VIDEO: How to make ‘poor man’s caviar’ for National Caviar Day
This tasty dish is an eggplant spread that Jews used to spread on challah and other breads

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
In honor of National Caviar Day, our Yiddish editor, Rukhl Schaechter, and food scholar and chef Eve Jochnowitz show you how to make “poor man’s caviar” in this video.
The dish, also known as Romanian eggplant or vinete, was often prepared by Eastern European Jews to spread on their challah and other breads. Unlike the Middle Eastern dip, babaganoush, which includes tehina or occasionally, mayonnaise, this dip is made with simple vegetable oil and seasoned with vinegar, chopped onion and fresh dill.
Est gezunterheyt! Eat in good health!
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
