These Medieval Spanish Recipes Live on in Zimbabwe

Photos by Armando Rafael and Food and Prop Styling by Mariana Velasquez

Shared by Stella Hanan Cohen

Recipe Roots: Spain > Rhodes, Greece > Marmarise, Turkey > Élisabethville, Belgian Congo (present-day Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo > Salisbury, Rhodesia (present-day Harare, Zimbabwe) 

Leading up to celebrations, the kitchens of Stella Hanan Cohen’s childhood community in Rhodesia were filled with “a cacophony of Spanish, and Turkish, and Greek,” says Stella. Romantic ballads called romansos were sung in Ladino, and women spoke longingly of their childhoods on the Greek island of Rhodes, where their community lived for over 400 years following the Inquisition. 

Together, the women worked in assembly lines to create elaborate sweets like marzipan, almond and sesame brittle, orange sponge cake, and shortbread cookies filled with dates and walnuts. Each baker had her own specialty, never sharing her culinary secret with the other women. “My late sister and I would giggle,” says Stella, the author of “Stella's Sephardic Table: Jewish Family Recipes from the Mediterranean Island of Rhodes.” “They would never hand over their recipe... they would mix everything in with their backs towards everyone so they wouldn’t see their secret extra bit of mastic or how many drops of orange blossom water.”

Still, the day spent together in the kitchen before weddings and holidays like Purim “was like a holy communion,” she says. “That sort of magical atmosphere just seems to have evaporated. It was just laden with a spirituality and a closeness.” Together, the women would create elaborate, sweets-laden tables called “mesas d’alegria” or tables of happiness, a tradition in their community that stretches back to a time in Spain before the Inquisition. 

Stella's father Sam ( far right) and friends on a boat from Rhodes to Rhodesia, 1936.

Stella, her family, and community are known as Rhodeslis. Driven out of Spain by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella during the Inquisition, many Jews found a home in the Ottoman Empire. “The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire at the time said to King Ferdinand, ‘Your loss is our gain,’ and invited all Jews to come and settle in the Ottoman lands,” Stella recounts. “My ancestors specifically chose Rhodes island.” 

They built a Jewish community on the island, preserving traditions and recipes from Spain, while also welcoming certain Ottoman influences — empanadas from Spain were influenced by bourekas from the Ottomans and stuffed grape leaves, popular in Greece and other parts of the Eastern Meditteranean, became part of the community’s culinary repertoire. 

Stella’s mother Marie and father Sam’s wedding in Elisabethville the Belgian Congo in 1947.

The Jewish community as it existed in Rhodes for centuries, largely ended with Stella’s parents’ generation. Her father was born in Rhodes and her mother grew up just across the water in Marmaris, Turkey, where her family moved from Rhodes. Both of Stella’s parents found their way to Africa early in their lives in the 1930s — her mother’s family escaped rising nationalism after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, while her father came on his own for economic opportunity. Just when Stella’s father had saved enough money to bring his siblings to Rhodesia, he learned that “Germans had invaded Rhodes island and they were taken to Auschwitz,” Stella says. His family, like many of the Jews on the island, perished in the Holocast. 

By the end of the war, many of the remaining members of the community of Rhodes lived in Africa. Here, like their foreparents did in Rhodes, they rebuilt their close knit community. “Whenever there was a wedding or some big occasion, when I was a little kid… almost the whole community was invited to the event,” Stella recalls. 

Among the traditions that came to Rhodesia was the sweets tables for special celebrations — and behind them, was always a gaggle of women who spent the day baking together. As a child, Stella remembers her grandmother’s generation and then her mother’s carefully preparing the desserts. “I remember... watching them like alchemists in the kitchen,” she says. “I’ve never seen this replicated in the modern world — or since they’ve disappeared.”

As an adult, Stella has dedicated much of her time to preserving and perpetuating the traditions and recipes of her community, helping carry them forward for future generations. “I feel that every mouthful you take has a piece of history and we wouldn’t have the history without the food,” says Stella. “It’s...my quest that it’s not forgotten.”

Pan d’Espanya (Orange Sponge Cake)

“Pan d’Espanya (pan esponjado) is the iconic orange chiffon cake that has been made for generations [by] the Jews of Spain,” explains Stella. 

Makes: 1 10 inch cake
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients
8 large eggs
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
½ cup vegetable or sunflower oil
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (Zest from 1 orange) 
¾ cup fresh orange juice (Juice from 3 oranges)
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 
 ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

For decorating:
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Special Equipment:
10 inch tube chiffon cake pan (ungreased)

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Separate the 8 eggs. Discard 2 egg yolks or use for another recipe. Place six egg yolks into a bowl. Put the egg whites from 8 eggs into a large clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, keeping at room temperature.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the sugar and 6 egg yolks at high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the oil, orange zest, orange juice and orange blossom water. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture to the sugar and egg mixture. Beat until the batter is just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

4. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar. Continue to beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. About 7 to 8 minutes.

5. In three gradual batches, gently fold the whisked egg whites into the batter with a large silicone spatula or a metal spoon until just combined and no white streaks remain in the batter.

6. Pour the cake batter into the ungreased chiffon cake pan and smooth the surface with a spoon. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Immediately invert the cake pan onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan (about 1½ hours). To remove the cake from the pan loosen the outer edges of the cake with a long, thin knife around the inside of the pan and the center core. Gently ease out the cake onto a wire rack. Flip the cake back upright and serve. Lightly dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar if using.

Menenas (Shortbread Filled With Dates and Walnuts)

“Traditionally the Rhodesli womenfolk moulded the menenas into oval shapes and decorated the tops with a feathery design by pinching the dough with a pair of tweezers,” according to Stella. A wooden mold can also be used. 

Makes: 20 cookies
Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients:
For the dough:
½ cup fine semolina flour
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 heaping tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
9 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 cup walnuts 
7 ounces dried dates, pitted
¼ cup hot water
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon orange blossom water

For decorating: 
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Special Equipment:
2 ½ x 1 ¼ inch wooden cookie mold

Preparation
1. Prepare the dough: Combine the semolina, all-purpose flour, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until a grainy texture is formed. Add the milk and vanilla extract and combine until the dough begins to hold together. Using the palms of your hands knead for 1 minute. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the filling: Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped, or using a knife, finely chop the nuts. Finely chop the dates with a sharp knife. Place the dates, hot water and butter into a heavy-based large pan over medium heat. Mix and smash the dates with a fork for 2 minutes until soft and paste-like. Stir in the ground cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. Remove from the heat, add the walnuts and stir in orange blossom water, until combined. Remove the date paste from the pan and transfer onto a heatproof plate. Refrigerate the date paste for 30 minutes until cooled. Take 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled date paste and roll it into about 30 small balls, between your palms.  Set aside on a large plate. 

3. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

4. Fill the dough: Transfer the dough from the refrigerator and divide the dough into about 30 walnut-sized pieces and roll each piece with your hands into a ball. The pastry balls should be twice the size of the date balls. Press to create an indent into the center of each dough ball with your fingertip. With the index finger and thumb work around the inside and outside of the dough until you form a ¼ inch thick shell. Push in one prepared date paste ball and press the edges of the pastry together over the top. Gently pinch to enclose and seal in the filling, reshaping the stuffed dough into a ball. The date filling should be enveloped in an even layer of dough. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. To shape with a mold: using a decorative wooden mold, dust the mould lightly with flour and gently press the filled dough-ball into the mould, unpinched side down, with your palm. Flip the mould, then tap against a work surface and the menena will pop out. Place the decorated side up, ½” apart, on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the filled pastry balls. 

6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until firm and pale in color. Make sure that the menenas do not over bake as they quickly become too hard and golden. Transfer the baking sheets out of the oven and after 1 minute, carefully transfer the baked cookies onto a wire rack. Sprinkle the cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar while still warm.

7. Serve at room temperature.

Make ahead: The date filling can be prepared ahead and kept overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Masapan (Marzipan)

“We acquired the centuries old skill from the nuns of the convents of Toledo, handcrafting freshly ground almonds with sugar syrup into orange blossom scented ‘masapan,’” Stella explains. It’s an essential part of wedding celebrations in her community. 

Makes: 50 pieces
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
1 pound blanched almonds
2 cups warm water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For shaping: 
1 cup water 
1 teaspoon orange blossom water 

For decorating: 
Silver decorating balls (dragées)

Preparation
1. Grind the almonds, a small batch at a time, in a food processor, until very finely ground and sandy in texture. Pulse, using the on-off action, to control that it does not grind to an oily paste. 

2. Put the warm water and sugar into a large, heavy-based stainless-steel pan over low heat. To avoid crystallisation, ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved before the syrup comes to a boil. Bring the syrup to a boil over a high heat, without stirring. Boil the sugar for about 30 minutes or until the sugar reaches a soft ball stage (235 degrees Fahrenheit). At this stage the sugar syrup will feel tacky and a short thread, about ½ inch in length, will form between your wetted finger and thumb when they are pulled apart. Remove the pan from the heat, add the ground almonds and lemon juice, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to a low heat and continue stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the paste comes away from the sides of the pan. Be sure to stir continuously so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan or scorch. To test if the marzipan is ready, roll a small amount of the mixture, the size of a small marble, between your palms. If it stays in a ball and does not stick to your hands, remove from the heat. 

3. Transfer the marzipan into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the marzipan over a medium speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture is combined well and increases in volume, adding ½ teaspoon of water at a time if needed to bring the mixture together.

4. Shape the marzipan: Place 1 cup of water into a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water. Dampen your hands in the scented water and roll the paste into ropes that are about 1 inch thick. Cut the ropes with a sharp knife into 1½ inch diagonal sections and press a silver ball into the center of each piece of marzipan. 

Boulukunio (Almond and Sesame Brittle)

“This version of almond and sesame seed brittle is an ancient recipe that dates back generations from the home cooks of medieval Spain,” Stella explains. While traditionally served on Purim and Hanukkah, “most households like to keep a stash of ’boulukunio’ in an airtight tin on standby.”

Makes: 15 servings
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
4 cups hulled sesame seeds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup blanched split almonds, toasted

For the syrup: 
½ cups clear honey 
½ cups water
1½ cups sugar

Preparation
1. Place 1 cup of sesame seeds into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and sprinkle with a pinch of flour. Toast the sesame seeds for 4 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring and shaking the pan often. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat this process, 1 cup at a time, with the remaining 3 cups of sesame seeds.

2. Heat the honey, water and sugar in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the syrup thickens and reaches about 245 degrees Fahrenheit, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a very large heatproof bowl.

3. Add the sesame seeds and almonds into the syrup and stir together vigorously with a wooden spoon. Spread the hot sesame seed, almond and syrup mixture onto an oiled worktop. Dampen your hands in cold water and roll the brittle into 1 inch balls. Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature until the brittles firms up. For an alternative brittle shape, roll the mixture into 4 ropes, each about 1 inch thick. Cut diagonally into 1 inch sections using a sharp knife dipped into hot water. Allow to cool at room temperature until the brittle firms up.

Make Ahead: Layer the brittle between layers of baking paper in an airtight container for up to 1 month.