The 'Jewish-style artichoke' or
'carciofo all giudia', one of the symbols of Roman-Jewish
cuisine, has sparked a dispute between Israeli rabbis who say it
is not kosher and the Roman community that is fighting their
threatened import ban.
The Israeli rabbinate, Haarezt reported, says this version of
the artichoke should be banned from Israeli restaurants because
small worms or parasites present in the vegetable mean it is not
kosher.
The Roman Jewish community is standing its ground on its
beloved dish, saying the 'artichoke war' reported by the Israeli
daily "does not exist" because the special Roman-Jewish cooking
guidelines rile out the possibility of any impurity.
But the rabbis were adamant that the dish should be off the
menu.
The head of the import division of the Israeli Rabbinate,
Yitzhak Arazi, said "the heart of the artichoke is full of worms
and there's no way you can clean it.
"It can't be kosher.
"That's not our policy, it's Jewish religious law".
Some members of the Milan Jewish community have latched onto
the warning and asked for it to be taken off the menu there too,
to be on the safe side, Haaretz said.
But Roman Jewish sources told ANSA: "All plants can be
infested, but there are those that are more at risk. The fitness
of the Jewish-style artichoke comes from "two peculiarities: the
product itself, and the way it is cleaned. Roman Jews have got
both of those on their side.
The artichokes used in Rome are 'Roman' and have a narrow
stem that stops worms getting in, they said.
The, the way of cleaning them after rinsing them in lemon
water before frying them to a crisp "makes sure there is no
contamination".
"Roman Jews know very well what artichokes to choose and how
to prepare them," the sources told ANSA.
The artichokes in Israel, they insisted, are a different
quality and prepared in a very different way.
The Roman community also stressed there was no war ongoing
between the two Rabbinates because "we are talking about very
different products and ways of cooking".
Despite the fuss, no one is prepared to give up the carciofo
alla giudia in Rome.
In a recent video wishing the Roman Jewish community a Happy
Passover, a time when the artchoke holds pride of place on
Jewish dinner tables, from Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni and the
head of the Roman Jews Ruth Dureghello, both of them are seen
cleaning artichokes and preparing them for the traditional dish
that has earned worldwide fame.
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