Hanukkah, which generations of Jewish children have viewed as a lousy consolation prize, may be on the brink of becoming one hot holiday.
Forget the complicated story of Judah Maccabee and his ragtag army. The Festival of Lights is a celebration of gas mileage. And in this oil-starved economy, that’s a storyline anyone can appreciate.
After reclaiming the Temple in Jerusalem from Antiochus and his nasty band of Greek soldiers, who defiled the sacred space by hosting a whole-hog barbecue on its altar, the Jews planned to hold a proper rededication ceremony. But, as the Talmud tells it, they were running low on party supplies, including the consecrated olive oil needed to fuel the Temple’s eternal flame. There was only one day’s worth of oil to burn.
Since it would take a full eight days to replenish their oil inventory, they lit the flame with tremendous trepidation—by definition, the eternal flame is not permitted to peter out.
But in the ancient equivalent of embarking on a road trip with the gas gauge on “E,” the Jews lit the flame anyhow. And, miracle of miracles, it kept on burning. In an unexpected turn that would warm a conservationist’s heart, their measly dollop of oil burned for eight days.
Jews today still commemorate the event by indulging in oil-soaked food for Hanukkah. While Biblical sources don’t offer any specific dietary suggestions for the holiday, most American Jews’ chosen holiday snack is potato pancakes fried in Wesson oil. Recipes for latkes vary, but the ratio of oil to potato is usually about ten to one. (The corollary statistic for stomachaches is something like five eaters out of five.)
But there’s a way to simultaneously avoid the pain and honor Hanukkah’s heritage: Sephardic Jews, who trace their lineage to Spain, regularly break out the olive oil for their holiday dishes. And, in a twist that reaffirms Hanukkah’s earth-friendly roots, it’s now possible for Asheville residents to buy locally produced olive oil.
Theros Extra Virgin Olive Oil is bottled at the Blue Ridge Food Ventures facility by the Theros family, which has owned an olive orchard in Messinia, Greece, for generations. Three years ago, Spero Theros, who immigrated to Minnesota as a boy, decided to start importing the olive oil produced by his 1,300 trees.
“It’s unlike any other olive oil you’ll buy in the stores,” raves Theros, who now lives in Brevard.
Foodies who obsess over their salmon—line-caught? farm-raised?—and sugar have lately been scrutinizing their olive oil, which a New Yorker exposé this summer revealed is often little more than cottonseed oil and preservatives. Theros says he’s already benefiting from the story’s fallout, with restaurants and home cooks clamoring for the real stuff.
“We don’t commingle it, we don’t dilute it,” Theros explains. “You can tell right away when you look at it that it’s pure. It’s greener, it’s thicker, it has an almost peppery taste because it’s so pure.”
Theros’ son Niko, who co-owns the operation, is currently in Greece, overseeing the harvest. The olives are cold-pressed abroad and shipped as oil to Asheville for bottling.
“I think Greek olive oil is the best olive oil,” says Theros, with as much objectivity as he can muster. “A lot of Italian and French olive-oil makers buy Greek oil and then blend it with their crummy stuff. The problem is with poorer countries, like Greece, they’re not always in a position to export it themselves.”
Theros believes he’s solved that problem. His oils are available at Greenlife Grocery, and are used at local restaurants including 28806, Laughing Seed, Tupelo Honey and Usual Suspects. He uses his eponymous oil in his salads, to fry his eggs and on his pasta. “It really has replaced butter almost 100 percent in my diet,” he says.
The oil also works well for cooking, especially on Hanukkah. A recipe for an olive oil-based farka, a sweet porridge enjoyed by North African Jews, follows.
This traditional recipe for farka is adapted from a recipe first published in The Forward in 2002. Although farka is typically eaten as breakfast food, it’s sweet enough to serve as dessert.
Farka (Tunisian Sweet Couscous with Dates and Nuts)
4 1/4 c. water
1 1/4 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 1/2 c. couscous
1 1/2 c. pitted dates, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 c. toasted mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios)
2 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling
1 tsp. ground cinnamon for sprinkling
1. Combine 1 1/4 cups of the water and the confectioner’s sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the couscous in a large bowl. Cover with the remaining 3 cups of water and let stand until the water is absorbed. Stir with a wooden spoon to remove any lumps.
3. Line a fine-meshed colander with a single layer of cheesecloth. Put the couscous in the colander and place the colander over the boiling water, so that the couscous can steam. (Make sure that none of the couscous is submerged in the water. If it is, remove some of the water.) Cover the colander with a towel. Steam until the couscous is tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Place the chopped dates in a large bowl. Add the steamed couscous to the bowl. When the couscous is cool enough to handle, use your hands to mix it with the dates. Slowly add the olive oil and continue mixing. Next, mix in the chopped nuts. Finally, slowly pour in the cooled syrup, adding just enough for the couscous to be fully moistened but not soggy.
5. Transfer the couscous to a large serving platter and fluff up with a fork or your hands. Sprinkle with the confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon.
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