Lauren Dadoun
Reyna Simnegar, from Persian Cooking from the Non-Persian Bride
Moroccans rolls charoset into balls and place individual servings on each plate. That’s what I always remembered in my grandmother’s home, and that’s what I do today. When I first got married, for the first 10 years, my family and I would travel back to Montreal to spend the holiday. When I started making my own Pesach, I called my mother, not knowing what to do or what recipes to use. This is my great grandmother’s authentic charoset recipe, straight from Casablanca. 1 cup walnuts (almonds can be substituted) 1 green apple, peeled and cubed ½ cup pitted dates ½ cup raisins ½ cup pitted prunes 2 teaspoons grape juice ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp sugar
In the jar of a blender, add the walnuts, apple, dates, raisins, prune, juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend to desired consistency. Some prefer their Moroccan charoset more textured and nutty; others prefer to puree more and achieve a smoother consistency.
Ashkenaz Charoset Etty Deutsch
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 - 3 tablespoons white sugar ¹⁄³ cup sweet red wine
Place the apples and walnuts into a large bowl. Combine the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the apples. Stir in the sweet wine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.
1 ½ cups ground almonds (1 six ounce package) ½ cup pistachio nut meats, ground 1 cup date paste ½ cup raisins, ground ½ cup grape juice 1 banana, peeled and ground 1 apple, peeled and ground 2 tablespoons charoset spice
Grind together all the ingredients that do not come already ground. Combine very well.
7 Fruit Charoset from Surinam Coconut is the base of Surinam charoset; the ingredients reflect the tropical source of this recipe. Originally, Surinam cherries were simmered and added to the fresh fruits. Today, since most cherries available do not have the same taste, cherry jam is used instead. Some families replace one or two of the ingredients with peaches or pineapple. Like other Sepharadim, Surinamese Jews wouldn’t only make charoset for the seder— they make enough to eat all week long with matzah.
2 cups walnuts or almonds, chopped ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ cups raisins 1 ½ cups dried apples 1 ½ cups prunes or plums ½ cup cherry jam 1 cup sweet red wine 1 tablespoon cinnamon
In a large bowl, cover the dried fruit with water. Soak overnight in the refrigerator to soften. The next day, finely dice all the fruit. In a large saucepan over low heat, add the ground coconut. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the nuts and sugar. Keep stirring to prevent the coconut from sticking to the pan. When the wine and coconut mixture is wellcombined (neither too wet or too dry), add the fruits, continuing to stir until ingredients have come together. Stir in the cherry jam. Remove from heat. Add cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Keep refrigerated until serving.
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6 apples, grated
1 ½ cups ground walnuts (1 six ounce package)
3 cups unsweetened coconut
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My sister-in-law’s grandmother, of Polish descent, makes the best charoset—it’s become somewhat of a legendary recipe for the extended family. When I called her, though, she told me that her recipe was never written down! I recreated this version based on her instructions.
Persian charoset (Haleg) is fabulous! This is my mother-in-law’s charoset recipe. I buy already ground walnuts and almonds to make my life easier. I also purchase date paste so I don’t have to grind that either. The rest of the ingredients I process together into a wet paste similar in texture to chummus. Charoset spice is made by Sadaf and you can get it online; or simply mix equal parts of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. Keep haleg refrigerated and if it gets too thick, thin it with grape juice or even sweet wine to give it a grown-up twist!
area where they settled became known as “Joden Savanne.” When the British colonial government took over, the Jewish community enjoyed additional freedoms and the community flourished. When it switched back to Dutch rule, these freedoms went undisturbed. Though the community now numbers only a few hundred individuals, it is the oldest Jewish community in the Americas.
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Persian Charoset— Haleg
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Moroccan Charoset Balls
When 800,000 Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many took refuge in the newly discovered South America. When the Portugese took control of Brazil, prosecutions began again there, and the Jews who had established successful plantations were forced to move again, this time to Surinam, which was under Dutch rule. The
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