Glossary of Jewish Cooking Terms

A website of this nature has numerous terms that are not necessarily widely used in every day language so this glossary should help :

BAGEL – A ring shaped bread roll, made from a yeast dough which is first boiled and then glazed with egg and baked. Water or egg bagels are most common but onion, rye, pumpernickel, cinnamon raisin are other favourites.

BLINTZES – Thin pancakes, Russian in origin but similar to French crepes, stuffed with various fillings and often topped with sour cream.

BORSCHT – A Russian style soup that can be served with hot or cold usually made from Beetroot, spinach, sorrel, spinach, cabbage and meat. Often served with sour cream and boiled potatoes.

CHAROSETH – A mixture of chopped fruits, nuts and spices combined with red wine and eaten during the Sedar service on Passover.

CHOLLA – A plaited bread loaf traditionally made with egg yeast dough and used for Sabbaths and festivals.

CHRANE – The Yiddish word for grated horseradish with beetroot sauce.

CHULENT – A traditional meat and vegetable stew prepared before Shabbats begins and left to cook slowly overnight and then eaten for lunch.

COMPOTE – A French term that has been adopted by Jewish cooks and refers to a mixture of dried fruits that are sweetened and then cooked.

EINGEMACHT – Traditional Passover preserve of German origin usually made from beetroot, spices and nuts. Can also be made with carrots.

FALAFEL – A deep-fried chickpea croquette of Middle Eastern origin that is served as an hors d’oeuvre or stuffed into the pocket of pitta bread with lettuce and tahini or hummous.

FARFEL -Noodle dough that has been grated or chopped into fine pieces and used as a garnish for soup or meat dishes. Can also be made with matzah.

FLEISHIG – Food prepared with meat or meat products
GEDEMPTE – Stewed or braised

GEFILTE FISH – Gefilte is the German word for stuffed and refers to a mixture of ground fish, matzah meal, ground almonds and eggs and shaped into balls which are then poached or fried.

HAMANTASHEN – Triangular pastries filled with poppy seeds, jam, prunes or other mixture and served at Purim time to resemble the three- cornered hat that Haman used to wear.

HOLISHKES – Sweet and sour cabbage leaves stuffed with meat and rice.

HUMMOUS – A middle Eastern dip made from chickpeas and sesame seed paste – Tahini

KARTOFFEL – Potato dumplings or potato croquettes

KASHA – Buckwheat groats usually served as an accompaniment to meat, but also in soups, salads or as a breakfast cereal.

KICHEL – Biscuit or cookie

KNEIDLACH – Also called matzah balls – dumplings made of matzah meal and served in chicken soup.

KNISHES – Stuffed dumplings filled with potatoes, meat, cheese or rice and then either fried boiled or baked.

KREPLACH – Pockets of paste-like dough that are stuffed with meat, cheese and boiled or fried like ravioli.

KUGEL – Potatoes or noodles combined with an egg mixture and baked in the oven like a pudding. Usually served as a vegetable or when sweetened with raisins, sugar and apples as a dessert.

LATKES – Small pancakes or potatoes, noodles and vegetables. Potato latkes fried in oil are a traditional on Chanukah.

LEKACH – Dark honey cake with is traditionally served on Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur.

LOCKSHEN – Egg noodles, traditionally served in soup or used in kugel.

MANDELBROT – Twice baked crisp almond biscuits/cookies made in Germany

MATZAH - Unleavened bread traditionally served during the eight days of Passover.

MATZAH BREI – An omelette made with matzahs

MATZAH CAKE MEAL – Matzah that is ground extra finely and used for baking and stuffings.

MATZAH MEAL – Matzah that is ground finely and used as a substitute for flour during Passover or like a coating or thickening agent instead of breadcrumbs. It can be purchased either fine or medium.

MILCHIG – Made of milk or milk products

PAREVE - ‘Neutral’ food that contains no meat or dairy products and could be eaten with either milchig or fleishig meals.

PAREVE CREAM – A non-dairy cream substitute

PITTA BREAD – Middle Eastern flat round bread with a pocket that can be filled with falafel, hummous, tahini and salads.

SCHMALTZ - Rendered chicken fat taken from the top of the chicken soup and is used instead of butter, margarine or oil.

STRUDEL – A pastry made of very thin sheets of dough and filled with a variety of sweet and savoury mixtures.

TAHINI – Sesame seed paste usually served as a dip or with falafel in a pitta.

TZIMMES – A mixture of sweet potatoes, prunes, carrots and assorted dried fruits that often sweetened and sometimes cooked with meat.

WORSHT – A smoked continental sausage served in slices.

VARNISHKES – Noodle dough filled and shaped into bows, traditionally served with kasha.