18 Jewish Foods

Dec 04 2024 21 ep. 17 mins 2
18 Jewish Foods Podcast artwork

Culture and History in Kosher, Bite-Sized Portions. This podcast looks at the stories of iconic Jewish dishes, shedding light on the people who eat them. Released bi-weekly, each of the twenty episodes features the backgrond on a dish or group of similar foods, and includes an interview with a relevant personality. These include scholars, chefs, food professionals, and entrepreneurs.

  Arts  Religion & Spirituality
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Episode 0: Trailer

Mar 17 2024 2 mins  
Just a brief taste of what's to come. The first episode launches on Wednesday March 27th, with new episodes every two weeks after then.

Ep 1 - Intro: What do I mean by 18 Jewish Foods?

Mar 27 2024 10 mins  
A short episode to describe the method, idea, and scope of this podcast series. What is a Jewish Food? Why 18? And what can you expect moving forward? LInks: https://www.tasteofjew.com/ https://www.marciheit.com/

Ep 2 - Matzah: The Food That Sustained Us

Mar 27 2024 17 mins  
Matzah (or matzo) is arguably the most Jewish Food there is, eaten annually for Passover, especially at the seder, the formal Passover meal. This episode explores the origins of matzah, what differentiates it, how it has changed over the millennia, how important it was throughout Jewish history, and what are some of the popular Jewish Foods that are made from matzah. Interview: Je

Ep 3 - Chulent/Hamin: The Dish that Embodies Jewish Culture

Mar 27 2024 20 mins  
The Shabbat Stew -- chulent, hamin, dafina, and so many more -- is eaten by Jews from around the world every Saturday, and I consider it the most Jewish Food in the world. Even more than the matzah of the previous episode. Here I explore the diversity of this dish, and trace its migrations through the Jewish Diaspora. I also reveal some interesting and entertaining tidbits from the

Ep 4 - Charoset: And Other Symbolic Holiday Foods

Apr 10 2024 16 mins  
Charoset is eaten at the Passover Seder, but unlike many other foods, its origins are a bit less clear. It is certainly ancient, but it isn't mandated in the Torah, as is matzah. Furthermore, we know that it is a symbolic food, but what EXACTLY is it a symbol of? By exploring charoset, as well as many other symbolic foods from different Jewish holidays, we learn a lot about the Je

Ep 5 - Moufletta: Jewish-Arab Friendship in Morocco

Apr 24 2024 16 mins  
Moufletta is eaten by Moroccan Jews at the holiday of Mimouna, that immediately follows Passover. It reflects the relatively good relations the two communities shared there. This episode looks at this crepe's Jewish bonafides, discusses other similar examples from around the world, and reveals how the tradition changed (but also stayed similar) in Israel. My guests are The Sephardi

Ep 6 - Bourekas: Food for a Globalized Nation

May 08 2024 17 mins  
Many people know and love bourekas, but few know of its Jewish origin story. Learn how this food is the result of Jewish migrations, and hear of other similar foods that only came about because we have spread around the world. Culinary fusion is not a new thing, nor simply a way to experiment or titillate -- often it is a natural outgrowth of a population shift. My guest is Chanie

Ep 7 - Gondi: A Persian Pleasure to Honor Shabbat

May 22 2024 17 mins  
Jews everywhere have always reserved their best foods for the Sabbath. Gondi is a food that is unique to the Jews of Persia (Iran), and is almost exclusively eaten at Friday night Shabbat dinner. One of many examples of HOW Jews use cuisine to honor and show respect for their Day of Rest. This episode's guest is Tannaz Sassooni. (Full Episode Notes available at https://www.tasteofj

Ep 8 - Meorav Yerushalmi (and 3 Other Jerusalem-named Foods)

Jun 05 2024 18 mins  
In honor of Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day - this episode looks at four different foods, all of which have the word Jerusalem as part of their names. I also explore the cuisine of Jerusalem in general, and by extension, that of Israel overall. This episode's guest is Joe Korson. (Full Episode Notes available at https://www.tasteofjew.com/podcasts/)

Ep 9 - Kashkarikas: Turkish Sephardic Kitchen Wisdom

Jun 19 2024 14 mins  
Jews have been the masters of preserving and repurposing foods, reducing food waste. And we act as a "Light Unto the Nations" by sharing this value with the world. Learn about the title food, the concept of "Bal Tashchit," and my interviewee's organization that was designed to reduce food waste everywhere. This episode's guest is Sibel Pinto. (Full Episode Notes available at https: