154 Savor! An Interactive Celebration of Sephardic Culture Through Food & Music

Honored to welcome two special guests to the podcast today: musician Sarah Aroeste and chef Susan Barocas. They share unique connections as Sephardic Jews with roots tracing back to a large, influential, and ancient Macedonian town. Sadly, during the Holocaust, nearly the entire population of that town was lost - a shocking 98%, in fact.

Both Sarah and Susan are passionate about preserving Sephardic culture. As enthusiastic researchers, they delve deep into historical records, oral traditions, and stories. Together, they're on a mission to curate and share this rich heritage with all of us.

But what makes their "Savor! project unique and truly remarkable is how they express this shared passion differently.

The "Savor" experience is, in part, a music album filled of Sephardic songs about food, sung in the Ladino language. It's also a collection of recipes that go hand in hand with each song. Plus, Susan and Sarah have created videos featuring female chefs demonstrating these recipes, all while discussing their personal connection to food and Sephardic culture.

As we approach the Jewish High Holy Days, I’m thrilled to have Sarah and Susan here to discuss Sephardic history and heritage. As you’ll hear, they teach me so much, not only about Sephardic culture, but also about the profound role of food and music in preserving heritage, tradition, history, values, and stories.

Highlights

A concept album: How the Savor project of pairing Sephardic recipes & songs began
Sarah and Susan’s shared heritage in Bitola (formerly Monastir) in Northern Macedonia, where 98% of the town was exterminated in the Holocaust
The distinctions among Jews (Sephardic vs. Ashkenazi) are a modern construction
When & how did the lineages and stories of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews
How the geography, language (Ladino), and music of the Sephardics developed
The core elements of liturgy and customs that unite all Jews
The effects of the multi-century Spanish Inquisition on the entire Jewish populations, especially Sephardic Jews
The Holocaust was deadly for Sephardic Jews as well
Sarah’s story: “Music was my life.” How Sarah pivoted from classical opera to performing as a Ladino singer.
How did Sarah and her mentor uncovered and created Ladino music
No such thing as “authentic” or “traditional” Sephardic music or recipes
Sopa de Ajo: Allium Soap - Why Sarah chose it
Alliums and the Inquisition
Susan’s story: Her father as teacher
How Sephardic cooking spread to and melded with the rest of the world’s cuisine
How to prepare garlic until it’s “mellow, sweet, and flavorful”
Susan’s tips for preparing leeks