Fried cheese and the story of Judith

We have previously told about some of the traditions that are linked to what is eaten for Chanukkah, including food that is fried in oil in memory of the miracle of the oil in the candlestick in the temple in Jerusalem. But of course there are lots of varieties and as many different traditions as there are families. That's probably how it's always been. There is something that repeats, and something that is replaced, and something that is just different. Nevertheless, there are often what can be called traditional meals or dishes for most holidays. So it is with Chanukkah. Here we give the story of Chanukkah and cheese.

The story of Chanukkah and cheese originates from the story of Judith in the Book of Judith. She is a recurring motif in art, but the story itself is one that few people know. The Book of Judith is not part of the Tanakh (the Jewish collection of canonical texts that includes the Torah), but instead one of the canonical texts of both the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. In the Protestant Bible it is included in the apocryphal texts. Perhaps it was originally written in Hebrew, but today it is known only from Greek manuscripts. On the other hand, it was widely read and commented on by Jewish scholars in the High Middle Ages. From here it became common to read the story in connection with Chanukkah.

It tells of the Assyrian king, King Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century BCE, who sent his general Holofernes on a campaign. He had the command of 12.000 horsemen and 120.000 footmen, but this was not to be enough. Holofornes and his troops headed for the city of Betylia in Judea - a city in the mountains that gave access to Jerusalem. They took control of the water sources for the city and the besieged inhabitants were thirsty. Morale among the Jewish population was about to break down and many saw themselves as slaves rather than having to die in a futile battle against the Assyrian troops. However, a lonely but strong-willed widow had other plans. Judith, widow and, according to the texts, a great beauty devised a plan. She put on ceremonial clothes and went to Holophornes' field camp. With her graceful exterior, she won access to the tent of the field lord Holophornes himself, for who would suspect a widow? In Holoferne's tent, she prophesied an imminent victory for his troops, all the while plying him with savory dishes, particularly fried cow's milk or goat's milk cheese – the sources for this are somewhat vague. Just as the Israelites in Betylia were thirsty, Holofornes was now thirsty too - but he quenched his thirst in wine, which the cunning widow poured on him in large quantities. Eventually he got so drunk that he passed out. This was the moment Judith had been waiting for. She cut off the head of Holofornes. It is said that the severed head of the army leaders inspired the Israelites of Betylia to overcome the Assyrian troops.

A deadly story, but also a story about how one person can overcome a superior force with cleverness and cunning. As told, a tradition arose in the Middle Ages to tell the story of Judith for Chanukkah. In the oral traditions, Judith was sometimes made the aunt or even the daughter of Judas Maccabeus. Here, the sharp reader will notice that there should still be a good 400 years between the two events, but there was probably a desire to create a connection to Chanukkah. It may also be to draw a parallel to another Jewish heroine, namely Esther, who appears in connection with Purim. We will probably tell more about her another time.

As early as the 1300th century, some sources say that people ate deep-fried cheese for Chanukkah and it was supposed to be connected with the story of Judith, who gave cheese to the enemy to make him thirsty for wine. At that time it would probably be sheep's or goat's milk cheese, as cow's milk cheese was rare. The cheese was often baked in a pancake. The original latkes were actually 'cheese latkes' and not made from potatoes. As is well known, the potato first came to Europe in 1537, so it is obvious that cheese pancakes were eaten for Chanukkah in the Middle Ages.

In any case, the oldest recipe for a cheese pancake can be dated all the way back to Italy after 1492, where some Sephardic Jews ate them when they celebrated Chanukkah. It remains a traditional dish for Chanukkah in Sephardic cuisine. On the other hand, the deadly story about the salty cheese and Judith's womanizing slipped more into the background. Food actually tells an important cultural story that bears witness to both tradition and renewal. Here's a modern recipe for cheese latkes.

As a small side note to the cheese latkes and the fatal story about Judith, we can say that a Danish Christmas dinner or Christmas lunch often includes risalamande. It gained popularity during and after the Second World War, when rice porridge was spread with cream as a dessert. The rice porridge itself, which was a relatively expensive porridge, also only became more common at the end of the 2th century. It is therefore thoroughly a Danish dish, even if it sounds French, but on the other hand not so old. There is not much for the Danish Christmas that is deep-fried - it would have to be some fish fillets - but in some contexts you find the deep-fried temptation 'Camembert frites' - in short - deep-fried cheese with marmalade. On the other hand, it probably came from France, but otherwise has little to do with Christmas itself. Deep-fried cheese, on the other hand, has something to do with Chanukkah.