Apr 30, 2016
If you've ever been to a Passover seder, you've probably experienced the array of unique foods that fill the table, including the sweet and sticky concoction known as charoset. But what is charoset?
Charoset (חֲרֽוֹסֶת, pronounced ha-row-sit) is a sticky, sweet symbolic food that Jews eat during their Passover seder every year. The word chariest derives from the Hebrew word cheres (חרס), which means "clay."
Charoset represents the mortar that the Israelites used to make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt, and the idea originates in Exodus 1:13-14, which says,
"The Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back-breaking labor, and they embittered their lives with hard labor, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields -- all their work that they worked with them with back-breaking labor."
The concept of charoset as a symbolic food first appears in the Mishnah (Pesachim 114a) in a disagreement between the sages about the reason for charoset and whether it is a mitzvah (commandment) to eat it at Passover.
According to one opinion, the sweet paste is meant to remind us of the mortar used by the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt, while another says that the charosetis meant to remind the modern Jewish people of the apple trees in Egypt. This second opinion is tied to the fact that, supposedly, the Israelite women would quietly, painlessly give birth beneath apple trees so that the Egyptians would never know that a baby boy was born. Although both opinions add to the Passover experience, most agree that the first opinion reigns supreme (Maimonides, The Book of Seasons 7:11).
Here we provide you with variations on the traditional recipe from breakingmatzo.com for your enjoyment.
Chinese Charoset - Common ingredients in Chinese cuisine are highlighted in this version of charoset: soy sauce, pine nuts and honey. In contrast with most charoset recipes, this one is slightly savory. The Fugu Plan was a Japanese rescue plan to save Jews from the Nazis by settling them in Shanghai during World War II . This Charoset recipe creates a connection between the wandering Jews of China and the Passover story.
Ingredients:
½ pound of dates (about 1½ cups, finely chopped)
4 apples (finely chopped)
½ cup pine nuts
3 tbsp soy sauce (you can use gluten-free)
4 tbsp honey
juice of one orange
Directions:
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until soft and smooth (about 5 minutes)
Italian Charoset - Pine nuts, pears and almonds evoke the flavors and textures of Italian sweet and savory food. If a Jewish family, living in the Piedmont, were making a locally based Charoset, they would find all the ingredients here. It’s a beautiful dish, and like many, my family loves Italian cooking. This is my wife’s favorite Charoset recipe.
History: The history of the Jews in Italy spans more than two thousand years. The Jewish presence in Italy dates to the pre-Christian Roman period. Despite periods of extreme persecutions and expulsions from parts from time to time, the Italian Jewish community has always been resilient and plays an important role in Italian culture. As of 2007, the estimated core Jewish population in Italy numbers around 45,000.
The first documented Jews in Italy were the ambassadors sent to Rome by Judah Maccabee in 161 BCE. When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many of them found refuge in Italy, where they were given protection by King Ferdinand I of Naples.
The Venetian Ghetto was the area of Venice in which Jews were compelled to live under the Venetian Republic. It is from its name in Italian ("ghetto"), that the English word "ghetto" is derived. In the Venetian language it was named "ghèto". The Venetian Ghetto (incidentally, the first Ghetto) was instituted in 1516.
Yields: Makes approximately 7 cups
Ingredients
3 apples, sweet or tart
2 pears, peeled and chopped, core discarded
¾ cup yellow raisins or sultanas
1 cup prunes, pitted and finely chopped
1⅓ cups dates, pitted and chopped
2 cups sweet red Kosher wine
⅓ cup pine nuts
⅔ cup almonds, finely chopped
½ cup sugar or honey
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
Directions
Peel and core the apples and pears and cut them in small pieces.
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes, until the fruits are very soft, adding a little water if it becomes too dry.
Variation: Other possible additions: chopped lemon or candied orange peel, walnuts, pistachios, dried figs, orange or lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Passover Plate - clipartpanda.com
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