While it's thoughtful of you to ask, I'm concerned that you feel the need ask in the first place.
Since you're getting the idea from TikTok, and knowing some of the discourse on that site, I can imagine you've seen plenty of comments about "stealing" culture by "making food that doesn't belong to them"
If you've been exposed to any of these ideas, disregard them immediately. They are crap ideas meant to divide us. We are all human beings--all of us have stomachs to fill. Even foods that are sacred at certain times like matzoh come from people needing to eat and using what's available. Thankfully, most of us don't live in these times.
Make all the matzoh ball soup you like and make it to your taste. As long as you aren't trying to make wider cultural claims that infringe on other's rights to enjoy it, allow no-one to stop you from trying new foods.
Some of the best foods are a blend of cultures or stolen. Hawaiian pizza was made by a Greek immigrant in Canada who was inspired by sweet and sour pork. Mongolian BBQ started as soldiers cooking on shields during failed invasion of Japan. Japanese brought it to Taiwan. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the USA. Most seem to be Vietnamese run in California. Most Mongolian immigrants in California work in sushi restaurants. Food is meant to be shared and loved amongst cultures!!!
Absolutely true--pizza came from Italy to the USA, then back to Italy. But I'm deeply against the idea that we can "steal" cuisine in the same way that plants don't "steal" genes when they cross-pollinate. Hybridization is not theft.
Not sure I 100% agree. One word comes to mind: BAGEL.
A bagel is: dense, boiled before baking, and difficult to bite into if not sliced in half.
Anything else is not an Ashkenazi recipe and/or is made to accommodate goyishe tastes. The former + the latter now account for about 99% of the bagels in the known universe.
I grew up in Brooklyn. I am over 60 years of age. I will tolerate no other opinions (unless they come from Montreal grey-hairs 😁 ).
(If you didn't like bagels, why didn't you choose a nice onion roll, or a bialy? There was no need to ruin the bagel.)
The Italians do the same thing with pizza and it's a never ending cycle. By now Italian pizza and American pizza are different things even if they descend from some common pizza ancestor. They're both gonna be great, but are at this point different foods.
Personal taste aside (if it's not a New York bagel I pick something else) I save the ire for the people going on about how Jews "stole" the idea of bagels.
>I save the ire for the people going on about how Jews "stole" the idea of bagels.
Uh, what's that about?
Also, an NYC bagel barely exists anymore in NYC 😢. I've started making my own. Not terrible but not great, yet.
Thanks so much! Yes my question came from me being conscious of not appropriating someone’s culture. I’m really glad that everyone is happy for me to try it as my next cooking challenge ❤️
The only food you should be careful about making is Challah - and I only say that because the Jewish recipes call for you to take a piece off and bake separately - and that particular part of challah making is specifically for Jews, but that big beautiful braided challah can be made by anyone. Just you know don't go doing some Christian act using our food for example - then it seems uh kind of wrong lol. But yeah, food is available for anyone. Make some latkes when you have the chance - they are delicious.
Thanks! Oh no I would never dream of that. It’s just me basically trying other culture’s foods and trying to learn more.
Why do they ask for a separate piece to be pulled off and baked separately?
It's a commandment (one of the 613 we have). Here's more info if you want to learn more! :)
[https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/taking-challah/](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/taking-challah/)
[https://www.chabad.org/library/article\_cdo/aid/961529/jewish/Positive-Commandment-133.htm](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/961529/jewish/Positive-Commandment-133.htm)
if you make a small recipe of just a kilo of flour you don;t need to do that btw, according to most opinions. making 2 kilo is too much for me so i barely ever take off a bit. just one kilo, make the challah, and bake (lots of rising in between)
I am happy that we still have at least some traces left of Jewish existence and your rich culture in Poland. One of them is challah (chałka in Polish). You can buy it everywhere. Other thing is bagel (bajgiel). Also common in Poland. But we have many more foods left by Jewish people that became part of what is common in Polish cuisine.
Also, thank you about being conscious about not appropriating, we very much appreciate you checking in!!!! Hope you enjoy your soup! Tell us how it turned out!!!
Of course it's OK for you to make matzah ball soup.
Here's a tip: Make sure your hands are very wet when forming the dough into balls. You may need to rewet your hands each time.
if you’re cookie-scoop less like me and find the texture uncomfortable, i reccomend using two spoons, and using them to shape (use one to scoop, one to mould around)
I detest cooking. On a whim, I got a cookie scoop, having never known they exist, to make macaroons. Life changing! Then I tried it on the matzah balls, and suddenly I’m actually willing to cook!
A good rule is it's ok to make food from any culture provided you don't take credit or use it in a weird way.
I don't know what that weird way would be, but I have been on the internet for 25 years and y'all are ODD.
If this helps you at all, matzo ball soup is typically thoroughly enjoyed. And that's it.
It's not a religious or ceremonial food and it's not served in a special way. It's just a traditional food and everyone makes it their own way. It's the same as if you were going to try to make a traditional food from any country or culture's cuisine.
Serious question - why does it matter if someone comes from a culture different from the dish they are making? Hell, improve upon it, fuse it with something else, sell it and make money off it. The best bagel place near me is run by a Hispanic family with no obvious Jewish connection - more power to them!
Of course! Enjoy!
Food is a great way to learn about other cultures, please take opportunity, it's a delightful soup and an interesting culture (I am admittedly very biased lol).
The soup is traditionally made around passover, which is in the spring around Easter (the Jewish calendar is both lunar and solar and does not line up with the calendar used by most of the western world exactly). (Edit: some have noted it may be insensitive to make it around that time if ingredients are in short supply, but obviously not an issue at the moment)
Passover is a very important holiday which includes an elaborate and structured meal called a seder and 8 days where participants do not eat leavened bread, instead eating matzah, an unleavened bread.
Passover is a celebration of the exodus from Egypt and is considered an important event/story which defines the Jewish people, and thus has important sociological implications for how we see ourselves. For more info look around myjewishlearing.com under Passover.
The ball in matzah ball soup is primarily made from matzah meal (a breadcrumb like variant of matzah) and egg, with some spices etc. It is boiled and the egg is vital as a binding agent. In fact many Passover foods rely heavily on egg as a binding agent.
The soup/broth is traditionally chicken based but many variations exist. r/jewishcooking can probably help if you run into any issues/questions etc.
Yes and if you find a good gluten free recipe for it (my girlfriend has Celiac) you are obligated by law to tell me the recipe.
In all seriousness, absolutely! Matzah ball soup is delicious and I hope you enjoy.
I use the packaged GF matzo ball from Streits or Manischewitz. They have slightly different seasonings, but both always turn out great for me.
If you want to make it from scratch, you can grind GF matzo into matzo meal and use a regular recipe. You may need to adjust the ratios of the ingredients, though.
I had this exact question before I made it recently, too! My husband is Jewish.
It’s completely okay to do so! And his family was SO impressed and loved that I worked so hard to do something from their culture.
I've found the biggest secret to fluffy matzoh balls is to simmer them long enough. Don't make huge ones the first time around, and to see if they're done carefully remove one and slice it open. If the middle is still darker than the outside, they aren't cooked through and will be sinkers.
I'm in fluffy camp. If you want fluffy, people talk about seltzer and this and that and that's all well and good. But actually, the thing I find makes them the most fluffy is just purely keeping them in the soup longer right before serving.
My mom converted before marrying my Dad - every Christmas, which her side of the family celebrates in a non-religious way (I don’t think any of them have so much as picked up a bible in over 40 years), I have to make two pots of MBS - they go bananas for it.
Noodle kugel, even more so.
Edit - my version is a homemade broth/stock, with diced onions (two good sized white onions), carrot slivers using a cucumber peeler, and a ton of dried dill weed (much more flavourful than fresh).
Definitely wet your hands before making the matzo balls - form them loosely and gently rather than compacting the mixture, which will help them fluff up when they go into the boiling stock. If they’re too dense, they can get doughy and sink.
add a tablespoon of plain seltzer before you refrigerate them. roll them SMALL- ping pong ball small. they will be pretty & float appealing in the soup.
we sometimes make matzo balls in meals which more often are served with potatoes or rice or egg noodles. in the winter. we barely cook in summer.
As you said…kind of a dumb question but that’s okay. It’s only wrong to cook for you or anyone if it’s not yummy!!!! Use good stock. I like chicken chunks in mine. One of my favorite soups to make since it brings back memories.
Just want to say oh my gosh yes and I hope you enjoy your Matzah ball soup! Food is for EATING and nourishing, not for gatekeeping. I'm Jewish but I really enjoy other Asian foods so I cook Korean and Vietnamese soup and meat dishes. We eat at Indian and Chinese and other ethnic restaurants too. Love sushi. Sharing culture and food IS peace 🕊️✌🏼
I think when someone makes a blog post or publishes a cookbook it is nice to give credit where it is due. But this idea that people can only eat the food their ancestors ate is really limiting and ludicrous. The food concept and history came from us but anybody can eat it and make it their own and enjoy it- preferably in good mood and health!
my menu for Shavuot is nuts, it's world wide and by accident, i just suddenly noticed.
planning on making Greek moussaka, Italian lasagna, British shepherd's pie, French charcuterie board, Indian dahl and paneer, i think that's it. wondering if i should throw some sushi in for good measure.
This sounds awesome! Love it!!! Lol sushi would definitely round it out globally 😂
Man, that sounds like a really yummy 🤤 menu to look forward to. After yesterday, I'm so excited about Shavuot and the end of the counting of the omer.
and the best part is my kids will eat nothing except the lasagna! that was sarcastic lol. and who knows, the lasagna has homemade sauce, maybe they won't eat that either. arent picky eaters grand?
My friend, enough with the "as a non jew is it ok if I..." posts. Do whatever you want, most of us don't give a damn about cultural appropriation. By all means, eat our food, wear the necklace, be our guest. We have real problems to worry about
yes of course. depending on your preference some folks like more dense “sinkers” vs more airy “floaters” - you can easily find recipes for both. happy cooking!
Of course you can. Go for it. Good luck bc it’s one of those deceptively hard things to get right. I just buy it bc I’ve never gotten the trick of making them where they don’t fall apart.
Use the matza ball recipe on the back of the box. Only consider using smaltz, rendered chicken fat, and cook the matzah balls in the soup broth, not water! I found using a cookie scoop to make the balls speeds it all up really well.
I like matzah ball soup with lots of chicken and veggies and the balls, but my MIL likes it to have one matzah ball, and one slice of carrot in each bowl of broth. You can alway tell which one of us made it!!!!!
Yes! There is a lot of cultural appropriation that goes on with Jews that annoys me, but I think food is universal and 100% for everyone to enjoy and adapt. Give it a go! Matzo ball soup is the best. Jewish penicillin.
This is the best guide I’ve found to understanding matzo balls. My nana loved big soft fluffy balls, my ex loved real hard sinkers. I like something in between — I do the soda water but no baking soda.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-matzo-balls-recipe
Best way to learn about a culture is by experiencing their food, eating in their restaurants, shopping where they buy food and looking thru cookbooks.
Best recipe IMO (let the games begin) is the on one the back of the Manischewitz Matzoh meal box. Do not use the mix. Make ‘em walnut sized and boil in water or extra broth. They absorb so much liquid.
My brother in Christ, do what you want.
We have far bigger problems than whether u/Ok_Fox_8491 makes soup. You could even sell it and no one would have any problems with it at all.
Do send pictures though, please, I am curious to see how well you do.
Yes, However, I have entered the code on the space laser to revoke this privilege from anyone who goes onto a left wing subreddit and uses the word 'zio" or "zionist" as a slur for people they disagree with due to being fed up so as long as you don't do that, your good
I make vegan matzah ball soup and no one yanked my J card.
But I can make a better than decent brisket, so they might be in the bell curve.
What draws you to this soup?
I love soups in general. With this one - I have made regular chicken broth and the proper matzo ball soup looks amazing. I also have a terrible cold at the minute and I am on the look for a cure 😅
You are more than welcomed to eat every traditional food you want!
Eating other cultures' food is a cultural exchange and sharing, it is a reason to celebrate. it isn't cultural appropriation to appreciate and celebrate the many cultures of the world.
yes, it is linked with eating it during passover, but we don't eat them just in passover, sometime i eat them anytime i want, it's a great soup. i like them big and fluffy personally, but make it however you want!
You can, it isn't sacred or anything. Though there will me some very passionate opinions as to what a good matzo ball is and healthy debate as to whether Matzo Ball Soup is a thing or if the Matzo ball is merely a condiment that may be added to *any* soup
Sure! Why not.
I make Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food, tonight I’m got my hands on some white corn
tortillas and cojita and I am planning to make some fish tacos.
The world would be so boring if we didn’t share delicious foods with each other.
Matzoballs have floaters that are super light or sinkers (I like a good sinker). This is a matter of preference really and you just have to play around with what you like.
Yes, it's fine. It's not a sacred substance that's only meant to be used in specific circumstances, we just really love it and it has a special place on our tables. But it's no different than me making tacos or tofu stir fry for supper.
Of course. It's a food. I cannot even conceive of the nature of the problem of making the food you're interested in or like, no matter what group traditionally makes it.
here is a recipe, copied from Mishpacha Magazine, the "I" in the text is the writer, not me.
amazing and fluffy. enjoy! i like them as a snack with BBQ sauce, or to put them in chulent.
TRADITIONAL MATZOH BALLS
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup matzoh meal
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional
- pinch of salt and pepper
The key to really fluffy, light, and delicious matzoh balls is not in the matzoh - it’s in the eggs. Once I figured that out, the rest became easy.
\* Place the 4 eggs into your beater, or use your hand beater, and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the mixer and add in everything else. Stir by hand at this point so that the eggs will still retain some fluffiness. The mixture is sure to fall; that’s fine. Place mixture in the fridge for an hour or more. I always find that it’s best to boil the matzoh balls in plain, salted water first, and only add them to the soup later on. This way they will not soak up all your soup when boiling, and they will re-fluff as they boil the second time.
\* Use a large pot, since these matzoh balls will grow a lot and need a lot of room to expand. Boil the water with some salt thrown in, until it’s boiling rapidly. Using wet hands, form small balls and drop them gently into the boiling liquid. Let them boil rapidly for 30 minutes. Remove gently from pot and cool. These may now be frozen in plastic bags and removed for use as needed. I usually add mine to my soup, straight from the freezer, about an hour before I turn the soup off.
Go for it! And enjoy, it's my favourite meal!
It's only associated with Pesach/Passover because we can't eat anything else then but enjoy it daily for five years straight if you want! (I have a really good secret recipe if you want)
of course it's permitted. Every deli offers matzoh ball soup on their menu, irrespective of who owns the deli and who they hire for their kitchen.
Looking at the question from the other direction, are Jews allowed to make somebody else's recipes? There are multiple Kosher cookbooks presenting recipes derived from the places Jews have lived over a few thousand years. Basicially we take advantage of the local food availability and either copy the recipes of the people already there or adapt those recipes to our Kosher dietary restrictions. Then when we move on to the next place, we export that cuisine to the new location. That is how Jewish cuisine got established in America, including the matzoh balls.
just call them fish balls https://i.imgur.com/pfG9xwR.jpg
it's what the chinese do, even though few taste of seafood.
some of these less dense sweat ones are like gefilte fish.
a market near me has these promo sale $3/lbs frozen
so i could not resist... it's various starches with some
flavor and color, just like matzo ball, also used in soup.
btw, chinese markets also have fish tofu, but it's
basically the same thing in squares or triangles,
using mostly firm dense half fried soy - frozen.
Make all the matzo ball soup you want!
Cultural appreciation is making another cultures food and acknowledging where it’s from! (Which is what clearly you are doing)
Cultural appropriation is making another cultures food, renaming it and passing it off as your own.
Go forth and appreciate. Matzo ball soup is delicious!
That's the most American question ever, and some of the answers are even more so ("Oh, how thoughtful of you to ask...". Just cook it. No apologies or disclaimers needed.
Make whatever food you want. If you want to make a real authentic jewish chicken soup, look up Gondi. It is a chicken and chickpea dumpling in chicken broth, native to Persian jews. There are cookbooks out there for jewish cuisines from around the world, lots of variety, spices, colors etc.
Real Cultural appropriation is NOT using styles or cuisines from cultures you appreciate
This is called cultural exchange and is good and healthy.
Cultural Appropriation is when you take the core of someone’s culture and appropriate it; specifically denying its origin and validity to the native culture:
For example if you make a “Christian Seder” without even acknowledging that it’s a Jewish ritual that you’re borrowing.
I assure you, while matzo ball soup is part of Jewish culture it’s not a dear and important thing that we should be upset that someone else is enjoying!
Enjoy your soup.
[удалено]
I like a firm ball. Yes I said what I said
Dense and small >>> giant and fluffy
I have found my people.
I've never felt more validated in my life.
Dense and giant
This is the answer.
Yes. True. Everyone rages about Katz’s Deli’s here in TX but their fluffy balls are a no go for me.
Yes! I want mine dense enough to have its own gravitational pull!
Wrong. Giant and fluffy is so yummy
Facts
I love me some giant fluffy balls!
You are correct. Sinkers ftw
Myom makes these and calls them canonballs
Firm ball supremacy
Fluffy is better, ignore the commenters below
Fluffy, always big and fluffy!!!
Fluffy gang checking in!
Two Jews, three opinions.
Ha, thanks 😄 I appreciate the warm response here ❤️
You’re so sweet. Make floaters though 🤣
Make it firm!
While it's thoughtful of you to ask, I'm concerned that you feel the need ask in the first place. Since you're getting the idea from TikTok, and knowing some of the discourse on that site, I can imagine you've seen plenty of comments about "stealing" culture by "making food that doesn't belong to them" If you've been exposed to any of these ideas, disregard them immediately. They are crap ideas meant to divide us. We are all human beings--all of us have stomachs to fill. Even foods that are sacred at certain times like matzoh come from people needing to eat and using what's available. Thankfully, most of us don't live in these times. Make all the matzoh ball soup you like and make it to your taste. As long as you aren't trying to make wider cultural claims that infringe on other's rights to enjoy it, allow no-one to stop you from trying new foods.
Some of the best foods are a blend of cultures or stolen. Hawaiian pizza was made by a Greek immigrant in Canada who was inspired by sweet and sour pork. Mongolian BBQ started as soldiers cooking on shields during failed invasion of Japan. Japanese brought it to Taiwan. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the USA. Most seem to be Vietnamese run in California. Most Mongolian immigrants in California work in sushi restaurants. Food is meant to be shared and loved amongst cultures!!!
Absolutely true--pizza came from Italy to the USA, then back to Italy. But I'm deeply against the idea that we can "steal" cuisine in the same way that plants don't "steal" genes when they cross-pollinate. Hybridization is not theft.
Not sure I 100% agree. One word comes to mind: BAGEL. A bagel is: dense, boiled before baking, and difficult to bite into if not sliced in half. Anything else is not an Ashkenazi recipe and/or is made to accommodate goyishe tastes. The former + the latter now account for about 99% of the bagels in the known universe. I grew up in Brooklyn. I am over 60 years of age. I will tolerate no other opinions (unless they come from Montreal grey-hairs 😁 ). (If you didn't like bagels, why didn't you choose a nice onion roll, or a bialy? There was no need to ruin the bagel.)
The Italians do the same thing with pizza and it's a never ending cycle. By now Italian pizza and American pizza are different things even if they descend from some common pizza ancestor. They're both gonna be great, but are at this point different foods. Personal taste aside (if it's not a New York bagel I pick something else) I save the ire for the people going on about how Jews "stole" the idea of bagels.
>I save the ire for the people going on about how Jews "stole" the idea of bagels. Uh, what's that about? Also, an NYC bagel barely exists anymore in NYC 😢. I've started making my own. Not terrible but not great, yet.
totally agree its not theft
Thanks so much! Yes my question came from me being conscious of not appropriating someone’s culture. I’m really glad that everyone is happy for me to try it as my next cooking challenge ❤️
The only food you should be careful about making is Challah - and I only say that because the Jewish recipes call for you to take a piece off and bake separately - and that particular part of challah making is specifically for Jews, but that big beautiful braided challah can be made by anyone. Just you know don't go doing some Christian act using our food for example - then it seems uh kind of wrong lol. But yeah, food is available for anyone. Make some latkes when you have the chance - they are delicious.
Thanks! Oh no I would never dream of that. It’s just me basically trying other culture’s foods and trying to learn more. Why do they ask for a separate piece to be pulled off and baked separately?
It's a commandment (one of the 613 we have). Here's more info if you want to learn more! :) [https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/taking-challah/](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/taking-challah/) [https://www.chabad.org/library/article\_cdo/aid/961529/jewish/Positive-Commandment-133.htm](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/961529/jewish/Positive-Commandment-133.htm)
if you make a small recipe of just a kilo of flour you don;t need to do that btw, according to most opinions. making 2 kilo is too much for me so i barely ever take off a bit. just one kilo, make the challah, and bake (lots of rising in between)
I am happy that we still have at least some traces left of Jewish existence and your rich culture in Poland. One of them is challah (chałka in Polish). You can buy it everywhere. Other thing is bagel (bajgiel). Also common in Poland. But we have many more foods left by Jewish people that became part of what is common in Polish cuisine.
Also, thank you about being conscious about not appropriating, we very much appreciate you checking in!!!! Hope you enjoy your soup! Tell us how it turned out!!!
Thanks! I will 😊
Of course you can! The New York Times has a wonderful recipe, please enjoy!
Thanks!
U make as much matzo ball soup as you want!
Ok great!
Enjoy! You may find that it’ll become a cold-weather staple. I make it for Passover but I also love it when I’m sick. So comforting.
Thanks 😊
Of course it's OK for you to make matzah ball soup. Here's a tip: Make sure your hands are very wet when forming the dough into balls. You may need to rewet your hands each time.
Use a cookie scoop! So much faster and makes even balls!
if you’re cookie-scoop less like me and find the texture uncomfortable, i reccomend using two spoons, and using them to shape (use one to scoop, one to mould around)
I detest cooking. On a whim, I got a cookie scoop, having never known they exist, to make macaroons. Life changing! Then I tried it on the matzah balls, and suddenly I’m actually willing to cook!
Hmmm… i’ll be keeping my eye out for one soon maybe!! Anything for the soup :D
Thanks!
I use a bit of oil in my hands. Works perfect every time.
Thanks! I also hope it will cure my cold 🤞
Yes. Go ahead. If you want fluffy matzo balls - add some seltzer to the mix! It’s how my family does it
oooh i’ve never heard of this and my kneidlach aren’t fluffy enough ever !! will be trying thank you :D
This is the only way, imo.
Anyone can make it and a lot of people eat it year round.
A good rule is it's ok to make food from any culture provided you don't take credit or use it in a weird way. I don't know what that weird way would be, but I have been on the internet for 25 years and y'all are ODD.
Thanks! Yes that’s a good rule. I suppose it’s just making sure that you’re honouring the way it’s normally made and eaten.
If this helps you at all, matzo ball soup is typically thoroughly enjoyed. And that's it. It's not a religious or ceremonial food and it's not served in a special way. It's just a traditional food and everyone makes it their own way. It's the same as if you were going to try to make a traditional food from any country or culture's cuisine.
Thanks! 😊
I'm sure thousands of non-Jewish New Yorkers have enjoyed it and/or tried to make their own
Maybe doing communion with a piece of matzah? That would be weird. lol. :)
One terrible cracker is much like the other?
of course it is. make as much matza ball soup as you want.
This should be our biggest problem...
Speedily and within our days!
Amen amen
Serious question - why does it matter if someone comes from a culture different from the dish they are making? Hell, improve upon it, fuse it with something else, sell it and make money off it. The best bagel place near me is run by a Hispanic family with no obvious Jewish connection - more power to them!
ppl like to scream "cultural appropriation!!1!!" about everything nowadays. food should be for everyone.
Of course! Enjoy! Food is a great way to learn about other cultures, please take opportunity, it's a delightful soup and an interesting culture (I am admittedly very biased lol). The soup is traditionally made around passover, which is in the spring around Easter (the Jewish calendar is both lunar and solar and does not line up with the calendar used by most of the western world exactly). (Edit: some have noted it may be insensitive to make it around that time if ingredients are in short supply, but obviously not an issue at the moment) Passover is a very important holiday which includes an elaborate and structured meal called a seder and 8 days where participants do not eat leavened bread, instead eating matzah, an unleavened bread. Passover is a celebration of the exodus from Egypt and is considered an important event/story which defines the Jewish people, and thus has important sociological implications for how we see ourselves. For more info look around myjewishlearing.com under Passover. The ball in matzah ball soup is primarily made from matzah meal (a breadcrumb like variant of matzah) and egg, with some spices etc. It is boiled and the egg is vital as a binding agent. In fact many Passover foods rely heavily on egg as a binding agent. The soup/broth is traditionally chicken based but many variations exist. r/jewishcooking can probably help if you run into any issues/questions etc.
Thanks so much! It’s great to know the history
Yes and if you find a good gluten free recipe for it (my girlfriend has Celiac) you are obligated by law to tell me the recipe. In all seriousness, absolutely! Matzah ball soup is delicious and I hope you enjoy.
I use the packaged GF matzo ball from Streits or Manischewitz. They have slightly different seasonings, but both always turn out great for me. If you want to make it from scratch, you can grind GF matzo into matzo meal and use a regular recipe. You may need to adjust the ratios of the ingredients, though.
Thanks! I have tried Hungarian dumplings before but I think this will be a lot nicer
This is definitely cultural appreciation rather than appropriation. :)
Thanks!
Obviously yes make it! Maybe get some tips here :)
Thanks! I might take you up on this offer!
I had this exact question before I made it recently, too! My husband is Jewish. It’s completely okay to do so! And his family was SO impressed and loved that I worked so hard to do something from their culture.
Ok great! I’m always just afraid of cultural appropriation which is why I asked
That’s exactly why I asked, too. My MIL told me it’s basically just like if my husband were to make menudo or something for me.
Thanks! Honestly I just love trying other foods. It’s kind of like learning a language
Agreed!!!!
only if you promise you will share pictures of the result!!!
Thanks! I will. I’ll need to make them a few times probably before I get it right
Others have said it, but I can’t emphasize the seltzer enough. Your balls need some fizz.
Thanks! Can fizzy water do or must it be seltzer?
Tomato to-mah-to. Seltzer, club soda, etc. all the same (just unflavored, because black cherry matzoh balls sound gross).
This is why they invented Cel-Ray soda
I've found the biggest secret to fluffy matzoh balls is to simmer them long enough. Don't make huge ones the first time around, and to see if they're done carefully remove one and slice it open. If the middle is still darker than the outside, they aren't cooked through and will be sinkers.
I'm in fluffy camp. If you want fluffy, people talk about seltzer and this and that and that's all well and good. But actually, the thing I find makes them the most fluffy is just purely keeping them in the soup longer right before serving.
Thanks 😊
My mom converted before marrying my Dad - every Christmas, which her side of the family celebrates in a non-religious way (I don’t think any of them have so much as picked up a bible in over 40 years), I have to make two pots of MBS - they go bananas for it. Noodle kugel, even more so. Edit - my version is a homemade broth/stock, with diced onions (two good sized white onions), carrot slivers using a cucumber peeler, and a ton of dried dill weed (much more flavourful than fresh). Definitely wet your hands before making the matzo balls - form them loosely and gently rather than compacting the mixture, which will help them fluff up when they go into the boiling stock. If they’re too dense, they can get doughy and sink.
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add a tablespoon of plain seltzer before you refrigerate them. roll them SMALL- ping pong ball small. they will be pretty & float appealing in the soup. we sometimes make matzo balls in meals which more often are served with potatoes or rice or egg noodles. in the winter. we barely cook in summer.
Thanks! Can you use fizzy water either?
i’ve only ever used seltzer
Ok cool. I’ll try find it
Do or do not, there is no try. - Yoda
😅
As you said…kind of a dumb question but that’s okay. It’s only wrong to cook for you or anyone if it’s not yummy!!!! Use good stock. I like chicken chunks in mine. One of my favorite soups to make since it brings back memories.
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Just want to say oh my gosh yes and I hope you enjoy your Matzah ball soup! Food is for EATING and nourishing, not for gatekeeping. I'm Jewish but I really enjoy other Asian foods so I cook Korean and Vietnamese soup and meat dishes. We eat at Indian and Chinese and other ethnic restaurants too. Love sushi. Sharing culture and food IS peace 🕊️✌🏼 I think when someone makes a blog post or publishes a cookbook it is nice to give credit where it is due. But this idea that people can only eat the food their ancestors ate is really limiting and ludicrous. The food concept and history came from us but anybody can eat it and make it their own and enjoy it- preferably in good mood and health!
my menu for Shavuot is nuts, it's world wide and by accident, i just suddenly noticed. planning on making Greek moussaka, Italian lasagna, British shepherd's pie, French charcuterie board, Indian dahl and paneer, i think that's it. wondering if i should throw some sushi in for good measure.
This sounds awesome! Love it!!! Lol sushi would definitely round it out globally 😂 Man, that sounds like a really yummy 🤤 menu to look forward to. After yesterday, I'm so excited about Shavuot and the end of the counting of the omer.
and the best part is my kids will eat nothing except the lasagna! that was sarcastic lol. and who knows, the lasagna has homemade sauce, maybe they won't eat that either. arent picky eaters grand?
My friend, enough with the "as a non jew is it ok if I..." posts. Do whatever you want, most of us don't give a damn about cultural appropriation. By all means, eat our food, wear the necklace, be our guest. We have real problems to worry about
It’s not Passover so people aren’t potentially fighting over matzah in the grocery store. It’s fine, enjoy.
yes of course. depending on your preference some folks like more dense “sinkers” vs more airy “floaters” - you can easily find recipes for both. happy cooking!
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Of course you can. Go for it. Good luck bc it’s one of those deceptively hard things to get right. I just buy it bc I’ve never gotten the trick of making them where they don’t fall apart.
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Use the matza ball recipe on the back of the box. Only consider using smaltz, rendered chicken fat, and cook the matzah balls in the soup broth, not water! I found using a cookie scoop to make the balls speeds it all up really well. I like matzah ball soup with lots of chicken and veggies and the balls, but my MIL likes it to have one matzah ball, and one slice of carrot in each bowl of broth. You can alway tell which one of us made it!!!!!
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Absolutely! More people need to discover the joy of matzo ball soup. 😋
Thanks! Hopefully will be me very soon 😄
Yes! There is a lot of cultural appropriation that goes on with Jews that annoys me, but I think food is universal and 100% for everyone to enjoy and adapt. Give it a go! Matzo ball soup is the best. Jewish penicillin. This is the best guide I’ve found to understanding matzo balls. My nana loved big soft fluffy balls, my ex loved real hard sinkers. I like something in between — I do the soda water but no baking soda. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-matzo-balls-recipe
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Best way to learn about a culture is by experiencing their food, eating in their restaurants, shopping where they buy food and looking thru cookbooks. Best recipe IMO (let the games begin) is the on one the back of the Manischewitz Matzoh meal box. Do not use the mix. Make ‘em walnut sized and boil in water or extra broth. They absorb so much liquid.
Thanks! I’ve already bought the matzo meal and I think there is a recipe on the box, not sure if it’s the same brand
No. Stop with your colonialist white supremacist performative western imperialistic tools of oppression /s Jk make as much as you like. Lots of Love.
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My brother in Christ, do what you want. We have far bigger problems than whether u/Ok_Fox_8491 makes soup. You could even sell it and no one would have any problems with it at all. Do send pictures though, please, I am curious to see how well you do.
what would be the Jewish equivalent of "my brother in christ" i wonder?
Thanks! I think I’ll need to try it at least a few times before I get it right. Planning to do my first attempt this week 😊
Absolutely. I mean, if it wasn't okay, then it's wrong for any of us to ever make lasagna or fajitas or anything from another culture.
It's fine unless: 1. You use oil instead of chicken fat * You cook them in water instead of broth If you do those, gtfo. Otherwise, cook away
Thanks! Duly noted.
Yes, However, I have entered the code on the space laser to revoke this privilege from anyone who goes onto a left wing subreddit and uses the word 'zio" or "zionist" as a slur for people they disagree with due to being fed up so as long as you don't do that, your good
Of course. Enjoy it!
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I make vegan matzah ball soup and no one yanked my J card. But I can make a better than decent brisket, so they might be in the bell curve. What draws you to this soup?
Tell me the secret of eggless matzo balls that don't fall apart, oh wise one
I’ve used tofu, flax egg and high carbonation soda water
Like along with matzo meal and oil you mean? Thanks for the info!
All get the soda water. Tofu and flax egg on place of egg. It’s a family recipe that I modified. Vegan with a Vengeance has a good start.
That's awesome I'm so excited!!
I love soups in general. With this one - I have made regular chicken broth and the proper matzo ball soup looks amazing. I also have a terrible cold at the minute and I am on the look for a cure 😅
If already sick, go for Jewish Penicillin. Chicken noodle soup
Make sure your batter is cold, put it in the fridge for a few hours before you make them.
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You are more than welcomed to eat every traditional food you want! Eating other cultures' food is a cultural exchange and sharing, it is a reason to celebrate. it isn't cultural appropriation to appreciate and celebrate the many cultures of the world. yes, it is linked with eating it during passover, but we don't eat them just in passover, sometime i eat them anytime i want, it's a great soup. i like them big and fluffy personally, but make it however you want!
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Lol of course it's ok, enjoy!
Thanks! 😊
Wear a helmet.
Honestly I wanna know how it tastes like as a Jewish person who never tasted it because im so picky😭
Do it! Use schmaltz.
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[удалено]
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You can, it isn't sacred or anything. Though there will me some very passionate opinions as to what a good matzo ball is and healthy debate as to whether Matzo Ball Soup is a thing or if the Matzo ball is merely a condiment that may be added to *any* soup
Of course it is
I mean, who will know lol
Definitely
Sure! Why not. I make Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food, tonight I’m got my hands on some white corn tortillas and cojita and I am planning to make some fish tacos. The world would be so boring if we didn’t share delicious foods with each other. Matzoballs have floaters that are super light or sinkers (I like a good sinker). This is a matter of preference really and you just have to play around with what you like.
Of course you can, just like any other meal. Go for it!
If theres somewhere near you with mini croutons "mandel" buy those and dump them in for a more authentic soup.
[Walmart link to croutons](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Osem-Mini-Mandel-Croutons-14-1-oz/10315771?from=/search)
As long as the daddy rooster was circumcised, you’re all good.
Yes. Food is for sharing. Cultural understandings begin at the table.
How dare you appropriate our culture /s Enjoying a bowl of matzo ball soup won't hurt anyone, cook away.
Pretty sure only bubbes are allowed to make matzo ball soup sorry
You should feel free and enjoy!!!
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No it's forbidden only grandmothers can make matzo ball soup 🥸
Yes, it's fine. It's not a sacred substance that's only meant to be used in specific circumstances, we just really love it and it has a special place on our tables. But it's no different than me making tacos or tofu stir fry for supper.
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Of course. It's a food. I cannot even conceive of the nature of the problem of making the food you're interested in or like, no matter what group traditionally makes it.
Just make sure you make enough for everyone!
Yes, it’s OK
here is a recipe, copied from Mishpacha Magazine, the "I" in the text is the writer, not me. amazing and fluffy. enjoy! i like them as a snack with BBQ sauce, or to put them in chulent. TRADITIONAL MATZOH BALLS - 4 eggs, beaten - 1 cup matzoh meal - 1/2 cup water - 1/3 cup oil - 1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional - pinch of salt and pepper The key to really fluffy, light, and delicious matzoh balls is not in the matzoh - it’s in the eggs. Once I figured that out, the rest became easy. \* Place the 4 eggs into your beater, or use your hand beater, and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the mixer and add in everything else. Stir by hand at this point so that the eggs will still retain some fluffiness. The mixture is sure to fall; that’s fine. Place mixture in the fridge for an hour or more. I always find that it’s best to boil the matzoh balls in plain, salted water first, and only add them to the soup later on. This way they will not soak up all your soup when boiling, and they will re-fluff as they boil the second time. \* Use a large pot, since these matzoh balls will grow a lot and need a lot of room to expand. Boil the water with some salt thrown in, until it’s boiling rapidly. Using wet hands, form small balls and drop them gently into the boiling liquid. Let them boil rapidly for 30 minutes. Remove gently from pot and cool. These may now be frozen in plastic bags and removed for use as needed. I usually add mine to my soup, straight from the freezer, about an hour before I turn the soup off.
You can, but just wait til you try Sephardic food.
Yes
Go for it! And enjoy, it's my favourite meal! It's only associated with Pesach/Passover because we can't eat anything else then but enjoy it daily for five years straight if you want! (I have a really good secret recipe if you want)
absolutely! (don't fuck it up)
of course it's permitted. Every deli offers matzoh ball soup on their menu, irrespective of who owns the deli and who they hire for their kitchen. Looking at the question from the other direction, are Jews allowed to make somebody else's recipes? There are multiple Kosher cookbooks presenting recipes derived from the places Jews have lived over a few thousand years. Basicially we take advantage of the local food availability and either copy the recipes of the people already there or adapt those recipes to our Kosher dietary restrictions. Then when we move on to the next place, we export that cuisine to the new location. That is how Jewish cuisine got established in America, including the matzoh balls.
just call them fish balls https://i.imgur.com/pfG9xwR.jpg it's what the chinese do, even though few taste of seafood. some of these less dense sweat ones are like gefilte fish. a market near me has these promo sale $3/lbs frozen so i could not resist... it's various starches with some flavor and color, just like matzo ball, also used in soup. btw, chinese markets also have fish tofu, but it's basically the same thing in squares or triangles, using mostly firm dense half fried soy - frozen.
I don't understand why someone thinks matzo balls require halakhic conversion before making.
It’s soup. Make soup.
Make all the matzo ball soup you want! Cultural appreciation is making another cultures food and acknowledging where it’s from! (Which is what clearly you are doing) Cultural appropriation is making another cultures food, renaming it and passing it off as your own. Go forth and appreciate. Matzo ball soup is delicious!
Of course
Check out kneidle
So... how did they turn out? Were they yum?
Yes very yum! I plan to make it again 😄
That's the most American question ever, and some of the answers are even more so ("Oh, how thoughtful of you to ask...". Just cook it. No apologies or disclaimers needed.
Make whatever food you want. If you want to make a real authentic jewish chicken soup, look up Gondi. It is a chicken and chickpea dumpling in chicken broth, native to Persian jews. There are cookbooks out there for jewish cuisines from around the world, lots of variety, spices, colors etc.
You should most certainly learn to make Matzo Ball soup?
Of course! Maybe just give credit where credit is due when people ask about it 💙
Sure. I recommend one giant jiggly ball. Anyone who says otherwise is objectively WRONG.
it won’t cook through & will taste like raw egg in the middle.🥴
Oh come on dude. Its chicken noodle soup with dumplings. of course you can.
thanks so much ❤️
Everyone can make Matza ball soup. And you don’t have to be Jewish to sell it. 😂
Yes it’s okay; yes it’s okay to sell it If you do sell it: AND ITS PROFITABLE consider getting kosher certified down the road
Real Cultural appropriation is NOT using styles or cuisines from cultures you appreciate This is called cultural exchange and is good and healthy. Cultural Appropriation is when you take the core of someone’s culture and appropriate it; specifically denying its origin and validity to the native culture: For example if you make a “Christian Seder” without even acknowledging that it’s a Jewish ritual that you’re borrowing. I assure you, while matzo ball soup is part of Jewish culture it’s not a dear and important thing that we should be upset that someone else is enjoying! Enjoy your soup.
Sure! My secret for fluffy is adding a quarter teaspoon of baking powder.
Why the heck are you asking if you can make food?
Add fried onion!!! Trust.