Jewish cuisine

It is considered one of the most ancient – the process of its development began about 4 thousand years ago and was inextricably linked with the history of the Jewish people themselves. Wandering around the world for centuries, he gradually adopted the culinary experience of other nationalities, which diversified his cuisine.

About 2 thousand years ago, Jewish cuisine was conditionally divided into сефардскою and Ashkenazi… This happened as a result of the expulsion of the Jews from Palestine. The first united food habits of people from Yemen, Morocco and Spain, and the second – from France, Russia, Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe. Moreover, they still exist and have their own characteristics.

Sephardic cuisine is distinguished by its rich taste and variety and is reminiscent of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine, while Ashkenazi is characterized by restraint and simplicity. Nevertheless, it is in it that there are special dishes that are prepared from a minimum of ingredients, but have a unique taste. This is explained by the fact that the Jews themselves lived in Europe rather poorly and were forced to be sophisticated in order to feed a large family tasty and satisfying every time.

A highlight of Jewish cuisine – in an authentic and sustainable culinary tradition. They have stood the test of time and the wanderings of their people around the world and are still passed down from generation to generation. First of all, we are talking about the laws of kosher. This is a certain set of rules according to which the festive and daily food of the Jews is prepared. The most famous of them prohibit combining poultry with milk in dishes, eating blood and pork, and oblige housewives to use different knives for different products.

The meals and products permitted for consumption are called kosher… These include some meat, dairy, and neutral foods. The latter combine vegetables, fruits, honey, nuts, fish with scales, and more. Non-kosher meat is hare, camel meat, meat of birds of prey and animals, fish devoid of scales, animal blood, insects, reptiles and amphibians.

The favorite foods of the Jews are chicken and goose fat, poultry, carp, pike, carrots, beets, cabbage, onions, radishes, potatoes, beef and veal liver. As for drinks, they like tea, strong black coffee. From alcohol they prefer aniseed vodka and fine local wines.

The most popular cooking methods are:

Jewish cuisine boasts a huge number of original dishes with unique aromas and flavors. This is a stew with fruits and candied potatoes, radish boiled in honey, meat with amazing spices, tsimes – a sweet vegetable stew.

Nevertheless, it has special dishes recognizable anywhere in the world, which have formed its basis for many centuries, namely:

Matzo.

Forshmak.

Hummus.

Falafel.

Fried artichokes.

Latkes.

Chicken broth with dumplings based on ground matzo.

Cholnt.

Gefilte fish.

Matsebray.

Ciemes.

Hello.

Bagel.

Homentashen.

Suffania.

Health Benefits of Jewish Cuisine

Despite all the prohibitions, Jewish cuisine is quite diverse. It is based on meat and fish dishes, which, being high-calorie and nutritious food, are easily absorbed by the body. And they are almost always seasoned with a huge amount of spices, since according to the ancient Jewish proverb “In food without spices, there is no benefit or joy.”

In addition, dishes are prepared here only from good, carefully selected and washed products that do not have any defects. And the laws of kosher themselves repeat the well-known statement of Hippocrates that a person is what he eats. By the way, they received a medical justification long ago.

According to him, non-kosher food affects the spiritual level of a person. In other words, by eating the meat of aggressive animals, he himself becomes aggressive. In turn, using kosher foods, which includes all plant foods in their original form, he becomes wiser and healthier.

Food is cooked here only in kosher dishes, which are doused with boiling water or pierced on fire, and do not recognize bad habits. That is why the principles of kosher nutrition are often adopted by lovers of a healthy lifestyle.

Today, the average life expectancy for Israelis is one of the highest in the Western world, at 82 years for women and 79 years for men. In other countries, however, it largely depends on the level of economic development and the habits of the peoples themselves.

Based on materials Super Cool Pics

See also the cuisine of other countries:

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