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 past through to contemporary times.
(And in case you're wondering, the picture on the right above is what happens when you let AI generate an image based on this podcast episode. I thought it was entertaining!)
Interview: Ruthie Rousso
Episode Notes
"Adafina" - Shabbat stew version from medieval southern Spain.
"Ashkenaz" - the medieval Jewish term for the border territory between what is now northeastern France and western Germany. Those who descend from that region are known as Ashkenazic Jews.
"Chulent" (cholent, chunt) - Shabbat stew version from Eastern Europe. In much of the English-speaking world, the name has become a generic term for any Shabbat stew.
"Dafina" - Shabbat stew version from Morocco. (aka Skhena)
"Hamin" - Shabbat stew version from medieval northern Spain. In Israel, and among many non-Ashkenazi communities, the name has become a generic term for any Shabbat stew.
"Kibbutz" - a collective agricultural settlement in Israel.
"Ladino" - a Jewish dialect that primarily combines Hebrew and Spanish, but also includes some Arabic and other languages' influences.
"Schalet" - Shabbat stew version from medieval Ashkenaz.
"Schmaltz" - rendered poultry fat used for cooking among Ashkenazic Jewry.
"Sepharad" - the medieval Jewish term for the Iberian peninsula. Those who descend from that region are known as Sephardic Jews.
"Shabbat" - Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. From sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night.
"Skhena" (skhina) - Shabbat stew version from Morocco. (aka Dafina)
"T'bit" (tebit, tabyeet) - Shabbat stew version from Iraq.
Sources and links:
The Chulent Book website
Mishnah Shabbat 2:7
Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, Chapter 9
Juvenal, Satires 3.12-16, 6.542-547
S.D. Goitein. "Jewish Subject Matter in ‘Ansab al-Ashraf’ of al-Baladhuri”
History of Huevos Haminados
The Story of the Crock Pot
Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, "Potato"
Chulent Pot Pie
Chulent Dumpling
Chulent Ice Cream
Ruthie Rousso
Episode 3: Chulent/Hamin
