Thanksgiving meals aren’t just mashed potatoes and turkey, and Jewish foods aren’t all canned gefilte fish and potato latkes. For example, my Jewish food blog, Neesh Noosh, includes weekly recipes inspired by the Torah portion that reflect Jews’ ongoing interpretation of Torah and what defines Jewish foods.
Jewish foods echo the diversity of the countries and cultures that Jews have lived in for thousands of years, from Morocco to Iran to Italy. Jewish foods are also dictated by religious dietary laws, known as kashrut, meaning “fit.” The system of kosher food laws was created by rabbinic interpretations of citations regarding food requirements in the Torah. It extends to how animals are slaughtered, the separation of meat and milk, and the prohibition of some foods (e.g. pork and shellfish).
Jewish foods include flavors and ingredients from around the world that are often used in Thanksgiving dishes. So,, when you’re setting a Thanksgiving menu, think about making your meal more “Jewish” this year by including recipes of some iconic Jewish food tastes that enhance traditional Thanksgiving flavors. B’tayavon (“bon appetit” in Hebrew)!
For all five recipes, visit OnFaith
This article has been partially reprinted with permission of faithstreet.com