5 Multicultural Recipes for Rosh Hashanah

From Asian challah to "Afro-Ashkefardi" chicken, these dishes will add flair to your holiday table.

By Ruth Abusch-Magder | September 7, 2016

Jewish&

Jewish& is a blog by Be’chol Lashon, which gives voice to the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of Jewish identity and experience. The original multicultural people, Jews have lived around the world for millennia. Today, with globalism and inclusion so key in making choices about engaging in Jewish life,Jewish& provides a forum for personal reflection, discussion, and debate.

The summer is over, the school year has started, and so it follows that Rosh Hashanah can’t be too far away. The holidays are a month away which gives us all enough time to plan and try out a few new recipes to add to our Rosh Hashanah table. Here are five of our favorite multicultural Jewish food recipes that we are sure will certainly add flair the Rosh Hashanah celebrations. Don’t take our word for it, make them yourself, now or any time of year!

When is Rosh Hashanah 2018? Click here to find out!

For more Rosh Hashanah recipes, click here or visit The Nosher, My Jewish Learning’s lively food blog!

Challah: This timeless classic got a makeover at the hands of food blogger Molly Yeh. Her Chinese take on this dish is a great addition to any Shabbat or Rosh Hashanah table. Growing up in a Chinese-Jewish household, Yeh knows from experience how to blend cultures to create extraordinary outcomes. This is one of our most popular posts to date and if you haven’t made this challah yet, what are you waiting for?

Chicken: This recipe for Afro-Ashkefardi chicken deserves consideration. In the greatest American culinary tradition, Chef scholar Michael Twitty has brought together disparate elements of cuisine to create something that both draws on tradition and innovates at the same time. Could there be a better symbolic way to transition from one year to the next? Probably not.

Soup: What happens when a nice Ashkenazi girl marries a nice Moroccan boy? To judge by Natasha Cooper Benisty’s experience, the matzah balls and gefilte fish get set aside to make room for some amazing Moroccan chickpea-pumpkin soup. Not ready to set aside your matzah balls? No worries, I’m sure Cooper won’t mind if you float a few in your bowl, but you may not feel the need once you’ve tasted this Rosh Hashanah classic. The bonus? Cooper Benisty’s carrot salad which is not to be missed.

Mojitos: They may not be traditional Rosh Hashanah drinks but this classic Cuban cocktail from Cuban Reuben blogger Jennifer Stempel deserves a place on the Rosh Hashanah. Stalled for many years, relations between the United States and Cuba have recently opened up, this is a perfect Rosh Hashanah reminder to all of us that we need not be stuck in our old patterns. Beyond that the refreshing and bright flavors of this classic drink will set the right tone for the New Year to come!

Pomegranates: Signs of fertility and plenty, these fruits ripen on trees throughout Israel at this time of year. No surprise then that they are favorites for the Rosh Hashanah table. And of course they are a nutritional super fruit. Diane Tobin, director of Be’chol Lashon’s shares her insights about the Jewish traditions of eating rimonim, as pomegranates are known in Hebrew, and explore some fabulous recipes to add to your table now or any time of year.

Ritual: Though not strictly food related, this family ritual from blogger Marcia Weingarten for Rosh Hashanah is a recipe for togetherness and connection that ought not to be missed.