International Charoses

The Charoses paste-like concoction placed on our Seder plate reminds us of the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to construct buildings for the Pharaoh in Egypt.

Still, consistent with all other aspects of Jewish cooking of the Diaspora, the Charoses recipe may vary from region to region, depending on the ingredients available locally.

Edda Servi Machlin, in her beautiful book The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews (Giro Press, 1992, revised) notes that her family served Charoses made solely of ground matzoh meal and water. That certainly mimicked the mortar we are supposed to recall sadly, yet it cannot have been very tasty. But other Charoses versions are more sweet and delicious, as well as more cheerful.

Helen Nash, author of several excellent cookbooks, including Kosher Cuisine (Jason Aronson, 1995), provides the most gourmet of all the kosher works out there. Mrs. Nash noted in an interview that she always serves more than one Charoses mixture at her Seders. Then, she informally offers a Syrian recipe that was given to her by a friend from that part of the world. This blend is so luscious that it can also be used as a filling for the Hamantashen at Purim.

Joan Nathan is the international expert recognized for her scholarship on Jewish foods. Her latest book, Jewish Cooking in America (Random House, 1998), also has been made into a multi-episode Public Broadcasting television series. In an earlier book, The Jewish Holiday Kitchen (Schocken Books, 1998, paperback) she offers several recipes for Charoses. One, from Surinam, is essentially the old Ashkenazic Charoses, but with coconut flakes added!

The synagogue on the Island of Curaçao is the oldest one in continuous use in the Americas. Congregation Mikva Israel-Emanuel was founded in 1732-and at that point, it was Curaçao’s fourth. The first synagogue in Curacao dated to 1654. Curaçao was a Dutch colony, and all those who visited Mikva Israel-Emanuel and the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, built in 1675, must be struck by their resemblance.

Of course, the Jews of medieval Holland were of Sephardic descent, having fled northward from the Inquisition. Both these synagogues have brass chandeliers and woodwork stained black against stark white walls. But the Curaçao branch also has a local touch, artistically arranged sand on the floor. The sisterhood there has published a cookbook with a decidedly Caribbean recipe for Charoses.

Several lesser known Charoses recipes follow. Ashkenazic Jews raised on the traditional combination of chopped apples, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and Concord grape wine should be warned: They had better include a bowl of Charoses prepared that much-loved way at their Seder meals, or somebody in the family is sure to be upset by its omission.


	Joan Nathan’s California Charoses 1 large, ripe avocado, peeled and diced Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 orange, washed and peeled 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1/2 cup raisins 4 pitted dates 2 pitted prunes OR 2 figs 2 tablespoons apple juice 2 tablespoons matzoh meal In a large bowl, toss the avocado in the lemon juice. Peel the orange, reserving the peel, but discarding the white pith which is bitter. Set aside peel and orange sections. In a food processor, mix the almonds, raisins, dates, and prunes. Add the orange, both sections and peel, and process. Transfer the mixture from the food processor to the bowl with the avocado. Fold in the apple juice and the matzoh meal. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yields approximately 1 pint. Adapted from The Jewish Holiday Kitchen


	Helen Nash’s Syrian Charoses 3 lb. pitted dates 4 oranges, washed 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1 cup Concord grape wine 1 cup slivered almonds (optional) Rinse dates well under cold water. Cover with boiling water and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Peel oranges carefully and reserve the peel. Discard the white pith, which is bitter. Chop the orange sections. Drain the dates thoroughly. Mash them well; a food processor does this task most successfully. Mix in the orange peel and the orange sections, the cinnamon and the wine. If the almonds are desired, mix those in last, by hand. Do not add almonds to mixture in the food processor. Yields approximately 1 quart.


	Sisterhood of Congregation Mikva Israel-Emanuel Charoses (permitted for Sefardim only) 2 lb shelled peanuts, unsalted 1/2 lb. shelled cashew nuts, unsalted 1 lb. dark brown sugar 1/2 lb. pitted prunes 1/2 lb. figs 1/4 cup Concord grape wine 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Yields approximately 2 quarts. Adapted from Recipes from the Jewish Kitchens of Curaçao


	Molly Bar-David’s North African Charoses 1/2 lb. pine nuts (“pignoli”) yolk of one hard-boiled egg, mashed 1 apple, peeled, cored and minced 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup almonds, ground 1/2 cup walnuts, ground juice of 1 lemon ground cinnamon, to taste ground ginger root, to taste Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Yields approximately 1—11&Mac218;2 cups. Adapted from The Folklore Cookbook by Molly Bar-David

All recipes copyright 1999 by Judith Segal, “The Kosher Gourmet,” New York. All rights reserved.
Recipes provided for personal use only. Recipes may not be resold or included in any published collections without the express written permission of their owner, Judith Segal; recipes may not be stored in retrieval systems and/or databases, or reproduced and/or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without the express written permission of their owner, Judith Segal.
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