Kreplach
Ashkenazi Jewish dumplings served in soup or fried.
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Kreplach are small dumplings in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, typically filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes, or other fillings, boiled and served in chicken soup or fried. They are similar to dumplings such as Polish pierogi, Russian pelmeni, Italian ravioli, and Chinese jiaozi. The dough is traditionally made from flour, water, and eggs, rolled into thin sheets, though modern cooks may use frozen dough or wonton wrappers.
Background
In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, kreplach are traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah, at the pre-fast meal before Yom Kippur, and on Hoshana Rabbah and Simchat Torah. According to Kabbalah, these are days of judgment when divine mercy is sought; the meat symbolizes strict justice, while the white dough represents kindness and compassion, symbolically asking God to envelop judgment with mercy. Vegetarian or dairy fillings are eaten on Purim because the hidden interior mimics the hidden nature of the Purim miracle, while meat-filled kreplach are also common on Purim. Sweet cheese-filled kreplach are served on Shavuot, and fried kreplach are popular on Chanukah due to the oil reference.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Kreplach (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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