A large number of the recipes were tied to the observance of customary holidays and stayed faithful to their roots. These included foods like stews, fish fried in olive oil, beef and bean stews, puddings with almonds, and egg custards. The Jewish Cookery Book by Esther Levy, which was originally printed in America in 1871 and contains many of the customary recipes, was the first kosher cookbook.

Salads, filled vegetables and vine leaves, olive oil, lentils, fresh and dried fruits, herbs, almonds, and chickpeas are all staples of Sephardi cuisine. Ground beef or lamb are frequently used in meat recipes.

Many soups and sauces include freshly squeezed lemon juice. Dried fruits including raisins, prunes, and apricots are frequently used in rice and meat recipes. It is garnished with pine nuts.

Early Sephardic cuisine was influenced by regional foods from Spain and Portugal, both of which were governed by Catholic and Islamic governments. Under Muslim administration, a specific fondness for unusual meals from outside of Spain emerged, as shown even today by items imported by the Muslims.

Herbs and Spices

Sephardi cuisine frequently uses cumin, cilantro, and turmeric. Muslim immigrants to Spain introduced caraway and capers, which are used in Spanish cuisine. [4] Coffee is flavored with cardamom (hel). Popular garnishes include chopped fresh cilantro and parsley. Fresh mint leaves (nana) are used in tea, while chopped mint is used in salad dressings and prepared foods. In meals using ground meat, cinnamon is occasionally added as a spice for the meat. Many types of Sephardic cuisine include spices that can be found in the locations where they have resided, including saffron, which is harvested in Spain.

Desserts and Beverages

Small slices of baklava or other sweets dipped in syrup or honey are frequently presented at the conclusion of a festive meal, along with tiny cups of Turkish coffee, occasionally flavoured with cardamom. Traditionally served in cups as a winter beverage, hot sahlab is a liquid cornstarch pudding that was once flavored with orchid powder but is now almost always replaced with artificial flavorings. It is decorated with cinnamon, almonds, coconut, and raisins. The preferred alcoholic beverage is arak. Cakes and sweets frequently contain rose water as an ingredient. Malabi is a cold pudding made of cornstarch that has been flavored with rosewater and red syrup.

Pickles and Condiments

Meals frequently come with olives and pickled vegetables such cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and cauliflower. Mango pickle sauce is known as ambha. A specialty of Tunisia and Morocco is little pickled lemons.