Isfung: The savory donut that is a shared heritage of Muslims and Jews for centuries
On the occasion of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival, fried things are definitely made in oil, but in those days the dish is not complete without ‘Isfung’ made in ancient Spain.
Hanukkah literally means ‘dedication’ and is celebrated annually by the Jewish community to commemorate the event that led to the rebellion against Greek rule that resulted in the capture of Jerusalem from the Greeks around 168 BC. After getting rid of it, he had once again dedicated his holy candle (lamp-pot) to another place of worship in the city.
Later, in the religious books of the Jews, a description of this historical event is found, where this miracle is also mentioned when the oil lying in this sacred candle kept burning continuously for eight days and the door-o-wall of the ‘Second Temple’ was illuminated for so many days. are. In this way, during the seven days of Hanukkah, oil and fried food became an essential part of this ceremony.
That’s why every year when Hanukkah, or the Jewish community’s ‘Festival of Lights’, comes around, you are sure to be served pancakes made of finely chopped potatoes, onions and eggs, or donuts filled with latkes and sweet fruit jam Huh.
In place of the traditional eight-branched candlestick, you see nine-wicked candlesticks in Jewish homes these days.
In the context of Hanukkah week, it would not be out of place to refer to a period when hot donuts called isfung were popular with Jews and Muslims alike in the 13th century in Andalus (present-day Morocco and Spain).
On Hanukkah, it is common for Jewish households in various regions of the world to make fried dishes and sweets, whose ancestors were related to ancient Spain. From this point of view, it is not surprising to have fried isphang on the dining table. If seen, Isfung also seems to be the brother of Sufgianiyot, an ancient sweet popular in the Jewish community.
You don’t need to have any special pointed funnel to make isphang, just cut the dough into a large puri-like circle, stretch it long and join both the ends in a circular shape. After this, put it in very hot oil and fry it for one minute from both the sides. The piping hot Isfung is ready. It will feel like sweet crunchy toast while chewing and after that your mouth will be filled with mild sweetness.
What is isphang?
Elena Zohra Piner not only holds a PhD on the history of the medieval period and the cuisine of that period, but she is also the author of a book on the cuisine of ancient Spain. Many organization doctors consider his abilities as iron.
Dr. Elena’s childhood was spent among the local people in France, but on her father’s side, her ancestry comes from the ancient Jewish families of Andalus.
His second book ‘Jews, Food and Spain’ has been published in November this year. In fact, if you have any questions about ancient Spanish cuisine, you couldn’t find a better expert than Dr. Elena.
In praise of Isfung, she says, “Isfung is a big size donut with bubbles all over the top and bottom. It is hard and crispy on the outside and has air inside.”
She says that we also find the mention of Isfang in the famous thirteenth century work on mines, ‘Kitab al-Tabbikh’, which is the oldest book on mines in the area of the Spanish and Portuguese peninsula, but Dr. Helion says that such ancient The methods of making isphang mentioned in the books were completely different from the methods used today. For example, there was no hole in the middle of the isphang of that time.
In history, we see the isphang with holes again in a famous 13th century book written in Spanish Arabic.
Dr. Elena says that according to the recipe given in that book, in ancient times isfang was made by adding semolina, yeast and salt to hot water. For that isphang it was necessary that you should fry it in oil till it becomes golden from one side but leave it white from the top.
Spain through Africa to Israel Although the tradition of making isphang dates back to the days of Muslim rule in Spain, the dish spread to different parts of the world with immigrants from Andalus, and today’s isphang can be found in cuisines from North America to the Middle East. Glimpses of the methods are also visible.
When Granada fell from the hands of Muslims in 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain expelled Jews and Muslims from Andalus.
Often some of them fled to the area of North Africa that is now part of Morocco, and after a few changes, the tradition of making isphang reached there with them. In this way the tradition also reached Libya and Tunisia where isfung is called snuffz and bambaloni respectively.
And then when the state of Israel came into existence in 1948 after uproar and pogroms, people revived the tradition of Isfung here as well.
In the period between 1948 and 2016, about two lakh 74 thousand 180 Jews left Morocco and came to Israel and according to the latest figures, the total number of Jews from Morocco in Israel has reached four lakh 72 thousand 800.
If you look at the different names of Isphang, you will come to know the story of the long journey of this dish that this ancient sweet of Undalas made on the occasion of festivals
The Common Heritage of Muslims and Jews Doctor Elena explains that Isfung is also called ‘Esponga’ in Spanish and the source of this word is the Arabic word Sfanj which means something that absorbs. Perhaps this is what we call a sponge. This is also the origin of Safuj, another name for Isfung in Hebrew.
Although the Jewish population in Morocco has dwindled to an estimated 3,000, you can still buy isfung from hawkers in Morocco.
Even Jews who emigrated from Morocco and settled in Israel, do not enjoy it until they have a couple of isfungs on a plate full of latkes on the occasion of Hanukkah. You can enjoy it all year round in the streets of Morocco.
According to Dr. Elena, “Isfung being made in different regions of the world is a proof that it belongs to the common heritage of Muslims and Jews. It was also in the shared past and still exists today.”
