Introduction: Served in nearly every meze spread across the island, pan-seared halloumi is Cyprus's signature appetizer. Cultural Background: Served in nearly every meze spread across the island, pan-seared halloumi is Cyprus's signature appetizer. The cheese's high melting point, a result of being made from a mix of goat and sheep milk, allows it to fry […]
Introduction: Flaounes are rich pastries filled with a mix of local cheeses, semolina, mint and raisins, traditionally baked in the days leading up to Orthodox Easter to break the Lenten fast. Cultural Background: Flaounes are rich pastries filled with a mix of local cheeses, semolina, mint and raisins, traditionally baked in the days leading up […]
Native Name: Bagel mit Lox un Shmear (Yiddish) Dietary Tags: Dairy, Kosher (Dairy) Cultural Background: Bagels arrived in America with Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe in the late 19th century, and the pairing with cured salmon (lox) and cream cheese became a defining dish of Jewish delicatessens in New York City. It remains a […]
Native Name: Rugelach (Yiddish/Polish: 'little twists') Dietary Tags: Dairy, Kosher (Dairy) Cultural Background: Rugelach – small, crescent-shaped pastries rolled around a sweet filling – originated among Ashkenazi Jews in Poland and spread throughout Jewish communities worldwide. The name means 'little twists' in Yiddish, and the pastries are a beloved treat for Hanukkah and everyday Shabbat […]
Native Name: Puls Cultural Background: Puls was the daily bread of Rome long before bread itself was common – a thick grain porridge eaten by farmers, soldiers and senators alike, and considered so central to Roman identity that Romans were nicknamed 'pultiphagi', porridge-eaters, by the Greeks. Cato the Elder praised simple puls as the food […]
Native Name: Moretum Cultural Background: Moretum is described in loving detail in a poem once attributed to Virgil, in which a farmer pounds garlic, herbs, cheese, olive oil and vinegar together in a mortar before spreading it on bread. It was rustic peasant fare – simple, pungent and made from whatever herbs were to hand […]
Native Name: Salacatabia Cultural Background: Recorded in the Apicius collection, Salacatabia soaked stale bread in vinegar and water before combining it with herbs, cheese and cucumber – a practical way to use up old bread that shares clear roots with the bread salads still eaten around the Mediterranean today. Tips: Squeeze the soaked bread firmly […]
Native Name: Libum Cultural Background: Recorded by Cato the Elder, libum was a cheese-and-flour bread baked as an offering to the household gods, the Lares, and also eaten as a treat on birthdays and other happy occasions – a direct ancestor, in both name and form, of the modern Italian ricotta cheesecake. Tips: The bay […]
Native Name: Globi Cultural Background: Cato the Elder gives detailed instructions for globi – small balls of cheese and semolina dough, deep-fried in fat and finished with honey – describing them as an offering food as well as an everyday sweet, popular enough to survive almost unchanged in spirit as the fried dough treats found […]
Introduction: These flaky pastry turnovers filled with sweet guava paste and salty white cheese are a beloved street and bakery snack across Cuba, embodying the classic Latin American pairing of guava and cheese. Cultural Background: These flaky pastry turnovers filled with sweet guava paste and salty white cheese are a beloved street and bakery snack […]