Los Alamitos, CA (April 2019) – This year the Passover holiday will be celebrated from April 19 at sundown on April 27. The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on the first two nights of the holiday. The Seder is a fifteen-step family-oriented tradition and ritual-packed feast.
“Those of us in the fresh produce business know that Passover has some very distinctive foods that are used at the Seder.” says Alex Berkley, sales manager at Frieda’s.
The traditional celebration usually includes specific essentials like horseradish, but that doesn’t mean your meal has to be completely conventional. Newer generations are celebrating Passover by incorporating other produce in their modern versions of Passover Seder plates.
“We know that shoppers will be looking for exciting Passover items at their local markets so we want to make it easier for them to find these holiday must-haves through merchandising. Try cross-merchandising horseradish and Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes as a way to increase the basket ring during this springtime Jewish holiday.” says Alex Berkley, sales manager at Frieda’s.
Furthermore, a recent article by reformjudaism.org explained how and why new additions are showing up on modern Seder plates. Such is the case for tubers, including potatoes and sweet potatoes. “In 1991, Israel launched Operation Solomon, a covert plan to bring Ethiopian Jews to the Holy Land. When these famished, downtrodden Jews arrived in Israel, many were so hungry and ill that they were unable to digest substantial food. Israeli doctors fed these new immigrants simple boiled potatoes and rice until their systems could take more food.”
Therefore, to commemorate this at their Seder, consumers are incorporating sweet potato alongside the karpas (green spring vegetable). This addition honors a wondrous exodus in our own time, from Ethiopia to Israel. We especially like the inclusion of Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, and then highlighting it during the dinner portion of the meal, in dishes like organic Stokes Purple ®sweet potato fritters with green tahini. This recipe was created especially for Frieda’s by chefs Heather Sperling and Emily Fiffer of Botanica. Located in Silverlake, CA. Botanica was named one of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in 2017 by LA Magazine.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.