One of the most common Jewish foods is matzo, also called matza and matzah which is classified as a sympathetic magic food. These foods are symbolic and often used in religious contexts. Matzo is an unleavened bread, that is said to be the official food of the Jewish holiday Passover. During Passover, the bread is broken into pieces and eaten at certain times during the celebration. Matzo is forbidden to contain 5 specific grains including …show more content…
Tzimmes is commonly called a sweet stew, and it is made with carrots glazed in honey with many variations commonly made. Some recipes call for sweet potatoes, fruit, juice, maple syrup, stew meat and sometimes broth. However the traditional form is plainly carrots and honey. This dish is classified as a social prestige food, because is it served on special occasions due to its symbolic characteristics. It is often served mostly served on New Years to symbolize a hope for a “good, sweet year ahead” and because the vernacular eludes to prosperity as the Yiddish word for carrot, “meren” means “to multiply” (Szokovski 1).
There are many foods to many cultures that hold significance within that society. For Judaism, foods that represent their religious-centered daily life and want for prosperity in the future prove to be most common. Matzo and Tzimmes are two examples of how important religion is to them and how the foods represent specific meanings to their