Shakshouka

Shakshouka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎, also spelled shakshuka or chakchouka) is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic, and commonly spiced with cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Egg shakshouka evolved from an Ottoman meat stew, also called shakshouka, into a vegetarian egg-based dish.[1] [2]

For the shredded flatbread and chickpea dish, see Chakhchoukha. For the Turkish eggplant dish, see Şakşuka. For the documentary film, see The Shakshuka System.
Shakshouka
Shakshouka in a cast iron pan
Alternative namesShakshuka, chakchouka
Place of originDisputed; Maghreb, Ottoman Empire or Yemen

Etymology

The word shakshouka (Arabic: شَكْشُوكَةٌ‎) is Maghrebi Arabic[3] for "a mixture".[4][5][6][7]

History

The Ottoman dish şakşuka was originally a dish of cooked vegetables with minced meat or liver (Turkish: ciğer). The New World vegetables tomato and chili peppers were introduced to the dish much later; tomato-based stews, called shakshouka in the Maghreb, were common throughout the Middle East and former Ottoman Empire. Jews in the Ottoman Maghreb served a pareve vegetarian variation and Tunisian Jews were known for creating spicy versions of egg shakshouka.[1]

The origins of the dish are disputed. Some people believe the dish spread to Spain and the greater Middle East from Ottoman Turkey, while others think it originated in Morocco. A third theory is that it is from Yemen, where it is served with zhug, a hot green paste.[8] One food writer claims that the "original shakshuka" was made with vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, goat meat and fresh garlic.[9]

The dish was brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews, where it has become a characteristic feature of both Israeli and Palestinian cuisine.[10][1]

Shakshouka is typical of North African and Arab cuisine and is traditionally served in a cast iron pan or, in Morocco, a tajine.

Variations
Individual portion of shakshouka

Many variations of the basic sauce are possible, varying in spice and sweetness. Some cooks add preserved lemon, salty sheep milk cheeses, olives, harissa or a spicy sausage such as chorizo or merguez.[11]

Some variations of shakshouka can be made with lamb mince, toasted whole spices, yogurt and fresh herbs.[12] Spices can include ground coriander, caraway, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.[13][14] Tunisian cooks may add potatoes, broad beans, artichoke hearts or courgettes to the dish.[15] The North African dish matbukha can be used as a base for shakshouka.[16]

The dish has been popular in what is now Israel for generations, preceding the creation of the state.[17] Shakshouka is made with eggs which are commonly poached but can also be scrambled like the Turkish menemen.[10][1] A shakhsouka made with a kosher version of Spam (called loof) was added to IDF army rations in the 1950s.[18][19] Because eggs are the main ingredient, it is often on breakfast menus in English-speaking countries, but in the Arab world as well as Israel, it is also a popular evening meal,[20] and like hummus and falafel, is a Levantine regional favorite.[8] On the side, pickled vegetables and North African sausage called merguez might be served, or simply bread, with mint tea.[21]

In Andalusian cuisine the dish is known as huevos a la flamenca, but includes chorizo and serrano ham.[22]

See also

References
  1. Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, ISBN 9780470391303, s.v., p. 547
  2. Nathan, Joan (2017). A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World: A Cookbook. p. 16. Shakshuka was born in Ottoman North Africa in the mid-sixteenth century
  3. Ellis, Robin (2016-03-03). Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics: Delicious Dishes to Control or Avoid Diabetes. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 9781472136381. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  4. Ly, Linda (2015-03-20). The CSA Cookbook: No-Waste Recipes for Cooking Your Way Through a Community Supported Agriculture Box, Farmers' Market, Or Backyard Bounty. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760347294. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  5. Planet, Lonely (2017-03-01). The World's Best Superfoods. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781787010369. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  6. Bilderback, Leslie (2015-09-01). Mug Meals: More Than 100 No-Fuss Ways to Make a Delicious Microwave Meal in Minutes. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781466875210. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  7. Jakob, Ben. "How Shakshuka,, Took the World By Storm". Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  8. Josephs, Bernard (2009-10-08). "Shakshuka: Israel's hottest breakfast dish". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  9. Tiroche, Limor Laniado (2012). "Tips for Making a Better Shakshuka".
  10. Artzeinu: An Israel Encounter, By Joel Lurie Grishaver, 2008
  11. "Shakshuka recipe". The Guardian. February 18, 2012.
  12. Gordon, Peter (2018-06-03). "Peter Gordon's lamb shakshouka recipe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  13. "Shakshouka Recipe - Tunisian Recipes". PBS Food. 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  14. Clark, Melissa. "Shakshuka With Feta Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  15. Claudia Roden (1996). The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York. Knopf. p. 512. ISBN 9780394532585.
  16. Gur, Janna (2014). Jewish Soul Food: From Minsk to Marrakesh.
  17. "How shakshuka and other Middle Eastern dishes turned into iconic 'Jewish food'". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  18. Steinberg, Jessica (20 November 2012). "The rationale behind the rations". The Times of Israel.
  19. Raviv, Yael (November 2015). Falafel Nation: Cuisine and the Making of National Identity in Israel. University of Nebraska Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-8032-9023-5.
  20. Clifford-smith, Stephanie (2011-06-07). "Three of a kind ... shakshouka". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  21. Ashkenazi, Michael (2020). Food Cultures of Israel: Recipes, Customs, and Issues. p. 89.
  22. Tish, Ben (2019). Moorish: Vibrant Recipes from the Mediterranean. Bloomsbury. p. 46.
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