Sweet as honey

Shanah Tovah ‘oo Metukah!

Those celebrating the Jewish New Year proclaim this Rosh Hashanah greeting to wish “A good and sweet new year” as we embark on another full circle.

Like most religious or cultural celebrations, there are several savory foods that signify the holiday, but Rosh Hashanah is all about celebrating sweetness.

Apples and honey are some of several symbolic foods used to start off the new year. These help connect the physical world and the spiritual world during the high holidays.

It is traditional to eat round challah bread instead of the normal braided bread. The circular shape signifies continuity and the cycle of life.

When blessing the bread, it is dipped in honey for sweetness. The flavor reminds us of the past year’s milestones and difficult days.

The foods are cooked to represent aspirations for the next year. The food that fuels you can spice up your actions and attitudes in the same way they satisfy you on the inside.

Other customary foods include dates, cooked leeks and pomegranates.

Many households place the head of a fish on the table and say a blessing.
It is a reminder to act as the head, not the tail, during each day’s challenges and conquests.

From country to country, Jewish communities create varying side dishes to symbolize hope and harmony. Most use honey to accent the flavor of the food and mood.

In Turkey, a honey cake called tishpishti is satiating. Persian Jews dine on pancakes made from chickpeas glazed in a honey and lime sauce.

Indian and Israeli cuisines are fused to create a special holiday dish called apple sabzi, apples cooked in spices and coconut.

Here at home, we love our apples dipped in honey and any sweet version of a noodle kugel.

To start off on a sweet note, I always make a roasted honey applesauce. This simple, savory recipe is a healthy, enjoyable and easy tradition that my mom made a Rosh Hashanah favorite.

Every day should have a little extra emphasis on sweet, just like the Jewish New Year.