National Jewish cuisine is one of the oldest cuisines in the world. Jewish recipes are carefully preserved and handed over to their recipes by the younger generation. Historically, in the course of its thousand-year history, this nation was scattered all over the world, and managed to adopt the culinary customs and traditions of other peoples.
Features of Jewish cuisine
One of the distinctive features of the Jewish culinary tradition is strict adherence to the laws of kashrut when cooking and eating dishes. The laws of kosher are a set of rules specified in the Torah - the holy book of the Jews. They determine the special attitude to food. Food here not only serves the satisfaction of man's natural needs, but also his spiritual principle, it helps him to rise.
The laws of kashrut divide food into kosher( permitted by the Torah) and non-kosher( forbidden).Kosher food consists of three categories: dairy, meat and neutral. The main rule of kashrut is the separation of meat and dairy foods. They should be prepared in different vessels and in no case can be used at one time. Also it is forbidden to mix meat and fish products. There is no place in the Jewish cuisine for pork, rabbits, meat of predatory animals and birds, scales devoid of fish and animal blood.
The most popular meat products, allowed by Jewish cuisine, are chicken and goose meat. Great recipes offer a Jewish culinary tradition for beef and veal liver. Of fish, the Jews prefer the pike, and it is it that appears in most fish recipes.
Milk and vegetable food is also popular( and permitted).Vegetables in the Jewish kitchen are represented by potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, onions and radishes.
Traditional dishes of Jewish cuisine
Many recipes for Jewish cuisine are devoted to the preparation of soups. Among the popular main dishes you can note broths with flour additives. Equally popular are stuffed dishes, both meat and vegetable. Also, Jewish cuisine can offer dishes such as vareniki, borsch, cabbage, zrazy or dumplings.
Another characteristic feature of the Jewish culinary tradition is the variety of flour products. Masterpieces of the confectionery art of the Jews are leks, homenenchen and teiglah. Most often in the flour products there is honey, raisins, nuts and poppies.
Another important component of the dishes of Jewish cuisine are spices. According to the laws of kashrut, their addition to food should be moderate, so that the food retains its natural taste and is not harsh. The most common seasonings are pepper, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and dill.
For the preparation of national drinks of Jewish cuisine, fruits are used. Especially popular are punches, drinks with honey and compotes.
The Jewish culinary tradition has preserved many features that are inextricably linked with the religious outlooks of its bearers. It has a special place and special attitude to food. At the same time, it preserves its diversity, it is tasty and useful.