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Purim food? Like with all Jewish Holidays, food is involved with the celebration of Purim.  Of course, there is Mishloach Manot - the exchanging gifts of goodies with relatives, friends, and neighbors - but not to be out done, a Purim "Seuda," a festive meal, is part of the day's celebration.

The Purim Seuda often contains the specialty dish traditionally associated with the holiday, the Kreplach, triangular shaped wontons, eaten as a separate dish or served in soup, reminding us of Haman's tri-cornered hat.  Kreplach are customarily served in holiday meals whenever a "beating" takes place: Thus, it is traditional to include Kreplach during three specific festive meals each year.  Before Yom Kippur, as it once was common for men have themselves flogged, on Hoshanah Rabbah when the we beat willow branches, and on Purim when Haman is beaten.

In addition to the Kreplach, some serve longer than usual braided Challah,  known as keylitsh or kulich (Russian).  The braid on the challah are a reminder of the long rope on which Haman was hanged. 

Some folks include a Turkey dish ("Hodu" in Hebrew), commemorating Ahsuerus's reign from India ("Hodu") to Ethiopia; the turkey is also symbolic of the king's foolishness. 

Desert, of course, is highlighted by the Hamentashen (Yiddish for Haman's pockets), the three cornered filled cookie.  In Israel, the hamantashen are referred to as "Oznei Haman" - the ears of Haman.

Click here for a Hamantashen Recipe

Mazor Guide for Purim brings you much more about the holiday, its meaning and its traditions... See the links below.

• Purim home
• Purim Food
• Hamantashen Recipe
• MazorBooks Jewish Holiday Books for Kids
  - Queen Esther's Big Secret
  - The Purim Story
  - Purim in Words and Pictures
• Recommend Reading

"Purim in Words and Pictures" recounts in detail the extraordinary story of the miraculous reversal of fortune of Persian Jewry in the days of Xerxes I, the emperor who is more widely known as King Achashverosh. The story begins with King Achashverosh’s grandiose party and ends with Mordechai’s appointment as the Persian king’s top minister. The complicated story involves a beauty contest, servants conspiring to kill the king, and an evil plot by an evil man to eliminate the Jewish people. This informative coloring book, which is based on the text of Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther), also includes an overview of the main customs and traditions associated with the celebration of the holiday. Recommended for children between the ages of 6-11. Enjoy! Click Here to Purchase!