Schmaltz

File:Schweineschmalz-1.jpg

Schweineschmalz (pork schmaltz)

File:Gaenseschmalz-1.jpg

Gaenseschmalz (goose schmaltz)

File:Griebenschmalz-1.jpg

Griebenschmalz (pork with skin pieces schmaltz)

Schmaltz (Chicken)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	3,767 kJ (900 kcal)
Carbohydrates	0 g
Fat	99.8 g
saturated	30 g
monounsaturated	45 g
polyunsaturated	21 g
Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	85 mg
Vitamin E	2.7 mg
Selenium	0.2 mg
Fat percentage can vary. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Schmaltz or schmalz is rendered pork, chicken or goose fat used for frying or as a spread on bread, especially in German and Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.

Schmaltz rendered from a chicken or goose is popular in Jewish cuisine; it was used by Northwestern and Eastern European Jews who were forbidden by kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) to fry their meats in butter or lard, the common forms of cooking fat in Europe (Leviticus 7:23), and who could not obtain the kinds of cooking oils, such as olive oil and sesame oil, that they had used in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean (as in Spain and Italy); the overfeeding of geese to produce more fat per bird produced postclassical Europe's first foie gras as a side effect.

The manufacture of schmaltz involves cutting the fatty tissues of a pig or a bird (chicken or goose) into small pieces, melting the fat, and collecting the drippings. Schmaltz may be prepared by a dry process where the pieces are cooked under low heat and stirred, gradually yielding their fat. A wet process also exists whereby the fat is melted by direct steam injection. The rendered schmaltz is then filtered and clarified.

Homemade Jewish-style schmaltz is made by cutting chicken or goose fat into small pieces and melting in a pan over low-to-moderate heat, generally with onions. After the majority of the fat has been extracted, the melted fat is strained through a cheesecloth into a storage container. The remaining dark brown, crispy bits of skin and onion are known in Yiddish as gribenes.

Similarly pork fat can be enhanced with small pieces of pork skin to create Griebenschmaltz. Other recipes contain small pieces of apple or onion.

• Schmalz ies.jpg

  Schmaltz for sale in German shops with Grieben, apple, onion and herbs

Uses

Since the rendering process removes water and proteins from the fat, schmaltz does not spoil easily. It can even be used to preserve cooked meats if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry location. This is similar to the French confit.

Schmaltz often has a strong aroma, and therefore is often used for hearty recipes such as stews or roasts. It is also used as a bread spread, where it is sometimes also salted, and generally this is done on whole-grain breads which have a strong flavor of their own.

At Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse (a famous Jewish restaurant/landmark in New York City's Lower East Side), schmaltz is used in many dishes. It is served on the table, as ketchup would be in other restaurants. Schmaltz is even poured over salad in place of olive oil.

In Germany "Schmaltzbrot" can be found on many menus, especially in grounded restaurants or brewery pubs. Schmaltzbrot is often served as Griebenschmaltz on rye bread accompanied with pickled gherkin.

Butter schmaltz

Butter Schmaltz is produced by slowly cooking butter, so reducing protein and water content.

Vegetarian schmaltz

A vegetarian (and consequently pareve) version of schmaltz was first marketed commercially in South Africa by Debra's under the slogan "Even the chicken can't tell the difference". Other vegetarian brands include Nyafat. The taste and texture is similar to real chicken schmaltz but the saturated fat content is much lower - Debra's Schmaltz, for example, bears the South African Heart Foundation's [1] sign of endorsement.

Etymology and other meanings of the word

Schmaltz was derived from the Middle High German 'smalz' ‘grease’, ‘tallow’, ‘fat’. Schmaltz was used as a metonymic occupational name for a chandler.

שמאַלץ shmalts is the Yiddish word for chicken fat, It was brought to American English by Yiddish-speaking Jews who used this word mostly to refer to kosher poultry fat.

The expression "falling into the schmaltz pot" refers to the concept of having something good happen to you, often by sheer luck (e.g., being born into a good family). Someone who happens to have good luck, is given the reputation of being a schmalz.

In American English, schmaltz (adj. schmaltzy) has also an informal meaning of excessively sentimental or florid music or art or maudlin sentimentality. Its earliest usage in this sense dates to the mid 1930s.

Schmaltz and Schmalz are common last names amongst Ashkenazi Jewish people of German and Austrian descent as it is meant to imply that the bearer has enough wealth to regularly purchase schmaltz.

External links

• Recipe for Schmaltz

es:Schmaltz yi:שמאלץ