• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ellis Weiner's Learning from Linguine

wisdom and insights from a lifetime of cooking

  • home
  • Books
  • about
  • Show Search
Hide Search

5 Little-Known Jewish Delicacies

ellis weiner · April 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Stu Spivack

In my history as a Jewish child, I learned that when a parent or grandparent referred to some dish as a “delicacy,” it was time to politely excuse oneself and run screaming from the room. Such treats were often deeply unappealing to look at, came equipped with unappetizing names often featuring a large number of k’s and “sh” sounds, and were frankly horrifying when explained. (“That? It’s kishka. Oh, it’s intestine stuffed with flour, spices, and chicken fat. It’s a delicacy!….Wait, where are you going…?”)

But then I put away childish things, and learned that the same could be said for any unusual or sophisticated food, from foie gras to steak tartare. So what if it takes a certain amount of nerve (at first) to confront a raw oyster and decide to eat it? Unless you know better, the first thing you think when gazing upon a lobster isn’t “I bet that’s delicious,” but with experience comes enlightenment. Somewhere there are people who like haggis.

Which is to say, one is ill-served by one’s squeamishness when confronted with these off-putting dishes. The more you know, and the less terrified you are of them, the better your chances of trying them and possibly liking them. For that reason, I hereby undertake the public service of listing and explaining the composition of five little-known Jewish delicacies. I do it for the benefit of adults interested in expanding their culinary universe, for Jews of a certain age who might find some nostalgic pleasure in being reminded of these Old World dishes, and for non-Jews who find the information of interest. But I mainly do it, of course, for the children.

1. Klushkashush–Lit. “top and bottom.” Chicken brains stuffed with chicken feet, par-boiled and then baked with onions, flour, and—at least traditionally—gravel, which was thought to aid digestion.

2. Ka’Zellzel–Stuffed throat, usually of a sheep. Stuffing usually consists of kasha (buckwheat groats) that has been roasted, soaked, dried, ground, boiled, smashed, rebuked, sued, and left for dead. Variations include stuffing the stuffing with stuffing consisting of leftover kishka stuffing.

3. Gliggleflggle–Ox- or cow-tail baked in a hollowed-out turnip. Usually served with a sauce consisting of a slivovitz reduction flavored with chopped herring.

4. Varnished Kalashnikov–Goat intestine stuffed with chicken entrails, flavored with onions, oats, celery, and lamb fat. Usually roasted in a clay pot over an open candle for three weeks.

5. Schlezz–Soup made from goutweed, water or broth, hard-boiled eggs, and cow intestines. Often served with sliced radishes, fresh dill, and chicken brains leftover from klushkashush.

Post Views: 286
Filed Under: Other Linguine, Ingredients, Recipes Tagged With: intestines, Jewish delicacies, kishka

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • This One East African Pepper Gel is Guaranteed to Ruin Everything
  • Five Kitchen Utensils You Absolutely Don’t Need
  • How Many of these Common Spoonskill Errors Do You Make?
  • Finally: The Ultimate in Fresh Corn
  • Your Storage Item Storage Problem Solved!

Categories

  • Appliances
  • Cooking Techniques
  • Drink
  • Editorials
  • Equipment
  • Grilling
  • Ingredients
  • Other Linguine
  • Philosophy
  • Pork
  • Recipes
  • Smoking
  • Store Items
  • Vegetarian
  • Wisdom

Important Places to Visit

  • Sherman Oaks Review of Books
  • Interview with the authors of Monsters of the Ivy League

Archives

  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021

copyright © 2025 · Ellis Weiner · wisdom and insights from a lifetime of cooking

privacy policy / manage cookies 

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
.
cookie settingsACCEPT
manage cookies

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT