Jewish Food

During the course of two thousand years of life in the Diaspora, Jews have created a rich culinary tradition. Jewish food encompasses a plethora of tastes and flavors reflecting the particular traditions of the many Jewish communities worldwide. Everywhere traditional Jewish food is prepared according to the rules of kashrut (the Jewish dietary laws), such as the prohibition against consuming certain animals, the adherence to specific ways of preparing the meat for consumption, the prohibition against cooking or heating food on the Sabbath, and the prohibition against mixing meat and dairy products.

A Jewish Yemenite family celebrating Passover (re-enactment in Moshav Bareket, Israel) Photo: Micha Bar-Am, Israel Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center

Geoffrey Benjamin (second from left) blessing before the meal at his Bar Mitzvah celebration Singapore, 1981 Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center Courtesy of Elias Benjamin, Singapore

In all Diaspora communities, traditional Jewish recipes make use of local cooking practices and customs. Jews used locally available products, absorbed various traditions from their non-Jewish neighbors and interpreted them creatively in keeping with the laws of kashrut. Sometimes the term "Jewish food" is mistakenly understood as referring to the cooking traditions of the Eastern and Central European Jews. However, the cuisine of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern and Central Europe, itself composed of many regional culinary forms, is only one of several of Jewish cooking styles.

The Sephardi Jews of the Balkan countries and Turkey developed their own rich cooking tradition, keeping alive many recipes from their past in the Iberian Peninsula. Jewish communities of Northern Africa have a tremendously rich culinary tradition. There are several Jewish cuisines in the countries of the Middle East, notably in Iran and in Yemen, and the Jews of the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, and Ethiopia all have their own unique styles.

The establishment of Jewish communities in the Americas, South Africa, Far East, and Australia in modern times has resulted in the development of new variants of old Jewish foods as well as the appearance of new dishes that reflect the meeting of the Jewish immigrants with native traditions or with those introduced by non-Jewish immigrants. Israel stands apart as a true "melting pot" for traditional Jewish recipes from all over the world. It is also a place where new recipes are continually being created.

Jewish traditional recipes include foods for weekdays and foods that are eaten on special occasions such as Jewish holidays, Shabbat, weddings and other family celebrations. An increasingly concern for healthier food has led to the development of a "new Jewish cuisine"; it maintains the old traditions and suits them to the tastes of new generations. Modern Jewish cooking includes many recipes that were inspired by other ethnic cuisines - Asian, Italian, Indian, French etc. which were adapted to the needs of Jewish tradition.

A woman of the Beta Israel community preparing food Wallaka, Gondar District, Ethiopia, 1984 Photo: Doron Bacher, Israel  Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center

The van of the Ko-Chin-Foo kosher Chinese restaurant New York, 1981/3 Photo: Dr. Theodore Cohen, USA Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center Courtesy of Dr. Theodore Cohen, USA

With a growing global interest in ethnic food, traditional Jewish recipes have become ever more popular with Jews and non-Jews alike. Some traditional Jewish foods were long ago adopted by food enthusiasts and connoisseurs from all over the world and have became an integral part of the culinary heritage of other cultures as well.

Jewish Food Links

General

• Classic Jewish-Food Recipe archives
• Jewish-Food Recipe Archives
• Jewish Cooking at Judaism 101
• Jewish Recipes at Zipple
• Jewish Cooking at Jewish Family Guide
• Jewish Recipes at Razzle Dazzle Recipes
• Recipes – Kashrut.com
• The Jewish Food Mailing List Archives
• Jewish Recipes at Jews.Net Home
• Recipes from Midrash Ben Ish Hai
• Jewish Recipes at eLook.org
• Jewish Recipes at RecipeSource
• Archive of recipes and kosher cooking resources at JewishCuisine
• The Gefilte Variations
• Bibliography - Jewish Cookbooks
• Jewish Recipes and Resources
• Jewish Recipes at meals for you
• Ida's Jewish Recipes
• Jewish Recipes - Guide to Jewish and Israeli Culinary Resources at Machers
• Jewish cooking and kosher recipes at Kosher Cooking
• Gourmet Jewish Recipes - A selected variety of Jewish recipes
• Cooking Corner at Aish.com
• Jewish Recipes at About.com
• Shtetl Kitchen
• World Famous Jewish Recipes
• Traditional Foods at Totally Jewish
• Jewish Recipes at Utah Hillel
• La cuisine "JUIVE "
• Recettes de cuisine juive
• Les recettes juives du monde entier
• Recettes de cuisine cachטre at Espace hebraique
• Recetas judםas – arecetas.com El portal de Recetas del Mundo
• Jewz.com [Cuisine]
• Library of Recipes – JewsZ.com

Jewish Holidays

• Traditional recipes for Jewish Holidays
• The Sweet Foods of The High Holy Days on the Net
• Jewish recipes, including recipes for Jewish holidays – at Allrecipes
• Jewish Holiday Cooking - Louise Fiszer & Jeannette Ferrary
• Gגteaux au lait de Chavouot: Recettes de Marcelle

• מאכלי חגים - אוכל
• כשר לפסח - אוכל
• מאכלי חגים – קיבוץ כפר מסריק
• מאכלי עדות - אוכל
• מאכלי עדות – מאגר מת"ל במכללת קיי - באר שבע

Vegetarian Jewish recipes

• Jewish Veg – Vegetarian Jewish Recipes

Algeria

• Jewish Foods of the World Algeria at Jewish Virtual Library

Bukhara

• Bukharian Jewish Cuisine at Bukharian.com

Egypt

• Jewish Foods of the World Egypt at Jewish Virtual Library

Ethiopia

• Jewish Foods of the World Ethiopia at Jewish Virtual Library

Europe

• Eating Around Eastern Europe – Jewish recipes at Centropa
• Jewish Foods of the World Central and Eastern Europe at Jewish Virtual Library

Georgia

• Jewish Foods of the World Georgia at Jewish Virtual Library

Greece

• Jewish Foods of the World Greece at Jewish Virtual Library
• Jewish (Sephardi) Greek Recipes

Hungary

• Jewish Foods of the World Hungary at Jewish Virtual Library

Iran

• Jewish Foods of the World Iran at Jewish Virtual Library

Iraq

• Jewish Foods of the World Iraq at Jewish Virtual Library

Israel

• Israeli Food and Cooking by Elinoar Moore
• Ricette Israeliane e Cucina Israeliana at Cookaround

Italy

• Jewish Cakes in the Venetian Tradition by Maria Agostini
• Jewish Foods of the World Italy at Jewish Virtual Library
• Cucina Kasher – Laura Liberanome at Morasha
• Cucina Ebraica Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein
• The Jewish People and their Food – at Welcome to Italy
• Ricette ebraiche triestine

Libya

• Cuisine of the Libyan Jews
• Jewish Foods of the World Libya at Jewish Virtual Library

Morocco

• Jewish Foods of the World Morocco at Jewish Virtual Library
• Liste de recettes de cuisine Marocaine at Dafina.net

• מתכונים ממרוקו – קוסקוס, אתר עם שורשים

Poland

• Jewish Foods of the World Poland at Jewish Virtual Library

Romania

• Jewish Foods of the World Romania at Jewish Virtual Library

Russia

• Jewish Foods of the World Russia at Jewish Virtual Library
• Tradition, customs, recipes – The Jewish Community of Romania

Sephardim

• Jewish and Sephardic Recipes
• Recipes - The Sephardi Association of Victoria Inc

Spain

• Jewish Foods of the World Spain at Jewish Virtual Library

Syria

• Jewish Foods of the World Syria at Jewish Virtual Library

Tunisia

• Jewish Foods of the World Tunisia at Jewish Virtual Library
• Recettes juives tunisiennes

Turkey

• Jewish Foods of the World Turkey at Jewish Virtual Library

United States

• Kosher Food and Kosher Restaurant Maps
• Jewish cooking in America with Joan Nathan

Yemen

• Jewish Foods of the World Yemen at Jewish Virtual Library

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