{"id":18476,"date":"2023-02-22T16:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T21:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/divino.wine\/?p=18476"},"modified":"2023-03-05T20:06:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T01:06:08","slug":"purim-food-and-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/divino.wine\/purim-food-and-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Purim Pairing: Food and Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

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Wine is an integral part of Jewish ritual and rarely absent at ceremonies and feasts. While some holiday meals are boozier than others, even the ordinary Shabbat Friday night dinner is incomplete with the wine kiddush, blessed be the creator of the vine.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wine Symbolism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Passover seder is notorious for the multi-course, symbolic feast, which includes four cups of wine for every adult. Wine symbolizes nobility, but most of all freedom from exile and persecution. According to tradition, we drink three glasses of wine for the Hebrews\u2019 exile from Egypt, Babylonia, and Greece, and a fourth for the current diaspora and those suffering persecution throughout the  world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wine and Purim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purim, which precedes Passover and happens towards the end of winter, tends to fly under the radar, but for enophiles Purim is by far the most winecentric of all Jewish holidays. It is also the one of the most secular holidays, and isn\u2019t even directly mentioned in the Torah, which may explain the loose attitude toward ritual drunkenness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purim tradition dictates that we drink wine until we are pleasantly tipsy enough to confuse the villain, and the hero of the Megillat Esther<\/em>, AKA the Book of Esther. For some this might only be a glass or two on an empty stomach. For others it\u2019s a great excuse to crack open those bottles we\u2019ve been saving for a special occasion, or to wrap up the evening musing over glasses of rich and robust meditation wines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food and Wine Pairing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like all Jewish holidays, food is symbolic. When it comes to food and wine pairing for the Purim Seudah<\/em> (feast) the options are wide open, as the menu is up for interpretation, unlike the more rigidly established Passover seder. Across the globe there are a few common threads when it comes to Purim cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating The Book of Esther<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Esther tells the story of Jewish persecution under Persian rule.  Mordecai, a member of the Hebrew Tribe of Benjamin, gets a lot of play for having discovered an assassination plot within the palace where his cousin Esther has been married off to the Persian King. Later on, when the King\u2019s right hand man, Haman, who is portrayed as being a power-hungry racist, issues an order to round up and murder the Jewish population throughout the kingdom, Queen Esther steps into persuade her husband to overturn the order and save her people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re creative,  this story offers plenty of inspiration from a culinary point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Persian Cuisine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Purim is a great excuse to try some popular Persian recipes like crunchy tahdig<\/a><\/strong> rice and Abgoosht<\/a><\/strong>, a lamb and chickpea stew in a spice-laden tomato base. Persian cuisine has something for every palate with vegetarian dishes and crunchy salads<\/a><\/strong>, meaty stews, rich, saut\u00e9ed herbs and spices, as well as dried fruit and even citrus. This also makes it a joy to pair with wines! The more flavors the merrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persian Food and Wine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For lamb-based dishes, Syrah<\/a><\/strong> or Shiraz is a classic go-to. Gamier meats need punchy and robust wines for balance, and Syrah’s signature peppery finish partners perfectly with Persian spice blends. Find a kosher Syrah at Kosherwine.com<\/strong> <\/a>or jwines.com<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our Kosher wine guide<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n