When we talk about Sephardic Jews in diaspora, we tend to focus on the cuisines that formed as the Jews of Spain and Portugal fled to other countries, from Turkey and Italy to Morocco, Mexico, and Brazil. But we rarely speak of what caused this immigration — the Spanish Inquisition.
Hèléne Jawhara Piñer is a French-Spanish scholar whose focus is medieval history and the history of food. Her meticulously researched book, Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews, uses court transcripts from the Spanish Inquisition to tease out what Iberian Jews were eating at that time.
"Matzah and Flour" explores the role of these two ingredients in Sephardic cuisine. Photo courtesy of Cherry Orchard Books.
"At the core of Sephardic cuisine lies the transformative potential of flour," writes Jawhara Piñer. Both the Hebrew Bible and Jewish law reference different flours and people were identified by the flour they used.
In her research, she references cookbooks dating back to the 13th century as well as Inquisition trials beginning in 1478. Conversos, Jews who hid their identities by claiming they had converted to Christianity, were sometimes spotted by the unleavened breads and matzahs they consumed. While modern matzo is crunchy and square, humidity shortened the life of medieval matzo which was softer and often round.
Hèléne Jawhara Piñer, a French-Spanish scholar and chef, says she became fascinated by the intersection of food and religion at a young age. Photo courtesy of Hèléne Jawhara Piñer.
The "Shulchan Arukh" Orach Chayim
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim 455:6: “[Regarding] kneading with caraway, sesame and other types of seasonings, it’s kosher [for the Mitzvah] since there is the taste of Matzah. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t place in seasonings, as they are focused [spicy] and will heat the dough.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 g) wheat flour
- 2 tbsp (20 g) rice flour
- ¼ cup (50 ml) white wine
- ¼ cup (50 ml) water
- 1 tbsp olive oil (to brush)
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds (to sprinkle)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (to sprinkle)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 536°F (280°C), and line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Keep a rolling pin and a fork close to you.
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Mix together the two flours, white wine and water, and knead the dough for 3 minutes.
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Cut the dough into 4 pieces (2¼ oz/65 g each) and roll them into balls. Each ball should fit in the palm of your hand.
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Take the rolling pin (or your hands) and spread each ball into a very thin layer of dough (6 inches in diameter). Place the matzah on the aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and prick it with a fork across its surface.
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Bake for 1 minutes 30 seconds on one side and 30 seconds on the other side. They should remain white and soft.
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Remove from the oven and brush it with olive oil. Sprinkle with the caraway and sesame seeds and place on a cooling rack.