In the cold, dark winter months it can feel like everyone you know has a cold. And while nothing beats rest, water and good old handwashing to keep sickness at bay, don’t sleep on these time-honored Jewish healing recipes to give your immune system an extra boost. From Yemenite matit, a home remedy so effective it’s known as “nature’s antibiotic,” to Ashkenazi gogol mogol (Barbara Streisand’s mother’s vocal chord cure of choice), there’s a wealth of delicious wisdom to sample whenever you get sniffly.
Chicken Soup
Aka “Jewish penicillin,” chicken soup’s healing properties — from fighting infections to reducing inflammation — are well documented. This rich, golden overnight version is spiked with hawaij — a warming Yemenite spice blend with all sorts of additional health benefits.
Dill Pickle Soup
This lesser-known but delicious Eastern European soup is rooted in cold, harsh winters with short growing seasons, where pickling provided year-long nutrition. Packed with briny pickles and veggies, this tangy soup will give your immune system a boost.
Health Salad
Aka vitamin or Claremont salad, this New York deli staple is a riot of crunchy, raw veggies to fill your ailing body with health.
Hilbeh
Often served as an accompaniment to Yemenite soups and breads, this fenugreek-heavy dip is said to boost milk supply in nursing mothers, aid digestion and lower cholesterol, among a myriad of other health benefits.
Sauerkraut
Get those probiotics in with this fermented super pickle — a humble mix of cabbage, salt and time. Super easy to make at home, this will last for several months in the fridge.
Gogol Mogol
The old-school Ashkenazi cure for colds, sore throats and winter blues.
Matit
Yemenite Jews from Sana’a boast a time-honored tradition of natural medicine, and this dish (aka matid or “nature’s antibiotic”) is said to cure anything from a sore throat to sinus infection.
The Nosher celebrates the traditions and recipes that have brought Jews together for centuries. Donate today to keep The Nosher's stories and recipes accessible to all.
