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Category: Classic Foods

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Episode 19 – Egg Cream: Nostalgia Value in a Refreshing Cold Drink
February 16, 2025

Episode 19 – Egg Cream: Nostalgia Value in a Refreshing Cold Drink

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

Famously, there are no eggs and no cream in an egg cream. Rather than rehashing the how’s and why’s of the name or the alleged origin story of this refreshing drink, I want to focus on what’s really important about it. How did it become a Jewish beverage, and why is its nostalgia value seemingly more important than its taste? […]

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Episode 18 – Choucroute Garnie à la Juive: An Alsatian Jewish Mouthful
October 30, 2024

Episode 18 – Choucroute Garnie à la Juive: An Alsatian Jewish Mouthful

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

Real fermented sauerkraut (none of that immitation vinegary stuff) and charcuterie galore — THAT is the Alsatian choucroute garnie. But what is the Jewish (à la Juive) version all about? In this episode I explore what makes the Jewish style dish different, and how it exemplifies an entire class of Jewish foods: those in which the Jewish version is distinct […]

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Episode 17 – Bagel: American Jewish Icon
October 13, 2024

Episode 17 – Bagel: American Jewish Icon

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Are bagels actually Jewish? This is one of the questions I hear most often from people discussing Jewish food. The answer, of course, is yes (or it wouldn’t be on this podcast). But tune in to find out how and why. More importantly, the changes that took place to the bagel once it reached American shores, and truly reached its […]

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Episode 16 – Malida: Food Customs of Lesser-Known Jews
September 30, 2024September 30, 2024

Episode 16 – Malida: Food Customs of Lesser-Known Jews

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

The diversity of the Jewish people is much broader than simply the large communities of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the US. Perhaps most fascinating is uncovering small, or lesser-known Jewish communities around the world. This episode is dedicated to them, and their foods. The Bene Israel are one of the ancient Jewish communities in India, and Malida — […]

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Episode 15 – Chopped Liver: Offal, Not Awful
September 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Episode 15 – Chopped Liver: Offal, Not Awful

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Chopped Liver engenders great passion within Jewish foodies. Love it or hate it, few are indifferent. In this episode I explore its origins, and what differentiates it from its most likely predecessor. I also turn to the entire cagegory of offal dishes — organ meats and other “odd bits” from a slaightered animal — that Jews have eaten around the […]

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Episode 13 – Kugel: Spirituality in the Jewish Kitchen and Beyond
August 15, 2024August 15, 2024

Episode 13 – Kugel: Spirituality in the Jewish Kitchen and Beyond

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Kugel is more a class of foods, than a food. Growing out of the medieval Ashkenazi kitchen, it went through a multi-stage development process, and now comes in many forms. It remains, however, one of the most popular Shabbat dishes. But primarily due to its popularity, it also grew into a dish that is particularly revered by Chasidic Jews. Understanding […]

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Episode 12 – Adafina: Jewish Food Conquers Antisemitism
August 1, 2024

Episode 12 – Adafina: Jewish Food Conquers Antisemitism

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Since this episode is being released during a period of mourning, on the Jewish calendar, I am looking at how food also reflects one of the near constant negative aspects in Jewish history: Jew-hatred. Adafina is a dish that dates back to medieval Spain, and during the Inquisition, it literally became a matter of life and death. But other foods […]

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Episode 11 – Pizza Ebraica: A Sweet Treat from the Roman Ghetto
July 17, 2024

Episode 11 – Pizza Ebraica: A Sweet Treat from the Roman Ghetto

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

Pizza Ebraica is not what most people think of when they hear the word pizza. But the name is absolutely appropriate, as I explain in the episode. This cookie is a uniquely Jewish food, and highlights a whole class of foods that are identified as Jewish IN THEIR NAMES. I also look at the issue of dairy and pareve within […]

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What is Kubbeh?
July 4, 2024

What is Kubbeh?

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

Kubbeh, also known as kibbeh, kobeba, and any number of other variations, is less a food than a class of foods. It encompasses a whole host of different dishes that are mostly related to each other, but still very different. All are very beloved to the people who eat them, and while some types are strongly associated with Jews, others […]

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Episode 10 – Pastrami: The Uniqueness of American-Jewish Food
July 3, 2024

Episode 10 – Pastrami: The Uniqueness of American-Jewish Food

Classic Foods by FunJoel0 comments

What makes American-Jewish pastrami different from other deli meats? How does it compare with its European precursors? How did the delicatessen embody the American-Jewish experience? And how similar are American-Jewish and European Ashkenazi cuisines? Among other questions, this is what I explore in episode 10, focused on the beloved food of New York City, pastrami. Interview: Ted Merwin Episode Notes

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About

I'm Joel Haber, and I love to talk about Jewish Food History. Learn more about me here. On this blog I explore Jewish Food and its links to Jewish Culture.

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Recent

  • Feb 16, 2025 Episode 20 – Wrap-Up: Celebrating Jewish History and Culture via Food
  • Feb 16, 2025 Episode 19 – Egg Cream: Nostalgia Value in a Refreshing Cold Drink
  • Oct 30, 2024 Episode 18 – Choucroute Garnie à la Juive: An Alsatian Jewish Mouthful
  • Oct 16, 2024 The Unknown Jewish Culinary Connection to the Barely Edible Etrog
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