Jewish Syrian Cuisine is the cuisine of the the jews from Syria. Although the last Jews left Syria in 1997, their cuisine has been preserved in books and family recipes.[1]

History and influences

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Since biblical times there have been Jews in the area comprising modern-day Syria.[2] Syrian Jewish cuisine has nothing in common with foods like [gefilte fish], [knish], or other dishes traditionally thought of as Jewish.[3] In fact, in the diaspora Syrian Jewish dishes often differ from those of other jews because they contain rice and dried fruits and other seasonings not found in other regional Jewish foodway.[2] Because Jews are prohibited to mix meat and dairy, Syrian Jewish cuisine differed from standard Syrian cuisine because it used oil instead of butter or lamb fat in fried foods.[1] After 1492 when the Sephardim were expelled from Spain, many Jews came to Syria and brought a few dishes with Spanish names like bastel and the cheese ravioli calsonne. These foods were intermixed with the local Syrian Jewish cuisine creating new flavors and styles. Syrian Jews also improved versions of Syrian dishes, by emphasizing fruit and sweet-sour flavors. The Syrian Jews of Allepo also made heavy use of used tamarind.[1] In fact tamarand based sauces are distictively unique to Syrian Jewish cuisine.[4]

Elements

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Syrian Jewish cuisine contains many elements of cusines from a wide geographic area. Moorish and Iberian elements arrived after Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Jewish spice-trading Syrian merchants also imported spices from the Far East and land of Persia, making rose water and lime an important addition to their cuisine..[5] Naturally, elements of Syrian Jewish cusisine was adopted by arabs living in Syria while Syrian Jews also adopted arab flavors into their dishes. Syrian Jewish dishes differ in very specific ways from other cusines belonging to Mizrachi. The addition of cinnamon, cumin and allspice to dishes, as well as the use of Moroccan saffron with Persian olives and preserved lemons help to distinguish the cuisine from standard Syrian foods.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Charles Perry. "Preserving a Cuisine". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Jeff Diamant and Vicki Hyman (July 23, 2009). "N.J. corruption arrests strike core of Deal's Syrian Jewish community". New Jersey Star-Ledger. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  3. ^ DIANA JEAN SCHEMO (May 06, 1992). "Delicate Path to U.S. For Jews From Syria". New York Times. Retrieved February, 14, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  4. ^ GIL MARKS (2010). "Tamarind". Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  5. ^ a b EMILY MOORE (July 5, 2007). "The Glorious Jewish food of Syria". JTNews: The Voice of Jewish Washington. Retrieved February 21, 2011.

Other References

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Syria Syria Syria Syria Category:Syrian cuisine Category:Fertile Crescent Category:Jewish cuisine