Food and culture are intimately tied to each other. Since eating is a daily habit, most people do it unconciously, without even noticing how what they eat expresses who they are. But since it does, I believe that we should be able to use food as a mirror to see culture reflected back at us.
That has been my mindset in all of the food work I’ve done for well over a decade now. My journey into Jewish Food largely began with the culinary tour I run in Shuk Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s famed open-air market. As I began to dig into the foods availble there, I was exposed to the entire world of food studies. Since then, I have written extensively on the subject (both on this website, in articles for numerous publications, and in my first book), created a podcast on the subject, and spoken extensively on the subject.
One of my main goals covers two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, I want to broaden people’s minds about what “Jewish Food” means — way more than simply Ashkenazi food. But at the same time, I like to defend Ashkenazi Food against its non-Ashkenazi detractors who disparage it as bland, ugly, or tasteless. There are tons of great Ashkenazi foods out there!
Additionally, I love to highlight lesser-known elements of Jewish food that stem from the quirks of Jewish history, as well as exploring how Jewish values shine through in our foodways.
Through all of this, I use food to celebrate Jewish uniqueness, through the full scope of Jewish peoplehood.
The best way to keep up to date on all that I write and do is via my newsletter, or by following my Instagram. I also love discussing food, almost as much as I love eating it. So please email me with questions, comments or any interesting information you think I’d like to hear.
Thanks for your interest in Jewish food!
