Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Jewish food, which draws influence from Israeli, Middle Eastern, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Palestinian traditions, among others.
Food
The Latest
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Food Deconstructing Matzo
In a tradition in which food choices can be as divisive as they are unifying, matzo stands as Judaism’s strongest culinary bond. Kosher keepers and hardcore vegans alike eat matzo; so do Jews from Spain, South Africa and Miami Beach. And while the strictly cultural and staunchly religious Jews share few opinions on theology or…
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The Schmooze Eat Kike’s Treyf (pron. "Keekay")
There’s something about street food and the word “kike.” On November 19, 2009 I blogged about San Francisco’s “Kike on a Bike” and now, not to be outdone, Los Angeles has offered us “Kike’s Tacos.” Though often an antisemitic slur KUOR assures us that, in this case, Kike is pronounced “Keekay” and is a regular…
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Life Carrots (for Israel’s Cabinet) and a Sticks (for the Rest of the Country)
So they say that an army marches on its stomach. Is the success of the Israeli cabinet also based on its nourishment? There are clear similarities between feeding an army and feeding the Israeli cabinet, most obviously the sheer quantity of food required. In Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s panic to pull together a coalition, he…
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News Deconstructing Chocolate Gelt
While potato latkes, with their glamorous sheen of oil and salt-kissed crunch, may be the star of Hanukkah cuisine, it is hard to imagine celebrating The Festival of Lights without chocolate gelt. Mesh pouches of the glinting, foil-wrapped discs have become a central part of grocery store holiday displays and a mandatory nibble at Hanukkah…
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Life ‘Thin Mints, the Rabbi Said, Are His Favorite Girl Scout Cookie’
News flash: The kosher-certification symbol was inadvertently omitted from boxes for Thin Mints Girl Scout cookies, leading to at least a little bit of confusion. This morsel of news comes to my attention not via Kosher Today, but rather from this Sunday’s New York Times, which devoted a whole news article to the tasty tidbit….
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Life Lebanon to Israel: Hands Off Our Falafel Balls
From DPA via Ha’aretz’s Web site: The president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association Fadi Abboud, said he is preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for allegedly “taking the identity of some Lebanese foods” and thus violating a food copyright. “In a way the Jewish state is trying to claim ownership of traditional Lebanese…
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Life Jennifer 8. Lee Auditions for the Jews
Jennifer 8. Lee, the New York Times reporter famous for having a number for a name, is promoting her new book, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food.” Given the Jewish predilection for a certain East Asian cuisine, Lee decided that she wanted to hit the Jewish book fair circuit. But…
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Life America’s Biggest Kosher Plant and Largest-Ever Immigration Raid
Agriprocessors is racking up the records. Its Postville, Iowa, facility was already America’s biggest kosher meat plant. Now, it also can claim to be the site of what federal officials say is the largest immigration raid in U.S. history. The JTA has some more on the raid. Also, check out the extensive coverage from the…
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Culture Why saying ‘L’shana Tova’ on Rosh Hashanah may not be the correct phrase
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Culture A Jewish prophet of the 1980s would be horrified to see that we didn’t heed his warnings
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Opinion This is the most disorienting Rosh Hashanah in memory
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Fast Forward Meet Lev Kreitman, who brought down Tel Aviv shooter and survived Nova music festival on Oct. 7
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Nova survivor reveals she witnessed rape on Oct. 7 at Tel Aviv memorial ceremony interrupted by rocket sirens
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Fast Forward In NYC, Jews gather together — and apart — for prayer and protest to mark one year since Oct. 7
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Fast Forward Trump visits gravesite of Lubavitcher Rebbe to mark Oct. 7 anniversary
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Fast Forward Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff plant a pomegranate tree for Oct. 7 victims
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