Jews have been in what is now Libya since Ptolemaic times, though their population and geographical reach oscillated over the millennia due to the particular geopolitical conditions of the time. Though their population oscillated over the centuries, due to the particular geopolitical conditions of the time, they saw a surge in the late 19th century, when the Ottoman empire encouraged the immigration of wealthy and skilled Jews to the region. After the fall of the Ottoman empire, Libya fell in the hands of Italians. They were well treated until the eve of WWII, when they were subjected to strict anti-Jewish laws and sent to concentration or labor camps. After the war, Jews suffered persecution, pogrons and violence, leading to their emigration to Israel and Italy - the last Jews left Libya in the early 2000s. Today, there are no Jews left in Libya.

Jewish Libyan cuisine is, as one would expect, similar to Libyan cuisine, an amalgamation of North-African, Middle Eastern and Italian influences. Libyan Jews have brought their cuisine to Israel and the other countries they migrated, so that it continues to live

For my quick sojourn into Libyan Jewish cuisine, I made:

Tabikha bil Karrate

Leek, Chicken and Green Pea Stew

This dish is supposed to be made with lamb - but Safeway sent me odorous lamb which thought better to toss. Rather than risk buying more lamb, particularly when the sale was over, I decided to make this dish with chicken. I am sure, Libyan Jewish grandmas would substitute as easily when they couldn't get their preferred protein.

The original recipe calls for Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered. I used halved unpeeled baby potaotes insted because they require less work.

There are few things more comforting than chicken stew, and this was a good stew. It tasted as rich as satisfying as multitude of other stews I've made before, the light cinnamon flavor gave it a particular Libyan touch. We enjoyed it.

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Leek, Chicken and Green Pea Stew Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 3 lbs lamb shoulder or neck or 4-5 lbs chicken pieces 4 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 3 cinnamon sticks 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered 16 oz green peas, fresh or frozen Directions Heat oil in a large sauce or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the chopped leeks and onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes. Return meat to the pot, placing on top of the onion, and top with the cinnamon sticks. Add 2-3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes without stirring. Add the potatoes and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve.

Adapted from a recipe in Copeland Mark's Sephardic Cooking: 600 Recipes Created In Exotic Sephardic Kitchens From Morocco To India

Related cuisines I've explored so far: Afghani Jewish, American Jewish, Baghdadi Jewish, Bene Israel, Bukharian Jewish, Calcuttan Jewish, Cochin Jewish, Egyptian Jewish, Georgian Jewish, Greek Jewish , Israeli, Kurdish Jewish

Mediterranean cuisines: Albanian, Abruzzese, Algerian, Andalusian, Balearic, Berber, Bosnian, Calabrian, Campanian, Caprese, Catalan, Cretan, Croatian, Corsican, Cypriot, Dalmatian, Egyptian, Emilian-Romagnan, French, Friulian, Gibraltarian, Greek, Italian, Lazian, Lebanese, Libyan, Ligurian, Lucanian, Maltese

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