Hamin

Haminordafinais aSabbath stewmade fromwhole grains, cubes of meat,chickpeasorbeans,onionandcuminthat emerged inIberiaamongSephardic Jews.The dish was developed as Jewish chefs, perhaps first in Iberia, began adding chickpeas or fava beans and more water toharisa, aMiddle Easternporridge of crackeddurumwheat berriesand meat, to create a more liquidy bean stew. The similar Sabbath stewcholentwas developed based onhaminbyAshkenazi Jewsin Europe, first inFranceand laterGermany.
The namehamin(חמין) is derived from theHebrewwordחם('hot'),from which theMishnaicword for warm things was derived, and eventually became a shorthand for the name of the Sephardic foodhamin di trigo(lit. heat of grain).It was sometimes also called "trasnochado" ("overnighted" in Spanish).After theReconquistainSpain,Iberian Jewshid theirhaminpots under the fire embers to avoid persecution and exposure of Jewish practices,renaming the dishdafina(Arabic:دفينة), meaning buried,echoing theMishnaicphrase "bury the hot food".
Sabbath stewswere developed over the centuries to conform withJewish lawsthat prohibit cooking on the Sabbath. The pot is brought to a boil on Friday before the Sabbath begins, and sometimes kept on ablechorhotplate, or left in a slow oven or electricslow cooker, until the following day.Over the centuries variousJewish diasporacommunities created their own variations of Sabbath stew based on local food resources and neighborhood influence.
There are many variations of the dish, which is today a staple of bothSephardiandAshkenazikitchens and among other communities.The basic ingredients of hamin are generallywhole grains,meat,beansandpotatoes, while some stews also feature othervegetables. Slow overnight cooking allows the flavors of the various ingredients to permeate and produces the characteristic taste of each local stew.
Haminemerged as a dish whenSephardicchefs began to experiment with addingchickpeasorbeansand more water toharisa, a traditionalMiddle Eastearnporridge of crackeddurumwheat berries, to create a more liquidy bean stew.The basic ingredients of SephardicSabbath stewswerewhole grains,meat,beans,potatoes, but the exact recipe varied from place to place and season to season.
After theReconquistaand expulsion, Jewishconversosin Spain hid theirhaminpots under the fire embers to avoid persecution and exposure of Jewish practices, leading to the namedafina, meaning buried, for the dish.Amid theSpanish Inquisition,haminwas the most incriminating dish forIberian Jewsto be caught cooking. Some conversos replaced the mutton with pork in order to consumehaminwithout risking arrest.This gave rise to two ofSpain's classic dishes,cocido madrileñoandolla podrida.
In the 13th century,olla podridabecame a staple in mainstreamSpanish cuisineas a porridge with vegetables, spices and meat, usually cattle. By the 14th century famine in Northern Europe caused a rise in cattle prices in Western Europe and North Africa, leading chicken rearing to overtake livestock production.The rise in chicken production and surplus of eggs gave rise tohuevos haminados, eggs long-roasted overnight in hamin pots. Eggs later took on spiritual significance withinJewish culture.
Following the 1492expulsion of the Jews from Spain,haminadapted to other local ingredients and seasonings, incorporating spices such ascinnamon,paprika,saffronandturmeric.The influx of new ingredients fromSouth Americain the 16th century meanwhile resulted inwhite beansoften substitutingfava beans, andwhite potatoes,sweet potatoes,pumpkinandred chilliesbeing added in some recipes.
AsSephardic Jewsdispersed, both the form and name ofhaminchanged. Sephardic Jews that went to Syria and India retained the namehamin, while those in the Balkans and Turkey adopted new names. Italian Jews made hamin with fava beans and alternatively lamb, beef steaks, beefbrisket, chicken or beef meatballs andbeet greensorchard. They also might addsage.
Romaniote Jewsused large cuts of beef, onions andpligouri, a type of crackedbulgur wheat, while in Jerusalem, Jewish cooks added both potatoes and rice to the dish.Indian Jewsaddedgaram masalaandginger.
When Sephardic Jews arrived inNorth Africa,haminwas merged with nativetagines, creating variations incorporatingcalves'hoovesorkouclas, a type of dumpling, served withcouscous.Cinnamon,nutmegandgingerall became common spices in Moroccan variants, along with the addition ofdates,honeyorquincejam.These stews also contained whole eggs, orhuevos haminados, simmered in their shells.TheMoroccansdishsakhina/S'hina/skhena(سخينة), meaning "hot", is also a variation ofhamin.
OnShabbat Beraisheet, the Sabbath afterSukkot, some communities prepare a seven-layerhaminwith rice between each layer, and other special ingredients, includingprunes,raisins,pumpkins,spinachandgrape leaves.