New olim, and some veterans/vatikim, long to know the names of various foods and prepared dishes. Here’s a handy helper for Rosh HaShana fare (there are only 15.5 days left for you to cook it up!). Compare the English-language message to the Hebrew version (I want to give a hat tip to long-ago HaAkademia HaIvirit columns in long-ago Torah Tidbit publications):
חזה בקר בתנור Roast Brisket (oven roasted chest of beef)
עוף עם זגוג רימון Pomegranate chicken
קוגל אטריות מתוק Noodle Kugel
קוגל תפוחי אדמה Potato Kugel
קוגל חלה עם אננס Challah, pineapple Kugel
מרק עוף עשיר עם ירקות Chicken soup enriched with vegetables
כוסמת עם בצל ואטריות Kasha and Varneshkes
עוף עם רוטב פטריות Mushroom Sauce Chicken
עוף עם רוטב בצל Onion Sauce chicken
קציצות עם רוטב אגבניות חמצמץ Meatballs in tomato/vinegar sauce
ירקות מעורבות בתנור Roasted vegetable medley
כבד קצוץ Chopped liver
גיפילטע פיש Gefilte fish (in proper Herbrew, though, we’d say דג ממולא or דגים ממולאים)
יש הרבה מיני אוכל There are many other types of food.
Ready to understand more of your Israeli kitchen? Here’s Handy Helper Part 2!
Corn starch is called kornflor and amilan tiras. Use what works at your store.
Corn meal is called kemach tiras. That’s what you use for cornbread, although it tends to be harder (more gritty) than the American version even after it’s baked. Put your kemach tiras through a flour sifter and enjoy the improved quality!
almond = SHAKEID, plural SH’KEIDIM
chestnut = ARMON
hazelnut = ILSAR –
walnut = EGOZ MELECH or EGOZ MO’AKH (because it looks like a brain)
Hard-boiled egg = BEITZA KASHA
The yellow of the egg is the yolk = CHELMON HABEITZA
and the white of the egg is the glair(e) = CHELBON HABEITZA
Bulgur in Israel is called BURGUL, but that’s Arabic, not Hebrew. The Hebrew word for bulgur is RIPOT
Cream puff – PACHZANIT
MOUSSE K’TZIFA
Outer skin of a citrus fruit/Zest = KLIPA CHITZONIT
Inner skin = rind = KLIPA EMTZAIT
Pip (correct term for its pit/seed) = CHARTZAN
Freshly Squeezed Sakhut Tari
An emulsion is a mixture of two unblendable substances with one substance dispersed in the other. Mayonnaise is an emulsion. TACHLIV
Puree in Hebrew MACHIT
Sift is rikud (just as dance separates physical and spiritual)
Plum shawzeef
Melon mehlohn
Peach afarsek
Butternut Squash Daloreet
LOLLIPOP in Hebrew is straightforward, prosaic SUKARIYA AL MAKEIL. Avoid the Israeli slang, since it has other (improper) connotations
Spaghetti Squash Dala’at Spageti
Sour cream shamenet
Whipping (double) cream, such as you might use on strawberries shamenet metuka (reminiscent of the famous BEK EKSEL KIDMI or “front back axle” of a car)
white cheese orda lacks salt, very bland
Vanilla is SHENEF
Thin layer of sponge cake (or the like) spread with jam or chocolate and rolled up, makes the pastry called ROULADE or in pretend-Hebrew, ROLADA. The term is also used for meat rolled around a filling (or even without filling). So too for some ice cream. In real Hebrew it’s called G’LILA
Pudding is Raf-refet and includes chocolate and vanilla pudding made from starch powder and flavorings, or the Carlo, Dani pre-made puddings available in a one-serving cup. The dessert with egg yolks, milk, sugar, flavoring and gently steamed in a double boiler is custard, in Hebrew – CHAVITZA.
Chocolates with something in them – cherries, nuts, cream MULYA.
SOUFFLE In Hebrew is T’FICHA
Cuts of frozen beef in Israel are numbered 1-19 depending on which part of the cow the meat is from. Fresh meat is also available by number and reputable butchers know these numbers by heart.
Here is a sample list of the first 3, including differences, where applicable, between U.S.A & U.K cuts:
#1 Entrecote, Steak Ayin, Vered Hatzela
Good for steaks and roast beef, suitable for roasting and grilling.
Known in the U.S.A as-rib, rib eye, delmonico
Known in the U.K as- forerib.
#2 Rifaan, Tzlaot
Suitable for slow-roasting, e.g. pot roast, goulash and braising.
Known in the U.S.A and U.K. as-chuck or blade
#3 Brust, Chazeh
The favorite cut for salt (U.K.)/corned beef (U.S.A)
Cheap, lean and delicious after being roasted in a slow oven for a few hours
Known in U.S.A and U.K as -brisket or front poitrine
“Butcher” vocabulary:
- Butcher – Katz’av
- Traditional butcher shop – Atleez
- Lamb chops – tzla’ot keves
- Chicken pieces – Chatichot off
- Fresh/frozen meat – Basar Tar’i-Kafoo
- What is the price per kilo? Ma ha mechir le kilo?
TOOLS
Grater – MIGRERET or PUMPIYA
Egg slicer – MAFLEIACH BEITZIM
Egg separator HU CHILMEN ET HA’BEITZA
An egg has a pointier end and a blunter end. In Hebrew, The pointier end is a CHOD. The blunter end is a KOD. As adjectives, it would be CHAD and KAD. HAKATZE HACHAD V’KATZE HAKAD
Spaghetti tongs – YATUCH ITRIYOT
Baster – MANTEF
Wood shipudim (spikes) are for making shish kabob
SHAPUD (or SH’FOD) is a skewer.
SHAPUDIT is a little skewer, like a toothpick used when serving herring, olives, cheese cubes, etc.
A mixer is a M’ARBEL or a MAVLEL. Its beater is a MATREIF or MAKTZEIF. And beater ejector button = MAFLEIT HAMATREIFIM.
Soup Pot seer or kadera
Washing cup for Netilat Yadayim is a NATLAH. HaAcademiya LaLashon HaIvrit calls it ANTAL.
Rolling pin, in English. How about Hebrew. MA’AROCH
A chalice-like holder for a hot coffee cup, typically made of ornamented metal, most often without a handle, used in the Middle East ZARF
A coffee percolator in Hebrew CHALCHUL
MATZEKET is a ladle used to dish out soup from a pot or a tureen. Tureen in Hebrew MAGEIS
Rolling pin = MA’AROCH,
A storage room or food pantry is M’ZAVEH.
Fruit basket for serving fruit. KELET.
Fluted pieces of paper that hold chocolates or little cookies, petite fours, etc. SALSILA.
How do you say basket in Hebrew? SOL or TENE. And there is a word for a basket for serving fruit: KELET.
Picnic = tuzig
DAG MALU’ACH – Literally salty fish, as in herring. Also the name of a child’s game similar to Red Light – Green Light. Also slang for a very narrow necktie.
Wanna be a fish expert? Read on!
Dorsal fin = SNAPIR GAV
Pectoral fin = SNAPIR HACHAZEH
Pelvic fin = SNAPIR HABETEN
Caudal fin = SNAPIR HAZANAV
Anal fin = SNAPIR HASHEIT
Gills = ZIMIM
Scale(s) = KASKAS, KASKASIM
Want to learn organic food options throughout Israel? Check out the Resources page and everything else at https://www.facebook.com/OB7-Organic-Food-in-and-around-Beer-Sheva-420244398167901
Need to chill, and stop the struggle to master Hebrew? I hear you! Take a time out to listen to classic Israeli songs on the Shir Shel Yom (Song of the Day) facebook page. You might remember some of them. If not, enjoy them anyway. https://www.facebook.com/groups/303260423087663/
ONE MORE THING: Remember to focus on the blessings in life, especially yours! Need to put perspective into Rosh HaShana? See Aish HaTorah Rosh HaShana and Hidabrut Rosh HaShana.
May your spiritual new year be as delicious as can be.
Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂 3rwid