Why This Recipe:

Charoset, one of the foods on the Seder plate, symbolizes the mortar that the Hebrew slaves used to cement the bricks they were building with when they were slaves to Pharaoh. Over the years different recipes have evolved by Jews living in many different countries. Traditional Ashkenazic recipes include apples, walnuts, wine, and cinnamon. Sephardic recipes vary a great deal with ingredients such as orange, mashed banana, dried fruits (dates, apricots, figs, raisins), shredded coconut, and many different kinds of nuts (pistachios, almonds, pine nuts) and spices (ginger, cardamom, rose water). Here are a sampling of some multiethnic Charoset recipes:

Ashkenazi/ Eastern European

Ingredients:

• 1 apple peeled, cored and grated
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• pinch of ginger or cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of red/purple grape juice

Directions:

1. Combine the apple, nuts and ginger/cinnamon and mix well.
    
2. Add the juice and serve.

Persian (Iranian):
(recipe from Mrs. Nahid Hakimi)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ground almond
• 1/4 cup ground filberts
• 1/4 cup ground walnuts
• 1/4 cup ground pistachios
• 1 apple- grated
• 1 pear grated
• 1 banana grated
• 6 dates- mashed well
• A pinch of ginger
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of dark grape juice
• 2 Tablespoons of orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons of red juice

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients to brick-like consistency.

Syrian

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of dates
• 1/2 cup of grape juice
• 1/2 cup of ground nuts
• cinnamon and ginger (to taste)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.