Jewish and Israeli Food

7 Shavuot Foods from Around the World

Shavuot 2024 starts at sundown on Tuesday, June 11 – and we’ve gathered our favorite Shavuot recipes from Jewish communities around the world to help make your holiday the tastiest ever!

Shavuot 2024 is coming! The holiday starts at sundown on Tuesday, June 11, and lasts through the following day in Israel and for two days in the diaspora.

It is a widespread custom – and one of the defining features and many people’s favorite aspect of the holiday! – to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. For many Jews, that means enjoying cheesecake, blintzes, and other sweet, creamy desserts. But that’s not all! Jewish communities around the world have a wide array of treasured Shavuot recipes that utilize local ingredients and reflect the beautiful diversity of global Jewish culture.

We have rounded up 7 of our favorite, scrumptious foods that are enjoyed by Jews during Shavuot. Need a refresher first on what Shavuot is and why the Jewish people celebrate it? Check out our Shavuot 101 guide here!

And don’t forget to check out our store’s amazing array of delicious Israeli foods, including artisanal kosher gift baskets that make perfect gifts for loved ones year-round.

As we say in Israel, beteavon!

 

1. Israel: Classic Israeli Cheesecake
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We have to include a classic Shavuot cheesecake, of course - and what better way to celebrate the holiday than with a traditional cheesecake recipe from Israel!

This recipe uses the soft, white, creamy cheese that's a staple in every Israeli home known as gvina levana or literally "white cheese," though if you're outside Israel, quark cheese is a good substitute. Another component of this Israeli cheesecake is a crumbly crust, providing a delicious balance to the creamy inside and rounding out this delectable treat that's not to be missed.

Click here to get the recipe!

 

Bonus. Romania: Burnished Cheesecake

 

 

Why not try multiple cheesecakes this year?

This recipe featuring a deeply browned top and rich filling has been passed on from generation to generation and can be traced back to the Jewish community of Romania, so you'll be part of a long chain of Jewish history by making it in your own home.

Click here to get the recipe!

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2. Turkey: Borekitas with Eggplant or Cheese
Empanadas, shot from above with various sauces

The filled pastry known as borekas is a common holiday and shabbat meal staple in Israel and in many Jewish homes around the world. But you'll really impress your Shavuot guests with this special version that originated in the Jewish community of Turkey and has been kept alive in Israel, known as borekitas! While some make them for every shabbat, the cheese filling is especially fitting for Shavuot.

Make it with either eggplant stuffing or cheese - or one batch of each to please all tastes! - and you'll have a filling holiday appetizer or side dish that you'll love making and serving.

Click here to get the recipe!

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3. India: Basundi
Kesar Rabri Decorated With Various Dry Fruits

The pudding-like desert known as basundi is not an exclusively Jewish food - it is enjoyed by Indians of every faith across the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. However, Jewish communities in these regions often made basundi especially for the Biblical holiday of Shavuot because of its milky base and sweet taste.

Try it for yourself to impress your family and guests with a unique holiday dish that has both taste and flair!

Click here to get the recipe!

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4. Mexico: Babka with Mexican Chocolate & Cinnamon
CInnamon chocolate babka

The term “Mexican food” may remind you of quesadillas and tacos, but the Jews of Mexico actually often eat foods similar to Eastern European Ashkenazi cuisine, like gefilte fish and brisket. However, at the same time, Mexican Jewish communities often incorporate local ingredients and flavors that are more readily available to them, creating their own twists on classic Ashkenazi fare.

Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Babka is a perfect example of this tradition - and an ideal sweet treat for the holiday of Shavuot. It also uses butter, making it a rich, dairy dessert your family will adore.

Click here to get the recipe!

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5. Syria: Atayef
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Atayef are a blintz-meets-pancake delicacy that has been enjoyed by Jews (and non-Jews) in Syria for hundreds of years. Stuffed with a sweet, creamy ricotta mixture, these pastries are fried (making them a traditional treat for Hanukkah, too) and then drenched in rosewater syrup.

Whether your family has Syrian roots or not, you won't be able to get enough of Syrian atayef once you try them this Shavuot and serve them on your holiday table!

Click here to get the recipe!

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6. Ukraine: Lenivie Vareniki
Bowl of tasty lazy dumplings with sour cream and mint leaves on brown table

While you may be familiar with vareniki as the Russian word for dumpling, Lenivie Vareniki refers to specific type of dumpling popular in Ukraine. Rather than being filled like a traditional dumping, this scrumptious version has cheese and butter worked right into the dough itself - making them particularly fitting for Shavuot but also delicious on any other holiday, shabbat, or special occasion.

Get super-traditional and Shavuot-appropriate by topping them with sour cream, and you'll have a yummy main dish that even the kids will love!

Click here to get the recipe!

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7. Yemen/Israel: Malawach
Malawach or malawah: traditional fried bread of Yemenite Jews

Malawach is a flatbread that's commonly eaten in Israel, after being introduced to the country by Yemenite Jewish immigrants. However, it's typically pareve and dairy-free, often served alongside meat. Yemenite Jewish communities did not traditionally eat dairy during Shavuot, and made malawach instead.

Nonetheless, some families in Israel today choose to eat this versatile flatbread with dairy dips and dishes on Shavuot to have the best of both worlds - so you can serve it with whatever you like to fit your family's preferences and customs.

Click here to get the recipe!

 

Enjoy, and Happy Shavuot from the entire Judaica Webstore team in Jerusalem!

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