''Carciofi alla giudìa'' (; ) is among the best-known dishes of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

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cuisine.Malizia (1995), pg. 54 The recipe is essentially a deep-fried artichoke, and originated in the Jewish community of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, ''giudìo'' being the term for Jew in the Romanesco language. The dish is a speciality of the

Roman Ghetto The Roman Ghetto or Ghetto of Rome () was a Jewish ghettos in Europe, Jewish ghetto established in 1555 by Pope Paul IV in the Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome), Rione Sant'Angelo, in Rome, Italy, in the area surrounded by present-day Via del Porticus ...

, where it is served by Jewish restaurants in the springtime. It involves a two-step deep-frying technique. First, the artichokes are fried at a low temperature to soften them. Then, after their leaves are spread open, they are fried again at a higher temperature. This process results in artichokes with a golden color and crispy, flower-like leaves. In English, the dish is usually referred to with the standard

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

spelling ''carciofi alla giudea'';David, pp. 164–5Gray and Rogers, p. 146Davidson, p. 36: ''carciofini alla giudea'' this spelling may be found in Italian sources as well,Cervellati p. 95 but the Roman dialect name is much more commonly used.

Preparation

Artichokes of the Romanesco variety are commonly used for this dish. They are cleaned with a sharp knife to eliminate the hard external leaves, beaten to open them, left for some minutes in water with lemon juice to prevent discolouration, then seasoned with salt and pepper and deep fried in olive oil. Once they are cooked, a little cold water is sprinkled on them to make them crisp. They are eaten warm; the leaves have a nutty crunchiness.Malizia (1995), pg. 55

Kashrut

In 2018, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared that artichokes are not

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...

, since the dense leaves could conceal non-kosher insects. This sowed consternation among Roman Jews, who resisted the declaration, argued that the artichokes used for this signature dish have leaves so tight that insects cannot enter, and emphasized the importance and deep cultural roots of the dish for the Italian Jewish community.

References

Sources

* * Cervellati, Alessandro (1973). ''Bologna futurista'' (in Italian). Bologna: A cura dell'Autore. * David, Elizabeth (1987). ''Italian Food''. London: Barrie & Jenkins (1st: London: Macdonald, 1954). * Gray, Rose, and Ruth Rogers (1995). ''The River Cafe Cookbook''. London: Ebury Press. * * Davidson, Alan (1999). ''The Oxford Companion to Food''. Oxford: University Press.

External links

*
Italian Recipe Of Jewish-style Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carciofi Alla Giudia Cuisine of Lazio Jewish cuisine Jews and Judaism in Rome Italki Jews topics

Preparation

Kashrut

See also

References

Sources

External links