.

For the glaze you need:

one protein;
two tablespoons of water.

The process of making delicious braided bread: step-by-step instructions

A little conclusion

Now you know the features of Jewish cuisine. Also in the article we looked at several popular recipes. We hope you can make them at home in your kitchen. We wish you good luck and bon appetit!

Jewish cuisine is one of the most delicious. At the same time, it always looked a little like the Soviet one. Jewish housewives, like Soviet ones, had to show maximum imagination with a very poor choice of products. And literally from one chicken you can prepare a luxurious holiday table.

It must be said that both Jewish and Soviet housewives succeeded in this difficult task. We even borrowed something from Jewish cuisine, for example, mincemeat - a frequent guest at holiday feasts. There is another direction in Jewish cuisine, also very tasty: Middle Eastern. There are a lot of borrowings from the Arabs, a lot of dishes made from lamb, chickpeas, and dried fruits. And Middle Eastern Jewish cuisine is also great for the holiday table.

We have selected several famous and very festive dishes from Jewish cuisine. They will be able to diversify the traditional New Year's menu and add a light oriental note to the feast.

Step 1. Boil hard-boiled eggs and grate them.

Step 2. Grate the cheese, pass the garlic through a press, mix the cheese, garlic and eggs.

Step 3. Season with mayonnaise and sprinkle with chopped dill. Mix. Leave in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or overnight.

Pepper with lemon Photo: Shutterstock.com

Sweet pepper with lemon

4 green peppers

4 red peppers

4 yellow peppers

½ cup olive oil

8 teeth garlic

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Step 1. Gently roast the peppers on open fire. Place in a bag and leave for an hour.

Step 2. Pour olive oil and lemon juice into a deep bowl, add salt and chopped garlic. Whisk everything.

Step 3. Peel the peppers and put them in the sauce, stir so that all the peppers are covered with the sauce, and leave for a day, after which you can eat. Peppers can be stored in the refrigerator for about 10 days.

Forshmak Photo: mmenu.com

Forshmak

300 g lightly salted herring fillet

1 white salad onion

1 sour green apple

½ stick of butter

Freshly ground pepper

Step 1. Cut the herring into pieces, peel and dice the apple, peel the onion.

Step 2. Grind the onion in a blender. Separately chop the herring and apple.

Step 3: Cream the butter. Add to the apple and herring, beat everything together and add onion to the mincemeat. Mix thoroughly.

Step 4. Pepper. Chop the greens coarsely and add to the mincemeat.

Tip: if the herring is too salty or hard, you can soak it in milk or black tea.

Duck stuffed with noodles Photo: mmenu.com

Duck stuffed with noodles

1 duck

150 g mushrooms

250 g noodles

0.5 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

4 tbsp duck fat

1 onion

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper

Step 1. Pre-boil the dried mushrooms until softened.

Step 2. Rinse and dry the duck, rub the inside and outside with a mixture of salt, pepper and garlic.

Step 3. Pass the giblets through a meat grinder or chop finely.

Step 4. Boil the noodles and drain in a colander.

Step 5. Fry diced onions and finely chopped fresh or boiled mushrooms in duck fat, add giblets and fry for another 5 minutes.

Step 6. Remove the resulting mass from the heat, add parsley, noodles, beaten eggs, salt and pepper and mix gently.

Step 7. Stuff the duck with the prepared filling and sew up the hole.

Step 8. Roast the duck in the oven for 2.5 hours at 180°C until fully cooked. During roasting, turn the bird over twice. When serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Stuffed fish Photo: mmenu.com

Gefilte fish, or stuffed fish

The signature dish of every Jewish housewife. And each one prepares it in the most correct way in the world, but not in the same way as her neighbor. Therefore, there are a million recipes for gefilte fish. We just have to choose which one we like. Usually carp or pike are stuffed - the most convenient fish for stuffing, especially pike, the skin can be removed from it quite easily.

1 pike or carp

4 onions

1 tsp. Sahara

frying oil

2 tbsp. l. breadcrumbs

For the broth:

2 carrots

1 onion

a handful of onion peel

allspice

Bay leaf

2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil

Step 1. Clean the fish, remove fins and gills, and gut.

Step 2. Carefully separate the spine from the meat, remove it from the fish, and the rib bones behind it. Remove all meat. In this case, the skin remains on the head.

Step 3. Remove all bones from the pulp, add salt and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Step 4. Meanwhile, peel and fry two onions, and simply chop two into large pieces.

Step 5. Scroll the fish meat through a meat grinder, add fried and unfried onions. Scroll through everything together. Add egg, salt, pepper, sugar and stir for 10 minutes. Place in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.

Step 6. Add to minced meat breadcrumbs, if it turned out liquid.

Step 7. Sew the skin of the fish, leaving only a small hole in the middle so that a spoon can fit through.

Step 8. Fill the fish with minced meat, but not too tightly. Sew up the hole.

Step 9. Place carrots, cut into slices, coarsely chopped onions and fish bones into the pan. Then a layer of onion skins, and fish on top of it. Carefully pour in water to cover all the fish. Add salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaf.

Step 10. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, add vegetable oil, reduce heat and cook without closing the lid for about an hour.

Step 11. Remove from heat, let cool and drain the broth. Place the fish in the refrigerator and cool for 3-4 hours, then remove the threads and cut into portions. Strain the broth; you can serve it separately.

Stuffed goose neck

Ashkenazi dish. The so-called “poverty dish”. The bird's offal was used to make a filling for a pie, the meat was boiled to make soup, and then something could be stewed. And a goose or chicken neck was stuffed - it made a delicious hot appetizer.

½ cup flour

½ cup semolina

1 large onion

1 goose neck or 2 chicken

3 tbsp. l. chicken or goose fat

1 liter chicken broth

1 tsp. red pepper

ground black pepper

Step 1: Carefully remove the skin from the goose neck. Sew up the narrow end.

Step 2. Grate or chop the onion in a blender, sift the flour, cut the fat into pieces.

Step 3. Mix onion, fat, flour and semolina, add salt and pepper. Stuff the neck with this mixture. Sew up.

Step 4. Boil the neck in chicken broth. Then remove the threads from it and cut into slices.

Baked leg of lamb Photo: mmenu.com

Roasted leg of lamb

1 leg of lamb

1 head of garlic

1 tbsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tbsp green basil

3 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Clean the leg, leaving a thin layer of fat.

Step 2. Finely chop all the greens, add oil, rub the leg with the mixture, add salt and pepper.

Step 3. Peel the head of garlic, place the cloves on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and place the leg on top. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Step 4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Wrap the leg in aluminum foil and let sit for 20 minutes.

Step 5. Then place the meat in foil to bake for 1.5 hours. Check readiness with a toothpick: if it is slightly damp when pricked, then the meat is ready.

Step 6. Cut the meat into portions, if necessary, add salt and pepper. Garnish with baked garlic, pour over the sauce that has drained from the leg.

Dried fruit dessert Photo: mmenu.com

Charoset in Sephardic

6 pcs. dried figs

6 pitted dates

1/3 chopped almonds

½ chopped walnut

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. lemon juice

5 tbsp. sweet wine

Pinch of cinnamon

Step 1. Peel the figs from the cuttings, cut the figs and dates into cubes.

Step 2. Peel and pit apples, cut into cubes and mix with dried fruit.

Step 3. Add almonds, lemon juice, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon and honey. Place the resulting mixture on a wide board and chop until smooth.

Step 4. Pour in the wine and chop again until thoroughly combined. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. After this, serve.

Teiglakh Photo: mmenu.com

Teiglah

2 cups of flour

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp salt

For the syrup:

2/3 cup honey

½ cup sugar

Step 1. Grind the eggs with powdered sugar and butter, add flour and knead the dough.

Step 2. Roll the dough into sausage shapes. Cut them into pieces and roll into balls.

Step 3. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven at 180 C.

Step 4. Make syrup: heat honey and sugar in a wide bowl, add cinnamon and bring almost to a boil.

Step 5. Place the baked balls in the syrup, let it boil and cook over low heat until the syrup thickens.

Step 6. Place the mass on the board, form a layer, let it cool and cut the layer into triangles or arbitrarily.

See also p recipe for the New Year's table:

Jewish gastronomy, unlike many other cuisines in the world, is subject to a strict set of religious rules. All dishes are prepared in accordance with kashrut - the requirements of Halacha, Jewish Law. Thus, according to the law, it is strictly prohibited to combine meat and dairy products, to consume pork, camel meat, hyrax and hare meat, as well as insects, amphibians and reptiles. Only ruminants and artiodactyls - cows, goats, sheep, giraffes, moose - are considered kosher. It is allowed to eat poultry meat - geese, chickens, turkeys, quails, ducks. Animals are also slaughtered according to special rules. As for fish, it is not considered meat; Kosher fish must have scales and fins.

Before cooking, products are carefully inspected and washed. They must not have any defects.

It is also worth noting that traditional Jewish cuisine is divided into Ashkenazi and Sephardic. Jews living in Europe adhere to the traditions of the first, while Jews living in the Middle East adhere to the second.

Let's look at it a little closer...

An ancient culture with its traditions and rules holds this people scattered throughout the world in a single integrity stronger than any borders. The persecuted nation would have been wiped off the face of the earth long ago if the voices of the ancestors, heard in the everyday way of life, recipes, blessings before meals, sacred holidays and customs, did not tell about the history and morals of their native people, did not care about the unity and health of their children. We, the children of modern civilization with its chaotic way of life and rhythm, can only marvel at the strength and vitality of the traditions of this amazing people, imbued with a feeling of deep respect for a rational and life-loving culture.

Looking at the Jewish calendar, an unprepared person will simply be confused. Months of the year whose names and durations differ only slightly in different countries world, among the Jews they correspond to the movement of the Moon and are called completely differently. But the most interesting thing is the holidays, with their changing dates, features and traditions, so different from those to which we are accustomed: New Year(or Birthday) of trees, Royal Saturday, Feast of Tabernacles (booths), Hanukkah - the holiday of light, Judgment Day, the “milk” holiday of the year Shavuot, and only Easter - Passover resonates in the soul with a feeling of joyful participation. In Jewish cuisine, each holiday has its own scenario, its own rules and prohibitions, and its own special menu. The dishes placed on the table can tell you what time of year, day of the week or holiday it is. An abundance of pancakes and buttery donuts will indicate the winter holiday of Hanukkah, and sweet triangular pies with poppy seeds or jam will tell about the onset of the bright and cheerful holiday of Purim, which marks the beginning of spring.

The spiritual content of a meal is determined not by how varied and plentiful it is, but at what time, from what products, for what occasion it is prepared. After all, according to the Torah - holy book Jewish people, food is the first step in the process of human ennoblement. Eating only for the sake of satiety or pleasure is considered the lowest level of behavior, because food primarily carries spiritual power, it must be taken correctly, not forgetting to bless and thank God. Therefore, preparing food is equated to a sacred rite.

For example, a common everyday activity is baking kosher bread. A small piece is separated from the dough prepared according to my grandmother’s recipe and thrown into the fire. In ancient times, this “bread gift” - challah - was taken to the priests as an offering instead of fire, and later the custom was transformed into the sacrifice of bread to fire. Separating the challah is considered the honorable responsibility of the hostess. To this day, in Israel and beyond, Jewish women, following the traditions of national cuisine, strictly fulfill this ancient commandment.

Israeli cuisine unique and diverse, its history is inseparable from the history of the people themselves. This cuisine is based on recipes with a predominance of grain crops, because the ancient Jewish people were farmers. They ate mainly fruits, grains and legumes. Generous fertile soils provided rich harvests for both people and livestock. Dairy products, eggs, some meat (animals were more needed on the farm than on the table), fish on holidays, a variety of flour and vegetable dishes, a little spice so as not to disturb the taste of the dish, honey, nuts, fruits - this was the approximate diet in those ancient times.

But the history of the Jewish people is full of tragic twists and turns. With the forced resettlement from their native places to other countries, adaptation to new products and culinary traditions, Jewish cuisine also changed. It changed, but did not disappear, and like a sponge it absorbed local culinary characteristics and flavor. The natural and inevitable mutual influence of cultures of different peoples brought its wonderful fruits. This is how meat goulash soup, loved by Jews from Hungary, appeared, strudel with dried fruits - a gift from Jews from Austria, falafel - the famous pea “fast food”, which is lovingly prepared in the countries of the Middle East, and many, many more recipes that came from other countries and ingrained in Jewish “cookbooks.”

The cooking traditions of the Jewish people have developed their own favorite techniques and features, sometimes dictated by the conditions of the area of residence, sometimes by religious rules and customs. Jewish cuisine is characterized by simple but lengthy heat treatment: boiling, stewing with water and under a lid; baking in the oven is less commonly used. As a result of many hours of heat treatment, traditional tzimmes, cholents, thick rich broths are obtained, always with huge matzo dumplings - kneidlach, stewed sweet and sour meat - these are all dishes in which the constituent ingredients are simmered and boiled for a long time, soaked in the aroma of spices and turning into a homogeneous , a delicate mass with a new taste.

Egg dishes are very popular in Jewish cuisine: boiled, raw, fried. Whipped egg filling is used to prepare kugels from matzo, fish, and vegetables. Yolks are added to unleavened dough, and snacks and salads are prepared from hard-boiled and chopped eggs.

Fish dishes is a whole separate area of the culinary art of the Jewish people. Stuffed whole or in pieces, boiled in broth or baked, fish cutlets, jelly, forshmak are the most beloved and widespread dishes of national cuisine, known all over the world. On festive table the fish acquires additional symbolic meaning - laid out whole with its head on a dish, it symbolizes wisdom and integrity of life.

Mandatory components of almost all dishes, but only in limited quantities, are spices: anise, nutmeg, dill, black pepper. They are added for taste, appetite, good digestion, and for longer preservation of food. An old Jewish proverb says: “Food without spices has no benefit or joy.” Also, to improve the taste of soups, broths, fish and meat dishes, spicy vegetables are used: celery and parsley root, onions, garlic, etc.

The most main feature, without which all Jewish cuisine simply would not exist, is compliance with the basic religious rules of selection and preparation of products - the rules of Kashrut. No matter where the representatives of this people find themselves, the basis of knowledge household and cooking for them, religious laws of nutrition have always remained. Jews eat only “suitable” kosher food, that is, that which is prepared in accordance with the laws of Kashrut.

Rules of Kashrut

Contrary to popular belief, rabbis and other Jewish religious leaders do not participate in the preparation of kosher food, or rather, they may participate, but this is not a determining factor. A dish will be considered kosher if the following simple but mandatory rules are followed during its preparation:

It is allowed to eat only the meat of herbivores: cattle, sheep, goats, as well as the meat of wild animals such as deer and roe deer. It is believed that the closer the animal is to flora, the less aggression it conveys to a person and the less animal instincts appear in him. Thus, the meat of carnivores, as well as pigs, is prohibited. The same provision applies to birds, only in addition to birds of prey, songbirds and exotic ones are also prohibited.
Only those fish species that have scales and fins are considered kosher. Catfish, sturgeon, sterlet, eel, beluga, etc. are prohibited from being eaten, since their scales cannot be separated from the skin. Other inhabitants of water bodies are also considered non-kosher: shellfish, crab, squid, shrimp, etc.
All parts of prohibited animals, birds and fish are also considered non-kosher (for example, black caviar is prohibited because it comes from non-kosher fish).
Animals and birds intended for food must be killed in accordance with “shechita” - Jewish rules of slaughter, i.e. very quickly, painlessly, by specially trained people. These restrictions do not apply to permitted fish.

The Torah categorically prohibits eating any blood, believing that blood contains the soul of an animal or bird. Therefore, if you bought fresh or frozen meat, and the package says “lo mukshar”, which means “not kosher”, then you must remove all the blood from it. To do this, you need to immerse well-washed pieces of meat in water for several hours (no more than a day), then let the water drain, salt the meat and throw it on an inclined plane for another hour, then the remaining blood will drain and the meat will be koshered. If the eggs of permitted birds contain even a drop of blood, they cannot be eaten, so it is better to break the egg into a glass glass before use to avoid spoilage of the entire dish. The liver of kosher animals and birds is bled only by roasting.
All types of insects are prohibited from being eaten. Therefore, Jewish housewives pay great attention to the pre-processing of products, carefully sorting out cereals, sifting flour, and inspecting vegetables, fruits and herbs for bugs and caterpillars. It is recommended to soak the greens in a weak solution of salt or vinegar, and then rinse thoroughly.
All food, in accordance with the rules of Kashrut, is divided into meat, dairy and neutral, “parve”. It is strictly forbidden to both consume and cook dairy and meat foods at the same time. This applies not only to meat and milk itself, but also to animal products, for example, animal fat or butter, cheese, cottage cheese, etc. Dairy food intake should be separated from meat food intake by at least 6 hours, if meat food is taken after milk, then a difference of 1 hour between doses is sufficient. The exception is hard cheese, after it the interval should also be at least 6 hours. Fish, eggs, and all plant products belong to “parva” and can be combined with both meat and dairy products. This division concerns not only the products themselves, but also the dishes in which they are prepared. Cutting boards, frying pans, knives, pots and plates for meat should never be mixed or used for dairy. Such dishes also need to be washed separately. If by chance products containing meat come into contact with dairy dishes, such dishes need to be koshered: boiled or calcined.
During the celebration of Passover (Easter), Kashrut prohibits eating “chametz” - dishes using any leaven (yeast bread, beer, vinegar, etc.). Instead of bread, they prepare “matzo” - thin flatbreads that are kneaded and baked in a very short time so that the dough does not have time to sour.
Wine, unless produced by a Jew, is considered a non-kosher product.
All other products, unless they contain food additives, are allowed.

The culinary traditions of Jewish cuisine, which is one of the oldest in the world, are inextricably linked with the history of the people themselves, who wandered the world for four thousand years. The culinary experience borrowed from representatives of other nationalities was transformed in accordance with Jewish traditions and, passed on from generation to generation, has stood the test of time.

The State of Israel came into existence only in 1948. However, both Israeli and Jewish cuisine are based on religious customs, as well as restrictions on the consumption of certain foods - kashrut. The food philosophy established by the ancient Jews requires its followers to strictly comply with all requirements and restrictions.

general characteristics

Jewish cuisine has absorbed the traditions of Ashkenazi and Sephardic cooking, which were formed about two centuries ago and differ significantly from each other. The first of them, more modest, is characteristic of the so-called European Jews. The Jewish population living in Europe had to invent the most sustainable ways to use products because people lived in poverty.

The main difference between Jewish cuisine and Israeli cuisine is that the latter is influenced by Eastern, Arab and Turkish culinary traditions. This is evidenced by the love of Israelis for such dishes, in particular, as shawarma or sweet burakes buns.

The basis of Israeli cooking is a variety of nutritious dishes, which, thanks to spices, are easily absorbed by the body. All of them are prepared from high-quality products that are thoroughly washed and free from external defects.

For starters, they prepare chicken broths, hot vegetable soups, as well as cold borscht and soups. For the second course - dishes from minced meat(cutlets, rolls and meatballs) or natural meat. Chicken and goose fat, poultry meat, as well as veal and beef liver are widely used in cooking.

A special feature of the lunch menu is a fish appetizer, for example mincemeat minced through a meat grinder, made from lightly salted fish with the addition of onions and soaked bread. Then they serve soup, usually meat, and a second meat course, often without a side dish. The meal ends with tea and sweets.

A characteristic feature of Jewish cuisine are fish and meat dishes, boiled and stewed rather than fried. Meatballs made from finely chopped fish with seasonings and matzo (gefilte fish) are also popular.

Milk in Jewish cooking is used exclusively fresh. A variety of unleavened dishes and boiled porridges with a semi-liquid consistency are prepared from it.

As for spices, their range is limited to onions, cloves, and, which are consumed in moderation.

The calling card of Jewish culinary specialists is all kinds of baked goods and preparations made from matze-mel, to which nuts or honey are added. These are matzo, challah, sufganiyet (donuts with jam) or bagels - Jewish bagels. An interesting fact: it is to them, and not to Russian bagels, that the song “Buy bagels” is dedicated.

Among the drinks popular here are good and black, and among alcoholic drinks - aniseed vodka and kosher, prepared according to Jewish traditions.

Characteristics

All dishes are prepared by Jewish chefs in accordance with the medically justified laws of kashrut, which prohibit the consumption of certain foods. In addition, they introduce a ban on the combination of certain ingredients, and also provide for the use of separate knives for different products.

Products that are allowed to be consumed are called kosher. These include, for example, some types of meat, as well as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, scaled fish, nuts and honey. In this case, the meat of mammals and poultry must be cut in a special way, called shechita. There is also a ban on eating certain parts of kosher animal carcasses.

Products prohibited in Jewish cuisine are called non-kosher. These include animal blood, meat of hares, camels, predatory animals and birds, as well as fish without scales, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Before cooking meat, all blood is removed by salting or soaking.

Kosher laws prohibit the mixing or simultaneous use of meat and dairy products, as well as the use of the same utensils for these products.

Fruits and vegetables that are allowed for consumption must not contain insects, and juice, wine and cognac from grapes must be prepared in compliance with special rules.

Kashrut prohibits cooking on Saturdays. Therefore, in the Jewish culinary tradition, dishes are common that are prepared on Fridays so that they are infused until Saturday.

Main dishes

Jewish cuisine is distinguished by the originality of its dishes, which have a unique aroma and taste. The secret of preparing most dishes goes back thousands of years. This is due to kashrut, the laws of which stipulate only strictly certain products and methods of cooking.

Meat dishes

Just like Arabs and Muslims, Jews do not eat pork. The pillar of Jewish cooking is the meat of only artiodactyl animals (, lamb) and poultry (,). At the same time, inventive chefs manage to prepare several dishes from one product at once.

So, for example, broth is first boiled from a chicken carcass. Then from the skin, offal and not large quantity The popular national dish of meat is gefilte gelzele (stuffed neck). Flour, raw goose fat and onions are added to the minced chicken necks. After filling the necks, they are stewed in a specially prepared sauce made from carrots, onions and goose fat.

The main part of the meat from the broth is used to prepare dishes according to various recipes. For example, boiled beef is used to make pancakes.

Note that both natural and minced meat are used to prepare meat dishes in Jewish cuisine. At the same time, dishes prepared in the best culinary traditions of eastern countries are easily identified by their sweet and sour taste. Thus, beef for the esik fleisch dish is stewed in a sauce made from tomato paste with the addition of honey, raisins and.

A traditional Jewish dish that is usually served on Shabbat, when fires are not allowed, is cholent. It is made from fatty kosher beef, onions and a variety of herbs, sometimes adding potatoes. The container with the ingredients of this dish is placed in a special oven on Friday night, so that the dish remains hot until Saturday noon.

In Sephardic cooking, it is customary to cook with chicken, lamb with couscous (Israeli ptitim) or mafrum - savory cutlets of lamb, beef or chicken, stewed in tomato sauce, as well as stuffed potatoes.

Another popular Jewish dish is the triangular kreplach dumplings, which owe their shape to the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Their filling varies depending on the holiday. Thus, on holy holidays, Jewish dumplings are prepared with meat filling and served at chicken soup. On Purim the filling is kreplach, and on Shavuot it is cheese.

Soups

Chicken broth with dumplings received the comic name “Jewish penicillin” due to the fact that it has the property of giving strength. National feature Its preparation is to add a whole head of raw onion, which is removed after cooking during straining, as well as adding 2-3 grams to each serving before serving.

In addition to chicken broth, Jewish cooks prepare soups and borscht. Particularly popular here are potato soups with legumes, as well as milk soups. Thus, Sephardic cooking traditionally offers harira tomato soup, cooked in a strong meat broth and seasoned with hummus, herbs and spices.

In the summer, it is customary to prepare cold red borscht with potatoes, to which slices of peeled fresh, chopped boiled eggs, green onions, etc. are added. Sometimes dried fruits are added to the ingredients for borscht. It is customary among Ashkenazis to prepare cold beet soup, kalte burechkes. In addition to cold red borscht, sorrel borscht and chilled soup with dried fruits are also prepared in the summer.

Cold snacks

A typical cold appetizer of Jewish cuisine is minced herring mince, borrowed from East Prussia, where this dish was prepared from fried herring. Performed by Jewish chefs, this appetizer is a paste of uniform consistency, which is spread on unleavened dough flatbreads - matzah.

One of the most original Jewish snack dishes is stuffed fish with horseradish, boiled in sauce with vegetables. These can be either, or stuffed with fish pulp, eggs and vegetable oil with added sugar, or less “noble” types of fish.

Another national snack is hummus, which is extremely popular in Jewish cuisine. This dish is a tender, buttery paste of chickpea puree, seasoned with garlic, paprika, lemon juice, olive oil and tahina (sesame paste). Hummus can serve not only as a snack, but also as a sauce.

Also among the snack dishes of Jewish cuisine, one should highlight grated radish with goose fat and sautéed onions, as well as chopped eggs with goose fat, to which fresh cucumbers are added if desired.

Vegetable and cereal dishes

The basis of Jewish cuisine is also traditional dishes from vegetables, flour and cereals. Popular flour dishes are: mandalah, meatballs, matzo casseroles and matzo dumplings.

A special delicacy is the sweet vegetable roast tsiemes (sweet carrots stewed in fat), which, depending on the composition of the ingredients, can be not only a dessert, but also a second course served with meat.

The Israeli version of the falafel bean dish known many centuries ago in Egypt in Jewish cuisine is prepared exclusively from, to which bulgur is sometimes added. Fried ones are another Jewish delicacy, and the dish latkes (potato pancakes), which require a lot of vegetable oil, is prepared for the joyful holiday of Hanukkah.

Baking and sweets

Jewish baking is represented by the national type of bread - matzo, baked from water and flour without adding. Another traditional Jewish dish is matsebray - a matzah pie with milk, eggs and cheese, which is prepared for Passover, during the ban on fermentable foods.

Traditional holiday bread sprinkled with poppy seeds - challah - is also popular among Jews. It is prepared without the use of dairy products. The secret of baking these braided braids is passed down from generation to generation.

Jewish ritual bagels - bagels - are prepared in a special way. Before putting them in the oven, they are pre-boiled. Triangular homentashen cookies, traditional for the Jewish holiday of Purim, are prepared with a variety of fillings.

Also popular among chefs are donuts filled with jelly or jam - sufganiyet, which Jews serve during the eight days of Hanukkah. This dish can be classified as both baking and dessert.

Traditionally, Jewish desserts are a mixture of fruits and nuts. Jewish confectionery products are reminiscent of Middle Eastern ones, with the only difference being that yolks are added to the dough, and in addition to sugar, honey is also used. Therefore, the baked goods here have an extremely sweet taste. These include baklava - a multi-layer pie with a nut filling, to which honey and syrup are added, and kadaif - small rolls (balls) filled with nuts and honey, and harissa - a semolina pie with orange or rose syrup.

Beneficial features

According to Jewish culinary philosophy, kosher food has a beneficial effect on a person's spiritual level.

The laws of kashrut call for self-discipline and self-restraint. Eating becomes not just an act of satisfying hunger, but a conscious adherence to the laws of the Torah. Thus, by following the Jewish culinary philosophy, one takes control of one's desires and also develops spiritually.

In addition, the presence in the diet local residents Eating vegetables and fruits helps provide the body with essential minerals and vitamins, which also help eliminate toxins and toxic substances naturally.

Preparing cholent

To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients: 1 kilogram of beef, two glasses of beans (a glass of white and red), half a glass, three onions, three medium-sized potatoes, two tablespoons of wheat flour, as well as salt and black pepper.

Wash the beans and pour cold water. Also rinse the barley and soak in water for 6-12 hours, and then cook in it for 10-15 minutes.

Pour flour into a plastic bag and, putting the meat cut into large pieces into it, tie it and shake it well so that the flour covers each of the meat slices.

After removing the meat from the bag, fry it in portions over high heat in a mixture of vegetable and ghee using a thick-walled saucepan. After the meat is ready, add ghee to the pan and fry the onion, pre-cut into rings, until it becomes translucent. After this, pour the pearl barley into the pan with the onions along with the water in which you cooked it. When the mixture boils, add the meat there.

Drain the beans and place them in a saucepan. Add salt and stir.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces. Place it in a saucepan, cover with warm water and bring to a boil. After this, cook over medium heat for about half an hour.

Cooking latkes

To prepare a dish called latkes you will need: three potatoes, a quarter of an onion, one egg, a tablespoon of wheat flour, a tablespoon of grated flour, salt and pepper to taste, and vegetable oil for frying.

Grate the potatoes using a coarse grater and chop the onion using a blender. Please note that we need the potatoes dry, so you need to squeeze out the excess juice from them.

Mix onions, potatoes in a deep bowl, add flour and cheese, beat in the egg. Mix well. Place the potato mixture on a generously oiled and thoroughly heated frying pan, forming it into small cakes. Fry until golden brown.

Latkes should be served hot, topped with sour cream.