Q: Howdy sons and daughters of Abraham. The other day at Whole Foods, I saw a sign on the turnips saying, "Great for Passover!" What are they talking about? I looked this up online, and all I could find was (a) some people put them in soup; and (b) Smith College served them in a roasted vegetable dish, in their student cafeteria, during Passover. Then I asked a Jewish friend of mine about it, and she didn't know either. What's the deal with Passover and turnips? Thanks in advance for your answers.
A: It is not the turnips themselves that are special. But chicken soup is a very traditional Jewish holiday food, and the "secret ingredient" in a lot of the recipes of Jewish grandmothers seems to be turnips. Three of the 4 grandparents in our family shared this secret with us. But it's not that much of a secret if everyone knows about it, including, apparently, Whole Foods. :-) So, bottom line: Chicken soup is special for Jewish holidays. (Chicken soup with matzoh balls is fantastic for Passover.) And turnips make the soup more flavorful. Hope this helps. Good luck!!
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