Rosh Hashanah A Global Menu

 There will always be Rosh Hashanah in the world. Yet where you celebrate  may be different Depending upon the country, various ingredients are used to bring in the new year.It could be ripe pomegranates or exotic spices. A global feast awaits with various colors and flavors.

Exotic dishes abound in both the Sephardic and Mizrahi branches of Judaism. Sephardic are the Mediterra nean Jews of Morocco, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The Morrocans feature the savory red snapper stew cooked  in  a sauce of garlic, turmeric, saffron and bell peppers. The fish head is also included to symbolize the head and not the tail. They use the Mediterranean staple preserved lemons along with cilantro as well. Another dish that's both sweet and savory is tanzia, a caramelized fruit and onion topping served over rice or couscous.Moroccans use such dried fruit as aprocits, prunes, dates and raisins, simmered with date syrup or honey and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. The dinner ends with melt away cinnamon cookies.fluffy honey drenched cookies made with cinnamon and almond flour. Syrian Jews celebrate with kibbit yatkeen , pumpkin patties and rice stuffed Swiss chard.

Italian Jews have a different spin on Rosh Hashanah. Their main meal is chicken with fruit. Autumn fruits such as plums, grapes and apples make up the sauce. There is also zucca sfranta in forno baked mashed squash. Onion, basil and parsley give it a distinct flavor. There are also sfratti, honey walnut stick cookies that when cut resemble Fig Newtons.Greek and Turkish Jews have keftes de prasa or leek patties, Cinnamon, and black pepper along with nutmeg spice them up.They also make and bake pastelicos, ground lamb filled pastries similar to kreplach. Calabaza or a public pastry finishes the meal.Iraqi and Temeni Jews also have spiced foods Iraquis make apple jam to be served with squash. There's also a sour soup with meat dumplings. Swiss chard is layered with rice and beef as a main course. The Yemeni make a beef and white bean soup made with the traditional Yemeni spice blend hawaj., black, pepper, coriander and cumin.There are sweet quinces and dates with sesame seed to eat too.

Rosh Hashanah is an international holiday. ALl over the world it's greeted with savory and sweet dishes. It's the perfect way to greet the New Year.