holidays around the world comment

disneyworldsk

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
While I haven't been there, I have read online the menu for the lchayim area at the international holiday event in epcot. I wanted to clarify something as Craig had mentioned he felt it was true to the holidays. I'm not sure about the other areas of food stations in epcot but specifically the menu for lchayim is jewish food from america (ny/nj), as in kosher style jewish deli food. On chanukah we eat latkes (not knishes) and jelly donuts called sufganiot. It is unfortunate that those aren't on the chanukah menu or a description of why we eat it isn't listed as Ryno said. I think the Jewish food offered sounds great but it's not chanukah. We also eat chanukah gelt (chocolate coins) as dessert not black and white cookies. And that's just America: but international chanukah such as middle eastern foods can be also different for chanukah then america. Hope this clarifies, wonder about the other areas of the world, if they depict the holidays or do they depict a culture as a whole all the time? Don't get me wrong, it sounds amazing to eat, just doesn't represent the holiday itself, as I know it from the east coast side of things and celebrate it.
 
I agree. I haven't heard the show but I had seen that menu. If their goal was to feature food items related to the holiday, they failed. If they were just going for some items found in the typical Jewish deli, they're right on the mark.

No complaints here as I'm very happy to actually see something Jewish represented in the park. If we were there, I'd be getting a pastrami sandwich, knish, matzo ball soup, and cookie for sure, if for no other reason than to support them being there. So kudos to them for bringing in some Jewish-style food for this festival.
 
yes, correct. But Ryno was interested in the holidays and sounds to me like they failed in representing that through its food choices when the main foods we do eat (top three) could have easily been there with an explanation. sounds like good food, sounds like they represented the culture/religion overall just not the holiday in the food at all.
 
We were there yesterday. While I am not qualified to comment on authenticity of offerings, I can tell you it was our favorite area of the festival. The food...incredible. I’ve never had a Knish before, it was our favorite of the day. We really enjoyed the entertainer, he talked about the traditional foods the op mentions and the meaning behind the holiday and it’s symbols.

To me, this is the spirit of what this festival should be. I learned about a holiday celebration different than my own, I was entertained with song and story of that holiday and I enjoyed food I never tried before.
 


We were there yesterday. While I am not qualified to comment on authenticity of offerings, I can tell you it was our favorite area of the festival. The food...incredible. I’ve never had a Knish before, it was our favorite of the day. We really enjoyed the entertainer, he talked about the traditional foods the op mentions and the meaning behind the holiday and it’s symbols.

To me, this is the spirit of what this festival should be. I learned about a holiday celebration different than my own, I was entertained with song and story of that holiday and I enjoyed food I never tried before.
this is so wonderful. it's so nice to hear positivity with cultures and religion and history and diversity and inclusivity. wish there was more of that in the world.
 
this is so wonderful. it's so nice to hear positivity with cultures and religion and history and diversity and inclusivity. wish there was more of that in the world.
I agree, it would make the world a much better place! I have long said that prejudice and ignorance have the same number of letters, and mean the same thing. Most prejudices are because people are ignorant (in the sense of being not cognizant of, NOT stupid - before anybody takes offense!!), or afraid of, what they only think they hate, or is different from what they are/believe in. If they invested more time and energy into becoming KNOWLEDGEABLE about that other culture/religion/belief/way of life, whatever, they would, most probably, be AMAZED at the richness and depth of it, and how much commonality they share!

I have always loved to hear about other cultures/religions/ways of life/beliefs - and especially FOOD! :) This is all IMHO, of course, and just my experiences, starting WAY back in my teenage years. (and I'm OLD now, so that'a LONG time!) LOL
 
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My take on the food is that it was not stellar, it was more Seinfeld. If you have ever had a grandmothers knish you would feel the same shame I do eating funnel cake at the American pavilion or pretzels in the Germany pavilion (Pennsylvania Dutch pride)

Campbell’s does a better soup, and dipping a standard stale Disney sugar cookie in milk and white chocolate just ranks below pepridge farms.

I wish Disney would make some food that didn’t come out like McNuggets, especially in the world “showcase”.
 


Pete, on this week's podcast, raised my comment on air. It is a good discussion topic because Ryno really brought it up the week prior. He genuinely wanted to know about the culures which the the kiosks represent. He spoke about the puerto rican food offered, he spoke about the german pavilion thru music, and I really felt that the Lçhayim food did not represent chanukah at all . This week is chanukah, I am not religious, however, I do keep kosher (or vegetarian when I am outside the home like in disney eating out). I cannot eat the meat at the kiosk (but that's ok by me), but as I celebrate Chanukah this week we do not have knish or pastrami, no. Sounds yummy, but does not represent a Jewish Chanukah festival. It represents my local deli (as I've said before). I have noticed over the years that black and white cookies are being created in my local supermarkets as blue and white cookies (I think an offshoot of red/green xmas colors so they try to create a comparison). But I do not buy those, I buy dreidel cookies actually at my local deli. I buy Sufganiyot ("soof-gone-eee-oh-t), Hebrew for jelly donuts, or anything fried in oil will do (tomorrow night is the sabbath and I will be making schnitzel (chicken fried in a little oil with bread crumbs) which I do not normally make as it's quite unhealthy. But yes, Pete, I would love for people to know my culture and not stereotype us and boy if they had a Jewish singing group that yelled really loud, "black and white cookie!"in their lyrics like applesauce in germany I would be offended. Here I am just disappointed and not surprised, German culture I would be offended by that one!
Thanks for bringing up my topic though (I am completely utterly shy so 'phew' my 'name' wasn't brought up!!!).
 
I just heard the discussion from this week's show. The fact that the food isn't kosher hadn't even crossed my mind as I have zero expectation that a theme park kiosk would be kosher. Add in the fact that about 80% of American Jews don't keep kosher and of the 20% that do, many don't do so outside of their own homes. So the audience for kosher food at a place like Disney World is a tiny minority of guests. Personally, I'm not the least bit offended or insulted by the fact that the food isn't kosher (but I don't keep kosher myself). I'm more bothered by it not being Chanukah food when that's the intended point of the kiosk.
 
I'm more bothered by it not being Chanukah food when that's the intended point of the kiosk.
The other thing is that it would have been a really simple fix. The soup is fine. We eat that year round and have it at pretty much any festival meal. Substitute potato latkes for the knish. Substitute jelly donuts (sufgoniyot) for the cookie. I really can't think of a main course food that is associated with Chanukah so keep the sandwich. So change up 2 of the 4 offerings and you're good.
 
The other thing is that it would have been a really simple fix. The soup is fine. We eat that year round and have it at pretty much any festival meal. Substitute potato latkes for the knish. Substitute jelly donuts (sufgoniyot) for the cookie. I really can't think of a main course food that is associated with Chanukah so keep the sandwich. So change up 2 of the 4 offerings and you're good.
Maybe some noodle kugel? Or brisket in gravy for a main? Still not strictly Chanukah per se, but I would think a little more authentic than a corned beef on rye. (At least from my memories working at a Jewish deli that was Kosher, but not Kosher for Passover for over 5 years). I think they could also be easily prepared in the big quantities they would need, and could fairly easily sit for a while, without losing too much quality.

Also, my neighbors when I was a teen, were from Israel, and I know when we played the dreidel, the prize - if not the gelt coins - were something I remember as little fried balls of dough - maybe covered in honey? - not jelly filled though.
 
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I just heard the discussion from this week's show. The fact that the food isn't kosher hadn't even crossed my mind as I have zero expectation that a theme park kiosk would be kosher. Add in the fact that about 80% of American Jews don't keep kosher and of the 20% that do, many don't do so outside of their own homes. So the audience for kosher food at a place like Disney World is a tiny minority of guests. Personally, I'm not the least bit offended or insulted by the fact that the food isn't kosher (but I don't keep kosher myself). I'm more bothered by it not being Chanukah food when that's the intended point of the kiosk.
Yes, agreed. I'm kosher, not orthodox, would love to eat it sure, but fine if it's not. Because it's not for me. It's for everyone else who wants to learn about me. And agreed. latkes, gelt, jelly donuts. done. everyone's main dish is different anyway usually. Just got a pic from my sister's friend riding the nyc subway wearing a nazi emblem on his jacket. Just this minute. oh joy. so ya, it would be nice to educate people in all religions and cultures especially young children who visit the parks to enlighten them properly and factually and show them not everyone is the same but don't fear us and don't hate us. So I will light my menorah tonight and hope and pray in my mind for a safer, kinder and better educated world around us and think about my ancestors who weren't allowed to light them because they were being persecuted not too long ago, hoping it won't happen to us again. Peaceful holiday season to everyone....
 
Yes, agreed. I'm kosher, not orthodox, would love to eat it sure, but fine if it's not. Because it's not for me. It's for everyone else who wants to learn about me. And agreed. latkes, gelt, jelly donuts. done. everyone's main dish is different anyway usually. Just got a pic from my sister's friend riding the nyc subway wearing a nazi emblem on his jacket. Just this minute. oh joy. so ya, it would be nice to educate people in all religions and cultures especially young children who visit the parks to enlighten them properly and factually and show them not everyone is the same but don't fear us and don't hate us. So I will light my menorah tonight and hope and pray in my mind for a safer, kinder and better educated world around us and think about my ancestors who weren't allowed to light them because they were being persecuted not too long ago, hoping it won't happen to us again. Peaceful holiday season to everyone....
Very nicely said, and done - joining you in those peaceful wishes!
 
I think WDW got a little too much criticism for this. While it's true that Jews eat Latkes(fried potato pancakes) instead of knishes....latkes are best eaten as soon as they are fried....fresh and hot....and the quality goes down as they cool. So from a logistical standpoint, doing them in a booth and having them sit under a warming light...the quality would have sucked. Bottom line...they need to put out items that sell...and make people talk about them...and from I see on a lot of the boards is that this a fave booth for many! Sure it would be nice to have TOTALLY AUTHENTIC dishes from each region eaten during the holidays.....I guarantee if L'Chaim served Gefilte fish.....not too many would sell....remember....they kinda have to make $$$$ too...as well as try and represent the countries.
 

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