And Then We Eat! A Gastronomic Jewish Calendar Quiz

Answer: An apple dipped in honey.

A number of special blessings, accompanied by foods, are made at the Rosh Hashanah table. The blessing asking for a sweet year is traditionally accompanied by a slice of apple dipped in honey.

Answer: They are eaten in a succah, or temporary booth.

Succoth, the harvest holiday, is characterized by the building of a succah, a temporary shelter with a leaf-covered roof, constructed in the garden or on a balcony or roof. One of the commandments of this lovely holiday is to eat all meals in the succah.

Answer: Foods fried in oil.

Hannukah celebrates the miracle of a small jar of oil, which was able to provide light in the reconsecrated temple for eight days. In order to remember and publicize this miracle, Jews light the Hannukah candelabra for eight days and put it in the window for all to see. In addition, fried foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiot (a jelly doughtnut) are eaten.

Answer: Dried fruits.

Tu B'shvat is actually the Jewish Arbor Day, or the birthday of trees! It is celebrated in Israel by the planting of trees. It is traditional to eat dried fruits on Tu B'shvat. In recent years, some families have introduced a Tu B'shvat seder, emphasizing fruits grown in Israel.

Answer: Hamantaschen.

Purim celebrates the victory of the Jewish people, led by the wise Mordechai and the beautiful Esther, over the evil villain Haman in ancient Persia. Hamantaschen, or Haman's hats, are delicious pastries usually filled with poppy-seed or prune filling.

Answer: Seder.

"Seder" means order. On this special night Jews tell the story of the Exodus of Egypt, sing traditional songs, and include the children in the entire process. The meal is very structured and ordered, hence its name.

Answer: No leavened products are allowed.

Since the Children of Israel left Egypt in great haste, they did not have time to allow their bread to rise. In remembrance, Jews do not eat leavened products during the seven or eight days they celebrate Passover (depending whether they live in Israel, or elsewhere). In addition, all leavened products are removed from the home and dishes and utensils are changed.

Answer: Dairy foods.

Dairy dishes are traditionally eaten on Shavuot. One of the explanations for this is that until the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the Jews did not know that they were required to separate milk from meat. Once they knew, they limited themselves to milk products until they were able to reorganize their utensils. Sounds reasonable to me!

Answer: Meat.

The nine days leading up to Tisha B'Av are days of semi-mourning, and certain activities are forbidden. For example, weddings are not held during this period. Refraining from meat (except on the Sabbath!) is also part of this tradition.

Answer: The pot is placed in the oven on Friday, before the Sabbath begins, and eaten on Saturday morning.

"Cholent", or "chamin", is a Sabbath stew that usually contains meat, potatoes, beans, etc. Since cooking is not permitted on the Sabbath, the cholent is prepared ahead of time and left to simmer overnight, which gives it a special taste and color. In former times, each family sent his pot of cholent to the village bakery, where it was kept warm in the baker's oven. Today, there are a variety of methods used for simmering the cholent, one of the easiest being an electric slow-cooker.