Shakshouka

dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, onions

Shakshouka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎) is a dish of poached eggs on a type of tomato sauce. The tomato sauce has olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic. It might be seasoned with cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Shakshouka originated in Ottoman North Africa in the mid-16th century after tomatoes were introduced to the region by Hernan Cortés as part of the Columbian exchange.[1]

Shakshouka
Shakshouka with five cooked eggs on top of tomato sauce in cast iron skillet
Shakshouka in a cast iron pan
Alternative namesShakshuka, chakchouka
Place of originDisputed; Maghreb, Ottoman Empire or Yemen

Where this dish actually came from is still disputed with claims of Moroccan, Tunisian, Turkish, and Yemeni origins.[2] The dish has been part of Sephardic cuisine for a long time.[3][4]

Variations change

Shakshouka can have different ways of cooking or seasonings. Meat, cheese (usually feta) and other foods could be added to the dish.

Servings change

Shakshouka is served for breakfast, but it can be served any time of the day, like in Israel.

References change

  1. Nathan, Joan (2017). A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World: A Cookbook. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 9780385351157. Shakshuka was born in Ottoman North Africa in the mid-sixteenth century
  2. Josephs, Bernard (2009-10-08). "Shakshuka: Israel's hottest breakfast dish". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  3. Artzeinu: An Israel Encounter, By Joel Lurie Grishaver, 2008
  4. Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, ISBN 9780470391303, s.v., p. 547