From Kosher Coffee to Kosher Bacon…
I went to California last week for vacation with a friend and had some interesting food experiences which were quite thought-provoking. In California, there is a chain of coffee shops called Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and in most of them their coffees and baked goods are kosher, in addition to being delicious. My friend and I made it a top priority to support this special establishment daily during our trip (and on a day we missed, we were religious to double-up the following day). Unfortunately, there aren’t any stores on the east coast (yet!), so we felt we had to optimize on making these visits while on the west coast.
My friend and I observed that we (well, really I) was a little obsessed with Coffee Bean. What is it about that shop, besides its tasty products, that drew me to support them so frequently? I realized that as a resident of Manhattan, who is surrounded by Starbucks and other such coffee shops most of which aren’t all kosher, I liked the opportunity to go to a coffee shop to purchase a piece of cake with my coffee.
Please don’t think that I don’t resent my observance of Kashrut laws, nor do I think that they are restricting me from enjoying a little snack here and there. I keep kosher and am proud of my observance because: 1) it’s a God-given commandment 2) it’s how I was raised and 3) even though I may not understand or know the reasons for all that I do, I believe that reasons do exist and therefore accept and strive to benefit from the spiritual role they play in Judaism.
As American Jews, we have benefited from the vast supply of kosher food available in this country, just in the last few decades alone. We are simply spoiled! From kosher (fake) crab, to bacon, and even cheese burger, we can maintain our kashrut observance 100% without having to feel like we are lacking from benefiting from popular American dishes. That is why I like Coffee Bean – because I express both of my identities without having to compromise on either one.
But why? Why can’t we just be happy with our own rich traditional dishes, like kugels, cholent, blintzes, and bagels, and not have to strive to emulate other cultures? It’s something I will have to answer for myself.
2 Responses to “From Kosher Coffee to Kosher Bacon…”
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Avi Says:
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:09 pmJews have always adopted the culinary culture of the area they lived in. The food you mentioned are unique to eastern European Jews, you wouldn’t see Sephardic Jews calling blintzes their cultures.
Now that European Jews are approaching 100 years in America its only natural that we are adding American cuisine to our culinary identity.
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Sharon Lebewohl Says:
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 pmI agree with Avi. I once had to give a lecture on Jewish food, and I was at a loss for what to say. I have a sephardic friend who never tasted gefilta fish or kugel, and when I spend a holiday at her home, it often feels as if we are celebrting totally different religions. I give a Chanukah cooking class that includes Indian pakoras, Chinese scallion pancakes, vegetable tempuras and Southern Fried Chicken with French Fries. It’s all about the oil, not necessarily potatoes. Eastern European Jews eat potato latkas because potatoes were cheap and plentiful. I prefer fish and chips for Chanukah.
