The legitimacy of artichokes, one of the symbols of Jewish-Roman gastronomy, is under discussion and some sectors in Israel want to ban them, based on the argument that they ignore the precepts of the Jewish religion, due to the possibility of them having worms.





As reported last week by the newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli Rabbinate believes that "carciofi alla giudia" (deepfried whole artichokes) are not kosher and therefore don't adhere to Jewish religious standards. For that reason, the Rabbinate wants to ban their import into Israel, where many kosher restaurants include the dish in the menu. However, sources of the Roman-Jewish community have said that the "war on artichokes" mentioned by the newspaper simply "does not exist," because the specificity of the Jewish-Roman dish prevents any risk of impurity.





The point is that the artichokes could contain small worms or parasites, which would make the herbaceous plant "forbidden", according to the strict rules of kosherut. As explained by Rabbi Yitzhak Arazi, head of the import division of the Central Rabbinate, "the heart of the artichoke is full of worms and there is no way to clean it up, so it cannot be kosher. This is not our policy, it is the Jewish religious law." A possible way to address this would be to divide the artichoke into four segments, but the objection to that measure is that it would make it impossible for Jewish-style artichokes to be prepared in the traditional manner.





According to Haaretz, some members of the Jewish community in Milan have asked a local Kosher restaurant, also present in Rome, to remove it from the menu, just to be sure. The legitimacy of "carciofi alla giudia" is based on two peculiarities: the product and the way it is cleaned. The former refers to the fact that, in order to prepare true Jewish-style artichokes, you need the variety called Romanesca, which has a narrow corolla that prevents the entry of worms.





As for the way it is cleaned, it is always the same: firstly, the hardest leaves are removed; then the artichoke is soaked in lemon water and then submerged in hot oil to make it crispy. "Roman Jews know very well which to choose and how to prepare them," stressed the same sources.





The sources in Rome insist on the fact that artichokes in Israel have a different quality and are treated in a very different way compared to the Italian. What is also discarded by the Roman Jewish community is that "there is a war between rabbinates, since we are talking about very different products and preparation methods."

Source: elintransigente.com