Food, cooking, and dining customs associated with American Jews
American Jewish cuisine comprises the food, cooking, and dining customs associated with
American Jews.[1] It was heavily influenced by the cuisine of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States from Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th century.[2][3] It was further developed in unique ways by the immigrants and their descendants, especially in
New York City and other large metropolitan areas of the northeastern U.S.[4][5]
History
Between 1881 and 1921, around 2.5 million Jews immigrated to the United States from
Eastern Europe.[3] Most of them settled in large cities in the northeastern part of the country, especially
New York,
Philadelphia,
Boston,
Cleveland,
Chicago, and
Baltimore.[6] These immigrants brought with them a well-developed culinary heritage. The cuisine continued to evolve in America, in the homes of the immigrants and their descendants, and in
delicatessens and
appetizing stores in New York City and elsewhere.[1]
Delicatessens were quite popular among second-generation American Jews, especially in the mid-twentieth century. They provided a place for the patrons to socialize in a comfortable environment. They also popularized some of the dishes now associated with American Jewish cuisine, which were affordable for their upwardly mobile customers, but which would have seemed luxurious to their European ancestors.[7][8][9] Though not as numerous as they once were, delicatessens continue to be popular dining destinations.[10][11][12]
Kosher food
Kosher food is food that conforms to kashrut, i.e. Jewish dietary laws. Under these rules, some foods – for example,
pork and
shellfish – are forbidden. Any meat must come from an animal that was slaughtered using a process known as shechita. Jewish dietary law also prohibits the eating of
meat and milk at the same meal. For this purpose, "meat" means the flesh of mammals and birds, and "milk" includes dairy products such as cheese and butter. Thus a kosher delicatessen selling
corned beef sandwiches would not have any cheese, and a kosher bakery selling
bagels and cream cheese would not have any meat. Many foods are classified as
pareve (sometimes spelled "parve") – neither meat nor milk, and therefore acceptable at any meal. Pareve foods include fish, eggs, honey, and any edible plant.[13][14] Kosher commercial establishments must be closed from Friday evening to Saturday evening, during the
Jewish sabbath.
American Jewish cuisine may or may not be kosher. For example, some delicatessens follow Jewish dietary law in the preparation and serving of food, while others do not. Followers of
Orthodox Judaism, the most traditional form of Judaism, generally eat only kosher food. Some other more-observant Jews also eat kosher food most or all of the time. However, the majority of American Jews are less observant of traditional rules, and eat non-kosher food. According to a 2012 study by the
Pew Research Center, 22 percent of American Jews keep kosher in their homes.[15]
Kosher-style food
Kosher-style food is food that is made in the style of kosher food but that does not necessarily conform to Jewish dietary laws. For example, a kosher-style
hot dog is an all-beef hot dog that is mildly spiced with garlic and other flavorings, and a kosher-style
pickle is a sour pickle aged in brine with garlic and dill. The term "kosher-style" may also refer to American Jewish cuisine in general.[16] The
Reuben sandwich, a kosher-style staple, is not kosher because it combines Swiss cheese and corned beef.[17]
Passover
During the annual eight-day
Passover holiday, Jews who are more traditionally observant do not eat
chametz (leavened bread). During Passover some American Jews eat
matzah and other foods that conform to this restriction.[18][19]
American Jews, like Jews elsewhere in the world, often participate in a
Passover seder at the beginning of Passover. This is a ritual meal that includes the telling of the story of Passover –
the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. At a seder, the
Passover Seder plate is a plate with special food items that are symbolic of different aspects of Passover.[20]
Around 90% of American Jews are
Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors came from Eastern or Central Europe, where many of them spoke
Yiddish as their first language. The foods commonly associated with American Jewish cuisine therefore have their origins in those regions.
The United States also has a sizeable population of
Sephardic Jews, whose ancestors lived in Spain or Portugal, and later in other Mediterranean areas, and
Mizrahi Jews, whose ancestors lived in the Middle East or North Africa.[6][21] Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews have their own distinct cuisines, which, like Ashkenazi cuisine, were heavily influenced by their places of origin.[22][23] Although always outnumbered by their Ashkenazi counterparts, there are significant Sephardic and Mizrahi communities across America. These include the Persian Jews of Los Angeles,[24][25] the Moroccan Jews of Manhattan,[26] the Turkish Jews of Seattle,[27] and the Syrian Jews of Brooklyn.[28] Additionally, Mizrahi and Sephardic cuisine predominates in the modern state of Israel.
The two largest groups of Eastern European (
Ashkenazi) Jews were
Litvaks, who lived farther to the north and east, in the area of
Lithuania, and
Galitzianers, who lived farther to the south and west, in the area of
Galicia. Each group spoke their own dialect of
Yiddish. According to some writers, it is sometimes possible to guess the ancestry of an American Jew by knowing their preferred style of
gefilte fish.[31] Litvaks ate gefilte fish that was flavored with salt and pepper, while Galitzianers preferred theirs to be sweeter.[32] The border between the areas where Litvaks and Galitzianers lived has therefore been referred to as the "
Gefilte Fish Line".[32][31]
Popular dishes and foods
Popular dishes in American Jewish cuisine include:
Bagel – A doughnut-shaped bread roll. The dough is first boiled and then baked, resulting in a dense, chewy interior with a browned exterior.[33][34]
Matzah balls are sometimes added to the soup instead of, or in addition to, noodles.[40][41]
Kreplach are small dumplings that are another common addition to chicken soup.[41]
Chopped liver – A
liver pâté made with hard-boiled eggs, salt, and pepper. Served as a side dish, hence the expression, "What am I, chopped liver?"[42]
Gefilte fish – Ground fish – often a combination of
carp,
pike, and
whitefish – that is mixed with other ingredients, formed into patties or balls, and
poached; usually served as an appetizer.[44][31][32]
Kishke – A large, starchy sausage made with grain, vegetables, beef or chicken fat, and spices.[45]
Knish – A type of savory baked
turnover; various fillings are used, such as potatoes or ground beef.[40][46]
Latke – A pancake made with grated potatoes and other ingredients, fried in oil.[49]
Lox – A sliced
fillet of cured
salmon. Belly lox is cured with brine and is therefore rather salty. Nova lox is
cold-smoked. Lox is often eaten as a sandwich, on a bagel with cream cheese.[50]
Mandelbrot – A crunchy
cookie, sometimes made with
almonds, formed by baking a loaf which is then cut into small slabs and twice-baked.[51]
Pastrami – Beef brisket that has been cured with brine, rubbed with pepper, garlic, and other spices, smoked, and then sliced.[40] Like corned beef it is usually served as a sandwich.[43]
The American Jewish custom of eating at
Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve is a common stereotype portrayed in film and television, but it has a factual basis. The tradition may have arisen from the lack of other open restaurants on Christmas, as well as the close proximity to each other of Jewish and Chinese immigrants in New York City.[57][58][59][60] Another reason is the near-total absence of dairy products in Chinese food, making it easy to order a meat dish that doesn't contain dairy.