A nosh is a small bite to eat, or a snack. At our BIG NOSH™, you get the chance to sample these popular Jewish noshes:
- Brisket was historically a popular meal among Ashkenazi Jews since it was both kosher and affordable. When braised as a pot roast, it is still found as a traditional centerpiece of many holiday meals like Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Our renowned BIG NOSH™ brisket is slow-cooked for hours to make it moist and flavorful.
- Kugel is a type of casserole that originated over 800 years ago in southern Germany, and became a staple in Ashkenazi Jewish households throughout Eastern Europe. Some are savory, with grated vegetables and cheese, but our BIG NOSH™ version is sweet, made from noodles, milk, cheese, sugar, and raisins.
- Beef brisket is used to make two favorite deli staples. Corned beef is brisket that is cured or pickled in brine, and then baked. Pastrami (from the Romanian pastram?) is brisket cured in a mixture of garlic, peppercorns, sugar, coriander, and other spices, then smoked before cooking. Put either of these delicious meats on rye bread for an amazing sandwich experience, one of the most popular BIG NOSH™ staples!
- Chicken soup is a long-time staple of the Jewish kitchen, renowned for its healing qualities by the 12th century rabbi and physician Maimonides. We add delicious hand-crafted matzo balls for a satisfying meal full of flavor.
- Latkes, or potato pancakes, are a familiar feature of Hanukkah dinners. Fried in oil, they commemorate the oil that miraculously provided light for eight days. Our Tree of Life Brotherhood fries hundreds of latkes for the BIG NOSH™ every year.
- Tzimmes is a sweet Ashkenazi Jewish stew. It is made from dried fruits (prunes and raisins), carrots, and other root vegetables, sweetened and cooked slowly over low heat. Tzimmes is traditionally served at the Rosh Hashanah meal, and its round slices of carrots, resembling coins, symbolize prosperity for the new year.
- For dessert, there are a wide variety of baked goods for sale by the Tree of Life Sisterhood. The classic braided challah bread is a staple of Shabbat tables, baked in pairs. The three-corner hamantashen are also known as “Haman’s ears,” a reference to the villain of the Purim story. Crescent-shaped rugelach are rolled cookies with a variety of sweet fillings.