Encyclopedia of Jewish Food

by Gil Marks

  Due to its mostly mountainous terrain, Romania historically relied on sheep and goats, and rarely cows, for milk. Medieval Balkan shepherds or the nomadic Vlach of Romania devised a cheese preserved in brine, allowing it to be stored through the winter without a loss of quality. By the sixteenth century, the Vlach, offering their cheese as barter for salt and other goods during their travels, spread it throughout the Balkans, Caucasus, and Slavic regions. Brinza derives its name from the Romanian word for cheese (brânza); it is the primary cheese in Romania as well as neighboring Slovakia. In Romania, to differentiate it from other cheeses, it is officially called brânza telemea. It is also common, with slight variations, in Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Macedonia, southern Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

  Until relatively, recently brinza was a homemade item. Artisan cheeses still endure, but today much of the yearly output, generally pasteurized, is the product of industrialization. The characteristics vary depending on the breed of goat or sheep, pasturage, and age of the cheese.

  Until recently in modern Israel, sheep and goat cheeses were very limited due to governmental quotas and corporate indifference and, therefore, primarily only a basic firm feta was available. Then, with a relaxing of laws against sheep and goat milk production (before becoming prime minister, Ariel Sharon was a sheep raiser and active member of the Israel Sheepbreeders Association), small companies across the country began making high-quality sheep and goat cheeses, including traditional brinza, known as bulgarit (Bulgarian cheese). It is now an integral part of Israeli cuisine.

  Brinza is commonly sliced or coarsely crumbled and added to a myriad of salads (greens, lentils, etc.), drizzled with an herb vinaigrette, incorporated into dumplings, stuffed into roasted peppers and pastries (such as strudel and borekas), and added to omelets. A popular Israeli summertime treat is eating cubes of bulgarit with cubes of watermelon.

  (See also Cheese, Feta, and Watermelon)

  Brisket

  The often-impoverished Jews of eastern Europe could rarely afford to "live high on the cow"—to buy the more tender cuts from the rib and chuck. With great ingenuity they learned how to make do with the cheaper, less desirable parts of the cow, such as the brisket, plank, shank, and offal. Not coincidentally, Ashkenazic Sabbath and holiday fare tended to feature these cheaper cuts. Other Jewish communities made use of brisket sliced into smaller pieces, and also used the rear of the cow, but among Ashkenazim brisket was one of the few available cuts; it was frequently cooked in a large portion. These dishes became a memorable part of Jewish lore.

  Brisket is the meat covering the cow's breastbone, situated between the foreleg and below the short ribs (flanken), another popular eastern European cut. A whole, untrimmed brisket can weigh more than fourteen pounds; trimming will reduce the weight to ten to twelve pounds. In America, brisket is generally sold in halves, cut at the place where a thick layer of fat runs diagonally through the center. The squarish-shaped first cut roast (also called flat cut) is leaner and thinner, generally weighing four to five pounds. The second cut (also called point cut) contains more interior fat and is coarser—the extra fat carries flavor in preparations such as corned beef and barbecue, producing more succulent meat. The top section of the second cut, between the main muscle of the brisket and the bone, is called a deckel. Some aficionados insist that a whole brisket actually cooks up moister and tastier than only the first cut. Talented cooks discovered ways to convert brisket from a less desirable object into a juicy, tender, incredibly flavorful piece of meat.

  Brisket did not become an Ashkenazic classic simply because it tastes delicious. The source for various holiday dishes, besides any biblical or historical origins, often lay in seasonal surpluses. Domesticated animals were inexpensive to raise from spring to fall, when they could freely feed on wild grains and grasses. Winter, however, meant purchasing food for the livestock. Therefore, animals not intended for propagation or work purposes were slaughtered at the onset of freezing weather, around Hanukkah time. This seasonal surfeit led to roast goose becoming the most popular Hanukkah dish among Alsatians and western Germans. However, as Ashkenazim relocated eastward, chickens replaced geese as the standard fowl. And, since chickens were utilized for continued egg laying, even during the winter, a mass slaughter of hens was ill-advised. Cows, however, were costly to keep through the winter. Therefore, those unnecessary for reproduction, milk, or hauling were commonly slaughtered around Hanukkah, resulting in a sudden temporary surplus of meat. Even those who raised their own cows would sell the preferred sections as a source of income. For the generally impoverished eastern European Jews, if they could afford even this, it typically meant the less desirable parts, with the brisket becoming the most widespread eastern European Hanukkah entrée. Once again, necessity proved the Jewish mother's source of invention.

  Alsatians add brisket to their favorite Sabbath lunch dish, choucroute garnie. In Slavic areas, brisket is often added to meat borscht. More common is the simple pot-roasted brisket, sometimes referred to as gedempte brustfleisch (boiled breast meat), although it is actually slow-simmered in plenty of liquid for hours to achieve the desired tenderness. Ashkenazic brisket is always made with onions, and plenty of them. After the mid-nineteenth century, potatoes and carrots were frequently added to provide more sustenance. Gedempte brustfleisch is a soul-and-body-satisfying meal-in-one dish: the cooking liquid as soup, and the meat as the entrée, accompanied by the various vegetables. Eastern Europeans also use brisket as a base for cholent (Sabbath stew) and tzimmes, which may appear as a Rosh Hashanah or Sukkot entrée.

  In early twentieth-century America, as eastern European immigrants began rising up the socioeconomic ladder, they started to serve their favorite foods more frequently. Brisket would often appear for Sabbath dinner and other special occasions, including the Passover Seder (although seasonal veal breast was historically more traditional), converting a rare treat into regular Sabbath and holiday fare. Sarah Rorer, in Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book (Philadelphia, 1902), in a section called "A Group of Jewish Recipes," included "Stewed Beef and Beans (Sweet and Sour)," beginning with "Two pounds of brisket, or any part that is fat." In addition, brisket was transformed, by soaking in brine and slow-cooking the meat, into a mainstay of the Jewish deli, corned beef. Delis also served hot brisket sandwiches, but they are far less popular than corned beef and pastrami. Since brisket is a boneless cut, it is perfect for slicing for sandwiches.

  Aunt Babette's (Cincinnati, 1889), the author from a German background where brisket was of minor importance, provided a single basic "Brisket of Beef" recipe, cooked on a bed of sauerkraut with some grated raw potato, "a little brown sugar," and "a few caraway seeds added," along with the suggestion that "you may prepare it with horseradish sauce, garlic sauce, onion sauce, etc." Slightly later, the original edition of The Settlement Cook Book (1901), intended for eastern European immigrants, included six recipes for brisket of beef, generally reflecting Old World preferences: "Brisket of Beef with Celery Sauce," "Brisket of Beef with Carrots," "Brisket of Beef with Beans," "Brisket of Beef with Cabbage," "Sweet and Sour Brisket of Beef," and "Sauerkraut with Brisket of Beef" as well as used in a dozen other recipes.

  Soon American Jews began adapting brisket to contemporary tastes and using new commercial condiments, for example, glazing the meat or adding canned cranberry sauce, onion soup mix, and/or chili sauce. There is now even a version of brisket from Atlanta, Georgia, made with Coca-Cola, purportedly the inspiration of a Jewish family's black cook. Southerners also serve slices of brisket on a biscuit. More modern variations featured brisket with sun-dried tomatoes or rice wine.

  Ashkenazic brisket did not readily translate to the Middle East and is rarely seen in Israeli restaurants. This is partially cultural, but also attributable to the nature of Israeli brisket, labeled cut "number 3," which encompasses both the first and second cuts and tends to be much tougher than in America. Consequently, when Israelis do make brisket, it typically contains a large amount of acid
, such as wine and citrus juice, to help tenderize the meat.

  Similarly, among non-Jews in America, brisket was for a long time a disregarded cut of meat, practically given away or utilized for ground beef, except in Texas. Barbecue has been a longtime political food in the Lone Star State where barbecue still means succulent brisket. At his ranch along the Pedernales River, Lyndon Johnson frequently held barbecues, as senator, vice president, and president, tapping into a mythical America, one that impressed foreign notables while appealing and connecting to the people. During the five years of the Johnson presidency alone, the LBJ Ranch was the site of more than a hundred of these convivial barbecues, representing a unique style of statesmanship referred to as "barbecue diplomacy." Johnson entertained foreign dignitaries and hundreds of guests at a time at these events. In a few short years, Texas-style barbecue became a national food and brisket was no longer an undesirable, inexpensive cut of the meat.

  As a result, toward the end of the century, as the price of brisket skyrocketed and cultural norms looked askance at fatty red meat, Jewish brisket once again became a rare indulgence. Nevertheless, brisket still maintains a major presence in the Jewish culture of America, counted among Ashkenazic comfort foods.

  (See also Corned Beef, Pastrami, and Tzimmes)

  Brit Milah

  The Hebrew word brit means "covenant," referring originally to God's pledge to Abraham that his descendants would inherit the Land of Canaan, which was sealed by the act of milah (circumcision). Thus brit milah endures as one of the integral symbols of Judaism.

  Historically, prohibitions against brit milah by Antiochus Epiphanes and later the Roman emperor Hadrian helped lead respectively to the Maccabean and Bar Kokhba rebellions.

  On the night preceding the brit, many Jewish communities hold a gathering, called vakhnacht (watch night) by Ashkenazim. Some believe that this custom developed from a practice of the mohel, who was accompanied by anxious family and friends as he examined the baby before his brit. Eventually, it became customary to surround the baby's crib to recite various psalms and study Torah. Folklore suggests that this vigil was once thought to be a way of protecting the uncircumcised baby from Lilith, the legendary first wife of Adam, or other demons. Ashkenazim light candles, have school children visit the baby to recite the Shema, and serve honey cakes, poppy seed cakes, and sometimes a meal featuring bean dishes, a symbol of fertility.

  Among Sephardim, the ritual of protecting the newborn is variously known by the Talmudic terms yeshua haben (protect the boy), brit Yizchak (circumcision of Isaac), leil hazohar (eve of the splendor), and, in Salonika, veula (from the Ladino and Latin vigilia, "wakefulness/watch"). On the night preceding the brit, family and friends gather at the newborn's home and read about topics concerning the brit of the patriarchs from Midrashim and the Zohar. The new father reads the final portion. Afterwards, anything from a simple table to a large festive meal is held, accompanied with singing and dancing.

  Syrians hold a gathering called a shadd-il-asse (Arabic for "pulling of the branches") or akad-al-asse (binding of the branches). The name derives from a custom in accordance with the Zohar of bringing to the home the "chair of Elijah" that will be used at the brit and tying myrtle branches to it. Family and friends, hold a limud (learning session), including excerpts from the Zohar, to protect the baby. Following the limud, the assembly chants pizmonim (liturgical poems) and partakes of special foods, especially traditional sweets and soft drinks.

  Moroccans hold a Tachdid ceremony each night from birth until the brit to protect the baby. Amulets— including Psalms 121 and 126, the names of three angels, and the phrase Adam, Chava, chutz Lilit (Adam and Eve, get out Lilith)—are dispersed throughout the baby's room, excerpts from the Zohar are read, and piyutim (liturgical poems) are sung. On the evening prior to the brit, female relatives and friends spend the night, offering the wisdom of their experience and protecting the mother and child from harm.

  The brit is held on the baby's eighth day and is of such importance that it takes place even if the day falls on the Sabbath or Yom Kippur. Indeed, tradition recounts that Abraham's brit occurred on Yom Kippur. If the baby suffers from any ill health, however, it is postponed until there is no longer any threat of danger to the child. That day is considered as if it is his new birthday and the brit is performed seven days later. In this instance, however, it is not performed on the Sabbath or Yom Kippur.

  It is the father's obligation to circumcise his son, a duty usually fulfilled through a specially trained agent known as a mohel. In the tenth century, the custom arose among Ashkenazim of honoring a relative or friend with the role of sandek (from the Greek synteknos meaning "with the child," but assuming the sense of "godfather"). The sandek is seated in a special chair and holds the child on his lap during the ceremony. In addition, Ashkenazim created the roles of kvater (from the German for "godfather," gottvater) and kvaterin (godmother), usually fulfilled by a wife and husband team who relay the child from the mother to the sandek and back. Among Sephardim, the madrino (godmother) and padrino (godfather) fulfill this role. It is customary to place another chair next to that of the sandek called the Chair of Elijah, in honor of the prophet considered to be the protector of children and "the angel of the covenant" and "the herald of the covenant."

  There is a longstanding custom of not directly inviting people to a brit, since refusing such an honor would be improper. Therefore, desired attendees are simply informed of the time and place of the ceremony.

  In the Middle Ages, the custom arose among Ashkenazim and some Sephardim of performing the circumcision in the synagogue. Today, some have reverted to the earlier practice of holding the ceremony at home. Following the actual circumcision, the mohel recites the blessing over a glass of wine, then a prayer praising God for establishing the covenant. The mohel then names the baby and gives him a few drops of wine to drink.

  The brit and baby naming are usually performed in the morning, emulating Abraham who arose early in his eagerness to perform the divine command. Thus the accompanying seudat mitzvah, generally a sit-down brunch, tends to be dairy and relatively simple. Sephardim traditionally serve filled foods, including borekas (small turnovers), bulemas (pastry coils), and stuffed vegetables, symbolizing a rich and full life. Typical Ashkenazic fare includes bagels, lox, herring, cheese platters, honey cake, Danishes, rugelach, and branfen (whiskey). If the meal is served for lunch or later in the day, deli meats, tuna salad, and egg salad frequently replace the brunch fare.

  Budino

  Budino is a baked pudding, both sweet and savory.

  Origin: Italy

  Other names: budino alle uova, pudino.

  The Italian budino, a source of the English word pudding, originally referred to a type of medieval sausage, which, similar to the English pudding, gradually evolved into a sweet dish, commonly rich and creamy. In the sixteenth century, Sephardic exiles arrived in Italy, merging their Iberian cuisine—notably baked custards—with Italian cuisines, including the newfangled baked pudding. By the eighteenth century, both Jewish and non-Jewish Italians, borrowing the name and some ideas from the English, were calling their baked puddings budino. Classic Jewish budinos are basically variations of the Iberian baked custard, based upon milk and eggs, with various thickening agents and flavorings. For meals containing meat, another liquid, notably wine or dried mushroom-soaking water, was substituted for the milk.

  In Italy, baked puddings were initially served warm as a side dish; however, as their sweetness increased, budinos primarily became desserts. A few savory budinos endure, notably budino di pollo (chicken pudding), but most are sweet, including budino di arancia (orange), budino di cioccolata (chocolate), budino di ricotta (cheese), budino di ris (rice), and budino di farina di riso (rice flour). Budinos tend not to be too elaborate or time-consuming, although they can be rich.

  Roman Chicken Pudding (Budino di Pollo)

  6 to 8 servings

  [MEAT]

  ½ cup (0.5 ounce) dried
porcini mushrooms

  1 cup hot water

  2 pounds (4 cups) boneless chicken breasts, ground

  3 large eggs

  2 large egg whites

  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  1 medium shallot, 5 to 6 scallions (white part only), or 1 medium yellow onion, minced

  About 1½ teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  About ½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper

  1. In a small bowl, soak the mushrooms in the water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain, straining the soaking liquid and reserving ½ cup. Chop the mushrooms.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart soufflé dish or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, line the bottom with wax paper, and grease again.

  3. In a food processor or blender, process the chicken, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, eggs, egg whites, and flour until smooth. Stir in the mushrooms, shallot, salt, and pepper.

  4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and cover with a piece of greased wax paper. Place the dish in a larger pan and add boiling water to reach halfway up the dish. Bake until the pudding is firm and the liquid and fat are clear, about 1½ hours. Serve warm or chilled. If serving warm, let stand for 15 minutes before unmolding onto a larger platter. If serving chilled, weigh down the pudding and set in the refrigerator overnight. Cut the budino into slices.

  Bulema

  Bulema is a coiled filled pastry made with a very thin dough.

  Origin: Spain

  Other names: bolema, boulema, rodancha, rollito.

  The Ladino bimuelo (fritter) gave rise to an array of pastries, including a filled spiral bun known as bulema. In the Ottoman Empire, Sephardim combined their bun with the Turkish coiled pastry kol boregi ("branch/arm börek," as it is long and bent), a name some Turkish Jews still call it, into bulema. In Greece, the coils are also known as rodanchas ("roses" akin to the island of Rhodes), probably because they resemble not a flower, but rather the spiral shape of Greek architectural and artistic rosettes. Today, some people call these pastries snails, a less lyrical but perhaps more accurate description. Whatever the name, the formation entails spreading a filling on an extremely thin sheet of dough, rolling it jelly-roll style into a long tube, then coiling the tube around itself into a chubby spiral. In Ladino, to call someone "esta entero una bulema" is a derogatory way of saying "he is plump."