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Yerushalmi kugel is a savory casserole made with thin cooked noodles that are coated in caramelized sugar. After it is mixed with eggs, olive oil, pepper, and salt, the combination is placed in a pan and then baked until firm. The dish first appeared in the 18th century, when European Jews brought culinary traditions of preparing similar baked casseroles.
As the name suggests, the dish originated in Jerusalem (Yerushaláyim), where it is still popular and available at bakeries and street markets. It is also a staple dish served on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. Yerushalmi kugel can be baked in round or rectangular pans.
As a result of the preparation method, kichel cookies are light and airy, which earned them the nickname of nothings. The ingredient list is short and simple; eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, and sometimes baking powder. Although sweet, they are often eaten with savory dips or with chopped herring in South Africa.
Orez shu'it is a traditional side dish originating from Israel. It was invented by the Sephardic Jews of Jerusalem. The dish is made with white beans that have been cooked in tomato paste, and once done, the combination is served over white rice while still hot.
Nowadays, it's served as a side dish in most restaurants. Sometimes, it will be enriched with the addition of fried onions or pieces of meat such as lamb, chicken, or beef.
Traditionally eaten in remembrance of the enslaved Jews in Ancient Egypt as one of the symbolic foods at the Passover Seder Plate, the fruit and nut paste known as charoset is used either as a relish for dipping or as a spread to be eaten with Jewish unleavened flatbread called matzah.
Recipes vary depending on different Jewish subgroups, ranging both in type and the indicated number of ingredients.
Matzo is an unleavened flatbread from Israel that is traditionally consumed during the weeklong Passover, celebrating the Israelites' departure from Egypt. Around the holiday, this flatbread can be found as a part of appetizers, main courses, and even desserts.
During the Passover, Jews are not allowed to consume leavened food (chametz), and according to a popular legend, they left Egypt in such a hurry that they didn't wait for the bread dough to rise before taking it with them through the desert.
Crunchy and only slightly sweet, tahini cookies are a Middle Eastern treat made with tahini sesame paste, sugar, butter, and flour. The cookies are often topped with either pine nuts, sesame seeds, or almonds. It is recommended to pair them with a big glass of milk.
MOST ICONIC Tahini Cookie
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Matzah brei or matzo brei is a traditional Jewish dish. It's made with a combination of matzo flatbread and eggs. Both are fried together, then served an eaten for breakfast during Passover. The matzo is torn into pieces, often softened with milk or water, combined with beaten eggs, then fried in butter or oil.
Although the dish is often savory, it can also be prepared in a sweet version with cinnamon, fruit, and honey. The sweet versions are typically topped with applesauce, whipped cream, yogurt, sour cream, or fruit jams. The savory versions are sometimes enriched with the addition of sauerkraut or onions, along with seasonings.
Translated as almond bread, these twice-baked cookies are typically prepared with a simple shortbread dough that incorporates eggs, flour, and whole, toasted almonds. The origin of mandelbrot is shrouded in mystery. What is certain is that they first appeared among Jewish communities, and some believe they might have been inspired by similar, also twice-baked Italian biscotti.
Because of their international status, the cookies appear under various names, and modern varieties often incorporated chocolate, dry fruit, or other nuts. They are traditionally enjoyed for breakfast when they are usually dipped in warm tea. In Ukraine, a similar variety is known as kamishbrot or thuskamish.
Kreplach are traditional Jewish dumplings that originated in Eastern Europe as krepish, fried pastries stuffed with meat. Over the years, the dish changed, and the dish became known as krepl (plural: kreplach) in the Yiddish community.
The dumplings are filled with various ingredients such as chicken, ground beef and herbs, leftover roasted meat, or cheese. The dough for the dumplings is usually made with flour and eggs. The meat-filled kreplach are traditionally served with soup broth in a bowl, but they can also be fried and served on their own.
Ziva is a traditional snack consisting of horseshoe-shaped puff pastry that's topped with sesame seeds and filled with cheese and olives. It is believed that ziva was invented in 1989 by Neri Avneri at Nargilla restaurant.
This tasty snack is usually served with eggs, Israeli salad, or zhug sauce.
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