Ashkenazic (Eastern Europe) Cuisine
Ashkenazic Jews are those Jews who trace their root to German, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe. Those Jews who lived in these areas often used ingredients in their cooking such as horseradish, root vegetables and grains.
In Medieval Europe Jewish merchants traveled and brought back the cuisine of other countries. Noodles, which were not widely eaten by the general German population, became a staple of German Jewish cooking after being introduced by the merchants who traveled to Italy.
Ashkenazic Jews began immigrating to the United States around the 17th century and brought with them their cuisine. When one thinks of “Jewish Food” it is primarily the cuisine of the Ashkenazi Jews that come to mind such as bagels, kugles and borscht just to name a few.
Sephardic Cuisine
Sephardic Jews, whose roots come from Spain, Portugal, the Mediterranean, Greece, Turkey and Arab countries, adopted the light cuisine of that area. Cuisine included salads, stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, olive oil, lentils, fresh and dried fruit, herbs, nuts, and chickpeas. Meat dishes often feature lamb and beef with herbs and spices such as cumin, cilantrto and tumeric.
Share your recipes or secret ingredients from Sephardic and Ashkenazic dishes served around your table.
