Ashkenazi food—until recently relegated to the joke pile of ethnic foods, unavoidably beige and full of fat—is undergoing a surprising revival. From karnatzel to kasha, traditional dishes once associated with bubbe's kitchen are now finding their way onto trendy urban menus, sparking an unexpected culinary renaissance that's as much about cultural reconnection as it is about gastronomic indulgence.

That's the topic of an article written by journalist Michael Kaminer, headlined "Toronto chefs put a new twist on the old Jewish classics", recently published in The CJN. In it, Kaminer offers insights into this culinary trend, interviewing young Jewish chefs who are marking a professional return to their Ashkenazi roots. It marks a departure from popular Jewish food of the last few decades, which often skewed toward healthier Israeli restaurants—themselves often broadened as "Middle Eastern" or "Mediterranean". But a newfound wave of Jewish nostalgia, cultural reappropriation and the apolitical joy of comfort food have swung open the kitchen door back to blintzes and babka.

Kaminer joins Phoebe Maltz Bovy to discuss the trend and the possible politics underpinning it, including chefs' own reactions to embracing their Jewish heritage in an era of newfound antisemitism.

Credits

• Host: Phoebe Maltz Bovy
• Producer and editor: Michael Fraiman
• Music: "Gypsy Waltz" by Frank Freeman, licensed from the Independent Music Licensing Collective

Support our show

• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to The Jewish Angle