Honey and apple – Hurriyet Daily News
Posted By admin on September 6, 2021
Anyada Buena, Dulse i Alegre! This is a way to say in Ladino May you have a good, sweet and happy New Year!
This evening starts Rosh Ashana, the Jewish New Year, which will be celebrated for two days till Sept. 8. Sweet beginnings to a New Year must be with honey and apple. Apple is the first fruit, not to speak of the Adam and Eve connection, but it is considered as the first fruit of the New Year, being the one that appears first among the fall and winter fruits. Honey, needless to say, is for sweetness. In many Jewish communities around the globe, apple slices are dipped in honey to wish a sweet year, but in Turkey, apples cannot appear on the table only as humble slices. Dulse di Mansana is a must-have treat on a New Year table. It is apple preserves, or sweet if you stick to literal translation, a glistening shiny bright delight of grated apples cooked to a form of jam. The traditional method is to grate the apples thickly, sprinkle with lemon juice and throw them into thick boiling syrup, but an old Jewish lady once gave me another trick. She said the moment you grate a batch of apples, toss them immediately with sugar and a good squeeze of lemon juice, that toss them quickly so that they remain white, and that do not forget a good dulse must always be almost bright and luminescent, not dark. Usually spiked with a few cloves or vanilla, sometimes even gum mastic, it is the sweetest start guaranteeing an Anyada Dulse, that is a Sweet Year. In short, apple is new and sweet, just the right start for the year ahead.
Along with apples, pomegranates are also significant in many Jewish tables. In Anatolia, all cultures have always embraced pomegranate as a symbol of plenty and fertility. From Hittites to ancient Greece, from Seljuk Empire to Ottoman times, the pomegranate kept appearing in numerous ways standing for prosperity. Armenian cannot do without a pomegranate in the New Year or Christmas, but interestingly though the first pomegranates start appearing in Rosh Ashana time -- their existence in the Rosh Ashana celebration table seems to be limited, overshadowed by the glorious Dulse di Mansana. However, Marie Benmayor (93), a native of Edirne and mother of journalist Gila Benmayor, says that a pomegranate has to be on the table, not to eat, but as a symbol, in wishes that the community multiplies and grows larger, just like the innumerable seeds of the fruit.
One of the most popular dishes of Jewish cuisine in Turkey must be the leek fritters, Prasa Kftesi in Turkish, or Kftes de Prasa, or more authentically, Albondigas de Prasa in Ladino. Note that the name suggests an eventual change in Ladino language: Kftes in Turkey or keftedes in Greece being replaced by the original Spanish word Albondigas. Albondigas de Prasa is not easy to make, but today not so difficult either with modern kitchen equipment, but the problem is that it disappears very quickly. Leek is one of the foods that must be present in the Rosh Ashana table, and in Turkey, it is almost always cooked in the form of fritters. Leeks, like apples, are one of the first vegetables of the year. The Hebrew word karti sounds similar to a curse on enemies for them to disappear, and as such, play on words is also important as to which food must be on the table; leeks lead the way. Leek fritters are loved so much that, nowadays, it continues to appear yearlong on special occasions, even making its way to Pesah. At a recent interview, Deniz Alphan, the author of Dinas Kitchen (a wonderful book about her mothers cooking, alas only available in Turkish), claimed that the leek fritters have such popularity in the Istanbul Jewish community that nowadays it is almost obligatory to have it in all celebrations. In the old times, it was so toilsome to chop the leeks finely that Jewish ladies would ask the butcher to have them minced in the mincemeat grinder. The minced leeks are cooked to soften and squeezed strongly to draw out excess juices, then is mixed with some minced meat, crumbled stale bread and an egg or two to form the mixture into patties, which are then dipped in flour and egg and then fried. Quite a work to do, but delicious nevertheless. Now everybody has an electronic kitchen tool or similar equipment to do the task, so it is normal that the tasty morsels keep appearing on Jewish tables as long as the leeks are still available. Apart from leeks, other must-have vegetables are chard and squash, the former considered to be typical of Sephardic Jewish culture since Spain.
For the main dish, the choice is usually fish, but if it is not available, lamb is also a choice, and sometimes, chicken can be too. Rosh Ashana literally means the head of the year, and the head is important. If there is fish on the table, it must be a whole fish to represent the unity of the family and integrity of oneself and the head goes to the father, the head of the family. The head will eventually lead the family to a better future. Fish also stands for fertility and prosperity, which is interestingly the same in Chinese New Year traditions and the Iranian New Year Norouz. The Chinese, if they cannot put an actual fish on the table, put a wood or porcelain statuette of a fish, and in Iran, it does not appear as food but as live goldfishes swimming in a bulbous vase. It is amazing how many New Year traditions feature fish as a symbol on tables in such a large geography, but we are, after all, the same. We all feel empowered to celebrate together with family and wish for the best, attributing certain symbolic significances to foods in hopes for a good future.
Originally posted here:
Honey and apple - Hurriyet Daily News
- What is the Lag BaOmer pilgrimage? - The Conversation - May 18th, 2022
- Spiteful Synagogue Syndrome stories | Elchanan Poupko | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - May 18th, 2022
- SF senior home recognized by Fast Company for virtual memory care J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - May 18th, 2022
- My Abortion Helped Make My Jewish Family Whole Kveller - Kveller.com - May 18th, 2022
- Executive director of embattled Jewish Federation stepping down after months of turmoil - Santa Fe New Mexican - May 18th, 2022
- OU PRESS announces the publication of Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews by Rabbi Haim Jachter and... - May 4th, 2022
- Why are Mizrahi and Sephardic communities being misrepresented as anti-Israel? - JNS.org - May 4th, 2022
- Beit Harambam United in Times of Adversity - Jewish Exponent - May 4th, 2022
- Ruben Navarrette commentary: Faced with Ukrainians seeking refuge, Israel fails the immigration test again - West Central Tribune - May 4th, 2022
- Great Neck rabbi and Rambam boost Tiberias - The Jewish Star - May 4th, 2022
- 'Ace of Taste' shows the savory side of chef Duff Goldman - Journal Inquirer - May 4th, 2022
- Synagogue Spotlight: Keter Torah Currently Has Members From About 20 Countries Among Their 100 or so Families - The Jewish News - April 29th, 2022
- Ladino's gives sneak peek of Mediterranean cuisine ahead of grand opening - mySA - April 29th, 2022
- Following Roman Abramovich scrutiny, Portugal tightens ... - March 20th, 2022
- Funeral for Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, zt'l: Roads to be Closed, Hundreds of Thousands Expected to Attend - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - March 20th, 2022
- Plane belonging to oligarch Abramovich reportedly lands in Israel - The Times of Israel - March 20th, 2022
- Ukraine crisis sharpens Israel's existential need for conversion reform - The Times of Israel - March 18th, 2022
- Lisbon Jewish Community - cilisboa.org - March 14th, 2022
- A Date with a Purim Destiny and The Rolled Up Sweetness of Fijuelas - Jewish Journal - March 14th, 2022
- Inspired by the river, settlers chose the name Atrisco - Jacksonville Journal-Courier - March 14th, 2022
- Lyric Fest Presents Concert of World Premieres, THE SONG CATCHER: THE FOLK SONG RE-IMAGINED - Broadway World - March 14th, 2022
- Lily Henley's upcoming album dialogues with centuries of Sephardic Jewish women - Grateful Web - March 8th, 2022
- Chatham Baroque Brings East of the River To Pittsburgh For A Program Of Medieval Sephardic Music and More - Broadway World - March 8th, 2022
- Obituary: Matilda Rosenberg, 69, social worker who strived to honor the memory of Holocaust survivors like her parents - Shawnee Mission Post - March 8th, 2022
- Poetry and Music | The UCSB Current - The UCSB Current - February 28th, 2022
- The Five Minute Read - Lowell Sun - February 28th, 2022
- Kissing Children In The Synagogue - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - February 28th, 2022
- 40% Of Americans Might Be Eligible For Dual Citizenship (And A Second Passport): Here's What You Need To Know - Forbes - February 28th, 2022
- TABC Sephardic Student Inquiry: Is It Acceptable for Me to Wear My Tzitzit Out? - The Jewish Link - February 11th, 2022
- Five Towns Chabad honors the Friedmans | Herald Community Newspapers - liherald - February 11th, 2022
- Top UK Jewish body tells visiting far-right MK Smotrich to get back on a plane - The Times of Israel - February 11th, 2022
- Drop the Goldberg name you co-opted, Whoopi -- you don't deserve it - New York Post - February 7th, 2022
- Review: In Prayer for the French Republic, Echoes of the Past - The New York Times - February 7th, 2022
- Tell Us Your Encanto Opinions And We'll Give You A Perfect Book Recommendation - BuzzFeed - February 7th, 2022
- Shut your doors, close your eyes, and silence your hearts - The Jewish Standard - January 30th, 2022
- The Club Recreates the Ladino-Speaking World of Jewish Istanbul - Jewish Currents - January 24th, 2022
- What's the future of the Judeo-Spanish Language? | AL DA News - AL DIA News - January 24th, 2022
- The Texas Synagogue Attack: A Mountain of Jewish Intergenerational Trauma - The Times of Israel - January 24th, 2022
- the key to the anne frank mystery - The Times Hub - January 24th, 2022
- Feeling right at home in Toledo - The Irish Times - January 24th, 2022
- And Then: The 1961 West Side Story in 2022 - jewishboston.com - January 4th, 2022
- Jacques Fresco, 'a major figure in the birth of modern molecular biology,' dies at 93 - Princeton University - January 4th, 2022
- In Memoriam 2021: The Musicians We Lost | Morning Edition - KCRW - January 4th, 2022
- Ringing the New Year in with luck - The Clanton Advertiser - Clanton Advertiser - January 4th, 2022
- Albert Bourla Of Pfizer Is The CNN Business CEO Of The Year Greek City Times - GreekCityTimes.com - December 26th, 2021
- What Is A Sephardic Jewish Person? chicagojewishnews.com - December 22nd, 2021
- Greek-Jewish archives return home nearly 80 years after they were looted by the Nazis - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - December 20th, 2021
- The deepest secrets of Sephardic cooking are buried here - Forward - December 18th, 2021
- Holidays Bring a Diversity of Celebration on the South End - southseattleemerald.com - December 18th, 2021
- Mexico: how to apply for Spanish nationality if you have surnames of Sephardic Jewish origin - Market Research Telecast - December 5th, 2021
- Ignored by the UN, Mizrahi Jews survived pogroms and expulsions, too - The Times of Israel - December 5th, 2021
- Five Israel-Infused Picture Books for Year-Round Reading - Jewish Journal - December 5th, 2021
- What happened to the ideal of multireligious Arab modernity? - aeon.co - December 5th, 2021
- National Museum Of American Jewish History Renamed "The Weitzman" In Recognition Of Significant Gifts From Entrepreneur And Philanthropist... - December 5th, 2021
- A Delicious Twist on Latkes, and the Perfect Sephardic Donut - Jewish Journal - November 30th, 2021
- PHOTOS: Jews gather across Bay Area for public menorah lightings J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - November 30th, 2021
- Western Wind Vocal Sextet Will Perform 'The Light Returns: Joyous Music For The Holidays' - Broadway World - November 30th, 2021
- Hanukkah 2021: Fighting anti-Semitism here are 8 rays of hope - Fox News - November 30th, 2021
- 500 years after the Inquisition, Spain finally has a vibrant kosher wine industry - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - November 4th, 2021
- ric Zemmour and the Revenge of Vichy by Ian Buruma - Project Syndicate - November 4th, 2021
- #CFP Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy Books and Essays - Patheos - November 4th, 2021
- NYC mayoral and City Council elections: Heres what Jewish voters need to know - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - November 4th, 2021
- Navigating Winter Holiday Picture Books When You Have an Interfaith Family - Book Riot - November 4th, 2021
- New York thought it was done with Bill de Blasio. He thinks they might want more. - Politico - November 4th, 2021
- Jewish matchmaking service to pair up singles moving to the UAE - The National - November 4th, 2021
- Sephardic New Yorkers say Spain is breaking promise of citizenship - The Jerusalem Post - October 18th, 2021
- Jrgen brings Passover to the Great British Baking Show with charoset-and-matzah-topped pavlova - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - October 18th, 2021
- Spain seeking descendants of those saved by the 'Spanish Schindler' - thejewishchronicle.net - October 11th, 2021
- A travel experience to Poland is what you make of it - The Jerusalem Post - October 11th, 2021
- The leader of the PP of Spain, in an act with Felipe Caldern: We do not have to apologize, Hispani... - Market Research Telecast - October 2nd, 2021
- The spinach frittata that connects me to my Sephardic grandmother - Forward - September 30th, 2021
- Homecoming show hails artistry and endurance of Sarajevo Haggadah - The Guardian - September 27th, 2021
- Stuffed Artichokes for Sukkot The Sephardic Spice Girls Way - Jewish Journal - September 27th, 2021
- Little Sesame offers an education in hummus for the Washington set - Jewish Insider - September 27th, 2021
- No. 1 times 2: URI guitarist has second Billboard hit in 10 weeks - The Providence Journal - September 27th, 2021
- For Mallorcas Jews, their first public sukkah is a triumph over the Spanish Inquisition - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 22nd, 2021
- Amsterdam inaugurates a monument to the Jewish and Roma victims of the Holocaust - Market Research Telecast - September 22nd, 2021
- For Mallorcas Jews, first public sukkah is triumph over Spanish Inquisition - The Times of Israel - September 22nd, 2021
- Olivia Wilde Boyfriend: All About Her Relationship Status - The Artistree - September 22nd, 2021
- Close to crumbling, the tomb of an ancient prophet is saved in Kurdish Iraq - Forward - September 22nd, 2021
Comments