Winner of the 2019 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Food Writing & Cookbooks Andras Koerner refuses to accept that the world of pre-Shoah Hungarian Jewry and its cuisine should disappear almost without a trace and feels compelled to reconstruct its culinary culture. His book-with a preface by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett-presents eating habits not as isolated things, divorced from their social and religious contexts, but as an organic part of a way of life. According to Kirshenblatt-Gimblett: "While cookbooks abound, there is no other study that can compare with this book. It is simply the most comprehensive account of a Jewish food culture to date." Indeed, no comparable study exists about the Jewish cuisine of any country, or, for that matter, about Hungarian cuisine. It describes the extraordinary diversity that characterized the world of Hungarian Jews, in which what could or could not be eaten was determined not only by absolute rules, but also by dietary traditions of particular religious movements or particular communities. Ten chapters cover the culinary traditions and eating habits of Hungarian Jewry up to the 1940s, ranging from kashrut (the system of keeping the kitchen kosher) through the history of cookbooks, and some typical dishes. Although this book is primarily a cultural history and not a cookbook, it includes 83 recipes, as well as nearly 200 fascinating pictures of daily life and documents.

About the Author
Andras Koerner was born in 1940 in Budapest. After receiving his degree in architecture he worked for several years as an architect. In 1967, he moved to the United States Since where he continued the same career. Since his retirement, he dedicates his time mostly to writing and organizing exhibitions.

Reviews

"Read ers look ing for a typ i cal cook book may be alarmed when they dig into this gor geous vol ume. While the sub ti tle adver tis es eighty-three authen tic recipes, nei ther many of the ingre di ents (goose, carp, giblets, boiled beef) nor the tech niques (stuff ing goose necks, mak ing pud ding from smoked beef) seem par tic u lar ly acces si ble. Yet this book is quite irresistible. Beyond the hon esty and charm, it's Koerner's com mit ment to defy ing Nazi destruc tion, to sav ing Hun gar i an Jew ish cul ture, that makes this book so com pelling. Jew ish Cui sine in Hun gary is right eous scholarship."

* Jewish Book Council *

"Andras Koerner, author of Jewish Book Award-winning Jewish Cuisine in Hungary, uses untouched culinary traditions to explore centuries of cultural history before the Holocaust. The 2019 Jewish Book Award in the inaugural category of food writing and cookbooks has been given to 'Jewish Cuisine in Hungary' by Andras Koerner. As Koerner told The Times of Israel in a phone conversation, the book 'offers a cultural history of the diversity of Hungarian Jewish cuisine before 1945.'" https://www.timesofisrael.com/flavor-of-prewar-hungarian-jewish-life-captured-in...

-- Rich Tenorio * The Times of Israel *


Awards
Winner of National Jewish Book Award (Food Writing & Cookbooks category) 2019.



Book Information
ISBN 9789633862735
Author Andras Koerner
Format Paperback
Page Count 420
Imprint Central European University Press
Publisher Central European University Press