 | |
| Alternative names | Adafina,dafina,sakhina |
|---|---|
| Type | Sabbath stew |
| Place of origin | Spain[1] |
| Created by | Sephardic Jews |
| Main ingredients | Whole grains,meat,beans,potatoes |
Hamin ordafina is aSabbath stew made fromwhole grains, cubes of meat,chickpeas orbeans,onion andcumin that emerged inIberia amongSephardic Jews.[1] The dish was developed as Jewish chefs, perhaps first in Iberia, began adding chickpeas or fava beans and more water toharisa, aMiddle Eastern porridge of crackeddurumwheat berries and meat, to create a more liquidy bean stew. The similar Sabbath stewcholent was developed based onhamin byAshkenazi Jews in Europe, first inFrance and laterGermany.[1]
The namehamin (חמין) is derived from theHebrew wordחם ('hot'),[2] from which theMishnaic word for warm things was derived, and eventually became a shorthand for the name of the Sephardic foodhamin di trigo (lit. heat of grain).[1] It was sometimes also called "trasnochado" ("overnighted" in Spanish).[3] After theReconquista inSpain,Iberian Jews hid theirhamin pots under the fire embers to avoid persecution and exposure of Jewish practices,[4] renaming the dishdafina (Arabic:دفينة), meaning buried,[5] echoing theMishnaic phrase "bury the hot food".[6]
Sabbath stews were developed over the centuries to conform withJewish laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath. The pot is brought to a boil on Friday before the Sabbath begins, and sometimes kept on ablech orhotplate, or left in a slow oven or electricslow cooker, until the following day.[1] Over the centuries variousJewish diaspora communities created their own variations of Sabbath stew based on local food resources and neighborhood influence.
There are many variations of the dish, which is today a staple of bothSephardi andAshkenazi kitchens and among other communities.[7] The basic ingredients of hamin are generallywhole grains,meat,beans andpotatoes, while some stews also feature othervegetables. Slow overnight cooking allows the flavors of the various ingredients to permeate and produces the characteristic taste of each local stew.
Hamin emerged as a dish whenSephardic chefs began to experiment with addingchickpeas orbeans and more water toharisa, a traditionalMiddle Eastearn porridge of crackeddurumwheat berries, to create a more liquidy bean stew.[1] The basic ingredients of SephardicSabbath stews werewhole grains,meat,beans,potatoes, but the exact recipe varied from place to place and season to season.[1]
After theReconquista and expulsion, Jewishconversos in Spain hid theirhamin pots under the fire embers to avoid persecution and exposure of Jewish practices, leading to the namedafina, meaning buried, for the dish.[4] Amid theSpanish Inquisition,hamin was the most incriminating dish forIberian Jews to be caught cooking. Some conversos replaced the mutton with pork in order to consumehamin without risking arrest.[1] This gave rise to two ofSpain's classic dishes,cocido madrileño andolla podrida.[1]
In the 13th century,olla podrida became a staple in mainstreamSpanish cuisine as a porridge with vegetables, spices and meat, usually cattle. By the 14th century famine in Northern Europe caused a rise in cattle prices in Western Europe and North Africa, leading chicken rearing to overtake livestock production.[8] The rise in chicken production and surplus of eggs gave rise tohuevos haminados, eggs long-roasted overnight in hamin pots. Eggs later took on spiritual significance withinJewish culture.[9][10][11]
Following the 1492expulsion of the Jews from Spain,hamin adapted to other local ingredients and seasonings, incorporating spices such ascinnamon,paprika,saffron andturmeric.[1] The influx of new ingredients fromSouth America in the 16th century meanwhile resulted inwhite beans often substitutingfava beans, andwhite potatoes,sweet potatoes,pumpkin andred chillies being added in some recipes.[1]
AsSephardic Jews dispersed, both the form and name ofhamin changed. Sephardic Jews that went to Syria and India retained the namehamin, while those in the Balkans and Turkey adopted new names. Italian Jews made hamin with fava beans and alternatively lamb, beef steaks, beefbrisket, chicken or beef meatballs andbeet greens orchard. They also might addsage.[1]
Romaniote Jews used large cuts of beef, onions andpligouri, a type of crackedbulgur wheat, while in Jerusalem, Jewish cooks added both potatoes and rice to the dish.Indian Jews addedgaram masala andginger.[1]
When Sephardic Jews arrived inNorth Africa,hamin was merged with nativetagines, creating variations incorporatingcalves'hooves orkouclas, a type of dumpling, served withcouscous.Cinnamon,nutmeg andginger all became common spices in Moroccan variants, along with the addition ofdates,honey orquince jam.[1] These stews also contained whole eggs, orhuevos haminados, simmered in their shells.[1] TheMoroccans dishsakhina/S'hina/skhena (سخينة), meaning "hot", is also a variation ofhamin.[12]
OnShabbat Beraisheet, the Sabbath afterSukkot, some communities prepare a seven-layerhamin with rice between each layer, and other special ingredients, includingprunes,raisins,pumpkins,spinach andgrape leaves.[1]