Does Jewish Food Non Mentioned In The Miqra Exist?
This isn't meant to be inflammatory by any means please don't get mad 😬🙏 but it's a question I personally mulled over and came to a conclusion. For context, I'm comprised of the big 3 diasporas from my families but they never cared about anything worthwhile in life.
The question I have is does Jewish food truly exist in origin outside the Tanakh / Miqra? Jewish cuisine (preparation and culinary practices) exists obviously, but what about food?
We have Jewish food defined by the Miqra involving the Seven Species, matzah from Exodus, hummus is somewhat partially mentioned in the Ketuvim etc.
I ask this because historically we obviously picked up on the recipes around the kingdoms and empires that ruled over us, took what little scraps were available, and made whatever was left kasher. Staple foods such as matzo ball soup comes from German dumplings (knoidel). Bagels are Polish, Chraime is Libyan / Moroccan, Aruk is Iraqi etc.
In discussions with my savta, she just said she ate whatever the Ottomans ate but Jewish food is whatever you can eat that's kasher. I agree with her in that regard. I would say Israeli food exists food that reason where it's combonations of all the kasher made dishes from the major 3 diasporas collected together. Even some generally kasher dishes from other diasporas for example like the Beta Israelis have found historical footholds in Israel.
When Jews came to America primarily from the Ashkenaz population of Europe, they brought their adaptions with them knowing kosher resources were limited so they could maintain kasher diets. Jewish American food as well is just the previous variants of Ashkenaz food + the introduction of deli culture (at a time when delis were actually affordable) introduced the ability for Jews to have access to more meats. But even now I see a shift to just having various cultural foods made kasher and thus making it suitable. The last shabbat I had was with Mexican food and I did hamotzi with a friend over a stack of kasher made tortillas.
My rambling isn't to insinuate that we lack culture, it's more to just ask for a general opinion. Because to me, eating and being Jewish is about keeping kasher & when on yom tov I adhere to the food described biblically. But other than that, I don't care what I eat, I'm not picky.
EDIT: You all convinced me otherwise that we have concrete origins & adaptions when it comes to food and it is quintessential among diaspora / the Jewish population steadfast in Israel since 70 CE.