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Think you know what Sephardic food is? Guess again. And again. And again! Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Egypt, Britain, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania... The gastronomic heritage of these countries and many others has been impacted by or had an influence on Sephardic cooking, a centuries-old cuisine with its roots in the Jewish traditions of Spain and Portugal.
How do you characterize a cuisine that shares a history with so many others? Since the 14th century, wherever in the world the Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish) people have migrated their cooking has adapted over time to the techniques, tastes and ingredients found in new lands, while always remaining true to ancient cultural traditions and Iberian culinary heritage.
So many different flavors and textures! Throughout the Mediterranean and well beyond, five centuries of Sephardic influence have formed uniquely distinct approaches to shared traditional recipes - all of them equally tantalizing.
Once you know what to look for, you'll begin to recognize Sephardic food in places you might never have imagined. Widely assimilated, yet retaining fundamental characteristics in its many guises, it is the original "Mediterranean fusion" cuisine.
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