Sep 27, 20202 min read

"What’s The Fuss About Tzimmes?" and Miriam Szokovski’s Tzimmes Recipe.

What's All the Tzimmes About?

Tzimmes comes from Ashkenazi cuisine and consists of vegetables, sometimes meat (usually brisket), and dried fruit that simmers for hours on low heat. There are many variations on the dish and the only requirements are that it must be sweet, contain dried fruit, and have carrots. The word for carrot in Yiddish, meren, means to multiply. It is common to eat foods at Rosh Hashanah that allude to being prosperous or blessed. Tzimmes is often associated with Rosh Hashanah because of the sweetness, but it is also served during Sukkot. Sukkot takes place outside in the fall, so hearty and warm foods are great for warming up underneath a Sukkah during meals. It would certainly be a nice dish to eat in Germany during the Middle Ages when there was no air conditioning!

In Yiddish, tzimmes means a big fuss or a lot of trouble. The first known use of the name tzimmes is from 1892, and originated from the German word zuomuose, or “side dish.” Another possibility for the origin of the word is from the German zum or “to the” and essen or “eating.”

Despite the name, I promise tzimmes is not that big of a fuss and is all about cooking everything for a long time. The longer it sits, the richer and sweeter it gets. In America, most recipes combine sweet potatoes, carrots, and prunes. However white potatoes were originally used in Eastern Europe. Sweet potatoes are an American contribution to the genre. Originally, tzimmes was sweetened with honey but Americans have added maple syrup, brown sugar, canned pineapples, and orange juice for extra sweetness.

Making tzimmes is truly no fuss at all, and I would recommend this recipe that I have been told is very similar to how my great grandmother made it, even down to the orange juice!

Here is my attempt at Miriam Szokovski’s tzimmes recipe from https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/2635032/jewish/Traditional-Rosh-Hashanah-Tzimmes.htm

The recipe is the simplest thing ever! Here it is...

Ingredients:

1 large Spanish onion, cut in half or quarter rounds
¼ cup oil
1 lb. carrots, sliced in ½-inch rounds
½ lb. sweet potato, cubed
10 prunes, diced
1½ cups orange juice
½ cup honey
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

Directions:

Sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender. Serve warm.