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Cholent is a traditional slow-cooked Jewish stew. There are several theories about the origin of the name. It either comes from the French words "chaud" (hot) and "lent" (slow), chaudes lentes (hot lentils) or "shelan" (that rested overnight) in Hebrew, referring to the practice of Jews keeping large pots of cholent in their local baker’s ovens to cook overnight. According to the Torah, Jews are not allowed to start fires on Shabbat. There are 39 categories of work which are forbidden on Shabbat, including cooking. Many Jewish foods can be made to avoid working on Saturdays.
Hamin, also known as Sephardic cholent, is a traditional Jewish food with cultural and religious significance. Based on religious law, cooking, as well as lighting a fire, is not allowed on the Sabbath and hamin became a solution that helped preserve the law and enjoy a warm lunch on Saturdays. "Hamin" means hot in Hebrew and reflects its cooking process. It is cooked on Friday afternoon. The dish consists of onions, salt, garlic and dates that are fried together, then beef bones, wheat, chickpea, eggs and potatoes placed on top. After adding water, it is cooked over low heat for 12 hours until the next day.
Eggs with their shells.
The exact origin is not known; however, it dates back possibly before the 12th century when Jews that were living in Iberia changed the ingredients of Harisa, a traditional Middle Eastern dish, by adding more water to increase cooking time and ingredients such as beans, potato and grains. In the 15th century, when Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and persecuted in Portugal in 1497, the dish was prohibited and people buried pots with hamin to hide it. Converted Jews who continued to follow their traditions to avoid arrest swapped the meat for pork, and this led to other variations of the dish like cocido madrileño and olla podrida. The next change in the recipe was a consequence of the famine in Western Europe which led to an increase in the prices of meat that was used in hamin in Eastern Europe and South Africa. It was replaced with chicken, the most affordable food at that time, and shell-on eggs that were added, became an important component in Sephardic cholent called huevos haminados. In the 14th century, Jews who left Spain and went to France brought hamin with them which became part of the life of Ashkenazi Jews and a new variation called cholent. Although the method of preparation and purpose are the same, hamin differs from cholent in such ingredients as rice, eggs, chicken and whole vegetables. Its recipe continued to change and other variations appeared over time. Even today it is a big part of Jewish culture and even people who do not follow Shabbat preparing hamin as a part of a tradition and memories of their families and history.
Ashkenazi-style cholent was first mentioned in writings by Rabbi Yitzhak of Vienna. The pot full of raw ingredients was sealed with flour and water to seal it. The next day at noon, it would be picked up by families on their way home from the synagogue for lunch.
The difference in ingredients between Ashkenazi and Sephardic cholent goes to show how changing location affects recipes of various cultures/religions. Some people replace beef with chicken, veal, turkey, etc or even add other veggies to enhance the flavor.
Bread seal.
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