Jewish American Food Culture is part of the Food Cultures in America series, in turn part of the American Mosaic series published by Greenwood Press. The book offers a very basic introduction to the role of food in Judaism as well as to the unique role of food in the American Jewish Diaspora.
Jewish communities around the world developed distinct cuisines that responded to local ingredients and food traditions while adhering to the strict laws of kashrut, the food restrictions followed by many Jews around the world. While other religions have dietary restrictions ranging from daily to annual observances, none are as extensive, restrictive, and debated as those of kashrut. It is not surprising that each community had to adapt to local foods and the availability of kosher foods/products.
As the American Jewish Diaspora grew, immigrants brought their various food traditions with them. Of course, this happened not only in the Jewish community, but given that Jews were found in so many parts of the world, the global nature of the Jewish food culture is unique among Jewish immigrants. Unlike many immigrant foodways, Jewish American foodways represent a particularly global perspective.
The book is a very basic overview of Jewish food culture and appears to be geared to an audience unfamiliar with the culture. In some respects it seems almost too basic. At various points the authors state that the Jews eat the same foods as everyone else, which I suppose works for those unfamiliar with Jewish lifestyle but feels like a strange statement to make.
What is done well is the discussion of kashrut and the ways in which it both creates community within Jewish circles but distances Jews from non-Jewish populations. The book also very nicely describes kashrut and all that it entails for the observant Jewish household.
Also included are a number of recipes that are considered basic in the Jewish cooking repertoire, such as challah for the Sabbath, cholent (a stew), and gefilte fish. It also includes recipes for things like egg creams and falafel that are not Jewish per se but have become affiliated with the American Jewish experience, along with lox and bagels. This is an example of the breadth of the Jewish American food experience. In one frustrating moment, the authors describe what sounds like a delicious dessert involving orange-flower-flavored almond paste, noodles, and lemons, but no recipe.
The book includes a chronology that begins circa 1800 BCE and ends in 2007, beginning with Abraham and ending with an exhibit of Jewish food and culture at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. In between, we find general historical information about Jews in America and tidbits like the 1888 opening of Katz’s Deli in New York City and the 1945 crowning of Bess Myerson as the first Jewish Miss America. There is also a resource guide as well as a selected bibliography.
The audience for this book is anyone interested in Jewish American food culture with no prior knowledge of it. It will impart very little new knowledge to the Jewish American scholar. As a text it would work best in a class on Jewish American culture or Jewish folklore. I would not necessarily use this book in a foodways class, as it is too specific to one culture.
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[Review length: 547 words • Review posted on November 23, 2011]