Dates, one of the seven species traditionally eaten on Tu B’Shvat, are represented in Deuteronomy (8:7-8) by their honey, called devash in Hebrew. Authentic biblical honey is as dark and thick as molasses, but it has its own rich flavor and isn’t quite as sweet as regular honey. You can buy it already prepared as…
Methuselah date palm, grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada, is now in kibbutz Ketura. The history of the date palm in Israel is inextricably bound to the history of Israel itself. A great presence whether massed in plantations or growing wild in a desert oasis where they indicate water, their straight, unbranched trunks…
The almond tree is blooming And the golden sun is shining. Birds atop each roof Bless the arrival of the festival. Tu B’Shvat has arrived The festival of trees. —Levin Kipnis Long before anybody had heard of National Arbor Day, Jews had Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for Trees. The holiday is but one of…
Whiskey doesn’t seem like an agricultural product. But as we celebrate (or pray for) the rebirth of nature on Tu B’Shvat it’s good to bear in mind that what the Irish call “the brown” comes from fields of waving grain. Or maybe we had made that link, but just forgot because, you know, too much…
Photograph by Mark Hurvitz Tu B’Shvat brings the opportunity, and the excuse, to create a chocolate bark using fruits and nuts connected to the land of Israel. Stay with the fruits of the traditional Sheva Minim, the Seven Species of fruits and grains mentioned as special to the land of Israel in the Bible, such…
This is a sporadic column by Bay Area personal chef Alix Wall, in which she evaluates a cookbook by making some of its recipes, sharing them with friends and asking what they think of the results. Just in time for Tu B’Shvat (“The New Year of the Trees”), she cooks her way through “The Seven…
To celebrate Tu B’Shvat, a fig-scented cocktail. Photograph by Jon Wunder. Writing for the Forward, I’ve learned so much. My education continued this week when I was asked to create a cocktail recipe to celebrate the upcoming holiday of Tu B’Shvat. I am delighted to write about Tu B’Shvat, mainly because up until several days…
Dried fruit compote reminds the writer of the dried fruit served at her first Tu B’Shvat seder. Photograph by Shulie Madnick. “My mom is inviting you for a Tu B’Shvat seder.” I had neither heard of nor experienced a Tu B’Shvat seder while growing up in Israel, until my boyfriend at the time — I…
100% of profits support our journalism
