November is Mizrahi Heritage Month, a time dedicated to the culture and traditions of Jews from across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Central Asia. Experience a delicious part of Sephardic and Mizrahi heritage with these recipes.
Baklava
These sweet phyllo dough pastries are popular across the Sephardic and Mizrahi worlds. Some may argue over where baklava originated, but it’s a given that it has universal appeal!
Bulemas
Bulemas are a popular breakfast food in Greek and Turkish Jewish communities. Made of puff pastry or phyllo dough, they can have a variety of fillings. They’re similar to bourekas, but spiral-shaped, rather than triangular or square.
Bumuelos
Bumuelos (also called bimuelos) are a sweet doughnut eaten on Hanukkah in Turkish and Greek Jewish communities. Similar dishes exist around the Sephardic world, including Moroccan sfeng doughnuts, which are also eaten to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah. Try this recipe from Global Jewish Kitchen.
Chamin/ Dafina
If you love eating cholent on Shabbat, give its North African cousin dafina a try. Also known as chamin, Hebrew for “hot,” this stew is slow-cooked to be enjoyed Saturday afternoon for Shabbat. It usually includes slow-cooked eggs, called haminados in Ladino, a dish Sephardic Jews brought to North Africa from Spain.
Kibbeh
Kibbeh is a beloved meze, or appetizer, in Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi, and Israeli homes. It can be eaten on its own or dipped in tahini, a tangy sesame-based dip, or muhamara, a sweet red bell pepper spread.
Lachmagine
Lachmagine, a popular Syrian meze, is a meat pie typically eaten on Shabbats and during other festivities.
Maamoul
These date cookies are popular in North African and Israeli homes and make perfect Purim basket treats.
Malabi
Rose water–based pudding, malabi is a popular dessert in many Persian-Jewish households and across the Mizrahi world. It is especially enjoyed today in Israel, and shops selling it there are about as common as ice cream stores in the U.S.
Malawach
Flaky-savory pancakes hailing from Yemen, malawach is enjoyed with a grated tomato sauce called resek agvaniot, and a spicy hot sauce called zhug. Try this recipe from The Nosher.
Moroccan Couscous
Couscous with marak yerakot, a vegetable soup, is a comforting weeknight meal and a Shabbat specialty. In the 1950s and ’60s, many Moroccan Jews immigrated to Israel and brought the recipe for this dish with them, making it a popular food in many Israeli homes today.
Pelmeni
Sometimes called “Russian ravioli,” these meat-filled dumplings are a comfort food in many Bukharian Jewish households. Enjoy this recipe from Jewish Food Society.
Sabich
A favorite Israeli street food, sabich was brought to Israel by Iraqi immigrants. Traditionally enjoyed cold on Saturday mornings, sabich is a pita sandwich filled with egg, eggplant, potato, and salad. Learn how to make sabich with the Sephardic Spice Girls.
Tahdig
Rice is a staple in Persian homes, and tahdig is a rice-based dish with a crispy top. Sometimes meat or fruits such as barberries are ingredients of tahdig, and sometimes potatoes are too.
About the Author
A senior at Columbia University, Yasmine Abouzaglo is from Texas and has Moroccan Israeli and Costa Rican Jewish roots. Yasmine was a 2025 Sephardi House Fellow (the fellows are a program of the American Sephardi Federation) and a co-lead and founder of Hamsa, Columbia/Barnard Hillel’s Mizrahi and Sephardi Student Group. She joined PJ Library as a summer intern in 2026.
More
A Short Introduction to Mizrahi Culture
A Brief History of the Moroccan Jewish Community
Telling Sephardic and Mizrahi Stories
October 19, 2026