Charoset – the sweet mixture representing mortar and freedom

Just as charoset looks and tastes different in various Jewish cultures, it also sounds different:

Ladino in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia: harosi

Yiddish in Lublin, Poland: chroyses

Western Yiddish in Amsterdam, Netherlands: charouses

Judeo-Greek in Ioannina, Greece: charoseth, charosef

Judeo-Italian in Venice, Italy: haroset

Judeo-French in Bayonne, France: rharoche

Judeo-Persian in Tehran, Iran: halegh

Judeo-Median in Hamadan, Iran: haliká

Jewish Neo-Aramaic in Betanure, Iraq: ḥəllíq

Judeo-Arabic in Baghdad, Iraq: ḥilq, silan, shira

Judeo-Arabic in Tripoli, Libya: laḥliq

Judeo-Arabic in Sana‘a, Yemen: dukkih

Libyan laḥliq, made with dates, pecans, almonds, pomegranate juice, raisins, apples, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. Other Libyan laḥliq recipes include allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and vinegar. (Image from Or Shalom haggadah, Israel, 2008)

Ashkenazi charoset as commonly made in the United States today – with apples, walnuts, wine, cinnamon, and sugar. Other recipes include raisins. (Image from https://whatjewwannaeat.com/charoset/)

Italian charoset with apples, pears, dates, raisins, prunes, pine nuts, honey, ginger, and cinnamon. Other Italian recipes include almonds, dates, bananas, oranges, walnuts, chestnuts, and cloves. (Image from https://jovinacooksitalian.com/2015/03/31/italian-passover/)

You can find delicious recipes for charoset and other Passover foods at jewishlanguages.org.


haggadah Section: Koreich