Our Hanukkah Celebration Music, Symbolic Foods and Art

Traditional Hanukkah Foods

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival celebrated with various traditional foods. While not all these foods have explicit symbolic meanings, some are tied to the holiday's themes of oil, victory, and the miracle of the Temple. Here are traditional Hanukkah foods and their connections:

1. Potato Latkes

These fried potato pancakes are the best-known Hanukkah food. The oil used to fry them commemorates the oil in the temple lamps. Made of shredded potatoes and onions, like hash browns, they are traditionally topped with applesauce and served as a side dish.

2. Kugel

Kugel is a sweet casserole from Central Europe. It consists of egg noodles baked with sugar, eggs, and sour cream. Raisins and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg can be added. This rich dessert tops many people’s favorite Hanukkah foods and provides the flavor of many beloved holiday memories.

3. Brisket

A slow-cooked beef dish that is a hearty and flavorful centerpiece for Hanukkah meals.

4. Rugelach

Rolled pastries with sweet ingredients like dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate represent the holiday's sweetness.

5. Sufganiyot

Jelly-filled donuts topped with powdered sugar. They are fried and commemorate the importance of oil in the Hanukkah celebration. The filling can be flavored in several ways; though fruit jelly is standard, sweet custard can be substituted if preferred.

6. Matzo Ball Soup

A traditional Jewish soup featuring matzo balls, symbolizing comfort and sustenance.

7. Applesauce

Often served as an accompaniment to latkes, providing a sweet contrast to the savory pancakes.

8. Gelt (Chocolate Coins)

In the dreidel game, the gelt symbolizes the coins distributed to children during Hanukkah.

In 17 century Europe, it became customary for parents to donate small sums of money to their children to their teachers. The students learned how to give charity in light of commemorating the events of Hanukkah. In the 20th century, an American confectionary manufacturer came up with the idea of making Hanukkah “Gelt” from chocolate. They made the first chocolate-wrapped coins specifically for Hanukkah. The Hanukkah gelt symbolizes the tradition of giving charity to commemorate the Miracle of Light. 

9. Cheese Platter

Judith, a Jewish heroine associated with Hanukkah, fed cheese to an Assyrian general, making him thirsty for wine, which she gave him until he fell asleep.

Our Favorite Hanukkah Songs

Yes We Can

Telly from Sesame Street shows 
us how to play the Dreidel Game.

December 14, National Bouillabaisse Day, A Traditional Fish Stew

Bouillabaisse is a traditional fish stew originating in Provence. Commonly used vegetables include leeks, onions, tomatoes, celery and potatoes. The vegetables are simmered together with the broth and served with the fish. What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of herbs and spices in the broth and the way the fish are added one at a time, in a certain order, and brought to a boil.

Bouillabaisse

Serves 6 (about 3 cups each)

Ingredients
8 cups water
3 (1 1/4-pound) whole lobsters
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups coarsely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups coarsely chopped tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1-pound skinned halibut fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
22 small clams, scrubbed
30 small mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions
1. Using an 8-quart stockpot, bring water to a boil.
2. Plunge lobsters headfirst into the water. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes.
3. Remove lobsters from water (do not drain); cool. Remove meat from cooked lobster tails and claws; cut into 1-inch pieces, reserving shells.
4. Cover and refrigerate lobster meat.
5. Return reserved shells to water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain through a colander over a large bowl, reserving broth; discard shells. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel.
6. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes.
7. Add reserved broth, tomato, saffron, thyme, pepper, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. 

8. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
9. Bring to a boil; add halibut, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. 

10. Add clams; cook 1 minute. 

11. Add mussels; cook 2 minutes. 

12. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes. Bring to a boil. 

13. Add reserved lobster meat; cook until thoroughly heated. 

14. Discard unopened shells.

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