Many strains run through Italian cooking, and the Jewish influences in Roman cuisine extend far beyond the prevalent carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style fried artichokes). Cucina ebraica romana (Roman Jewish cuisine) is a fusion of culinary influences and styles springing from the religious community’s various geographical origins.
Iberian and Mediterranean flavors
The Jewish community in Rome dates back to the second century BC. It also stands out for traits that originated in religious guidelines, such as abstaining from certain meats, special butchering methods, and a ban on mixing meat and dairy products.
The year 1492 was a turning point. Not because of Colombus' voyage, but because that was the year Spain issued a decree expelling the flourishing Jewish community. Many Jews fled to Papal Rome, which was very tolerant until 1555 when Pope Paul IV confined all his Jewish subjects to the ghetto.
Fried only in oil
The Spanish (Sephardic) origin of many Jews brought a Mediterranean flair to the local Jewish cuisine, evident in the nearly exclusive use of olive oil, which, at the time, was a luxury for most Romans. Carciofi alla giudia, cooked almost submerged in olive oil, is the best-known example, and similar dishes include fried squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, or fried baccalà (salt cod, which has Spanish origins).
Offal
Some say the Jews introduced the use of offal in Roman cooking: brain, sweetbreads, tripe, spleen, and liver. Apparently, the Jews roasted these on a grill before cooking to remove all traces of blood, which was forbidden by their kosher laws. The archives of the Jewish community contain recipes like sweetbreads with chickpeas, tripe with agliata (a garlic sauce), brined tongue, pan-fried spleens with sage and agresto (a sauce made from grapes), or chicken combs with vinegar and cinnamon. While these dishes have disappeared, they're echoed in the Roman affinity for offal, which includes tripe and pajata (intestines of milk-fed veal).
Overly “luxurious” scraps
Another staple was coppiette, strips of sun-dried buffale meat with salt and pepper. Fish broth is another dish often ascribed to the Jews because of the ghetto’s vicinity to the fish market near the Teatro di Marcello and the ancient port of Ripa Grande. All the unwanted fish were heaped near the Church of Sant’Angelo in Pescheria, and Jewish women collected these discarded bits to make broth.
In 1661, the Papal government banned ghetto residents from eating “luxury” foods, forcing the Jews to consume only oily fish, which meant mainly anchovies and sardines. This prompted another famous Roman Jewish recipe, anchovies with endives, a small savory cake of sorts comprised of alternating layers of anchovies and endives.
The Levantine fondness for honey and nuts
The desserts originate from the Mediterranean and Levantine love of honey, nuts, and candied fruit. Tortolicchio is an almond dessert while Jewish sweet pizza is a large cookie of sorts with pine nuts, almonds, and candied fruit. Lastly, nocchiata comprises delicious little morsels made from nuts and eggs that are fried in honey.
