Rosh Hashanah begins this week, on the evening of the 20th. Even if you’re not Jewish, there’s still something to be experienced by learning more about the Jewish New Year celebration. To be more specific, the traditional dishes served during Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah Food! – Big YUM!
Rosh Hashanah food tends to be sweeter, to symbolize the wish to have a sweet year. In fact, honey is a major component of food served during Rosh Hashanah, and many of the dishes revolve around it. If you’ve never experienced the holiday before, here are five Rosh Hashanah food items that everyone should try at some point in their lives.
Rosh Hashanah Food #1. Honey Cake
Honey cake is traditionally served at the end of Rosh Hashanah, and is a deliciously moist cake that incorporates orange juice, honey, sugar, flour, coffee, and a handful of other ingredients. The result is a sweet, light cake that’s perfect for the Fall.
Rosh Hashanah Food #2. Honey Sauce
It’s not hard to figure out what honey sauce is – a sauce made from honey. It can be used for a number of different dishes, especially as a topping for desserts. It’s sometimes added onto waffles or topped onto honey cake or even drizzled over fruit. And it’s simple to make, with only three ingredients: honey, water, and orange juice.
Rosh Hashanah Food #3. Apples Dipped in Honey
Apples are another traditional Rosh Hashanah food, and they’re generally eaten with honey. Sometimes apples are dipped in honey – which also symbolizes the wish for a sweet and happy year. Other times, apples are whipped up in delicious desserts like honey baked apples or a honey apple cake.
Rosh Hashanah Food #4. Round Challah
Challah is baked and served on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and is shaped into a circle. For those that aren’t familiar with challah, it’s a white leavened bread that’s baked and usually plaited (or braided). For Rosh Hashanah, the round challah is sweetened with raisins and eaten dipped in honey (yum!). If you don’t want to try your hand at baking your own challah, you can usually find it at the grocery store.
Rosh Hashanah Food #5. Fruit Compote
Another delicious Rosh Hashanah food is fruit compote. If you’ve never tried (or tried to make) a fruit compote, you are really missing out. Fruit compotes involve mixing a variety of fruit – apples, nectarines, peaches, etc. – and heating it in a saucepan over heat with either sugar and water or juice (often orange juice) for 15-20 minutes until it stews itself into a syrupy, sweet, and almost jelly-like concoction. You can serve it by itself or use it as a topping. My personal favorite? Applesauce! I Love it homemade!
Need Rosh Hashanah Menu Ideas? We have a a few for you here!
Have you ever celebrated Rosh Hashanah? What’s your favorite Rosh Hashanah food or meal? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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