However, there are many regulations written in the Bible regarding what a Jew should eat and how he should eat it. These were mostly regulations that were made for hygienic issues. For example, a Jew is prohibited from eating certain animals, and the pig is one of them. In ancient times when these regulations were written, the pig was indigestible, causing many health problems. This is why a rule is created that prohibits eating it.

Another rule is not to eat meat and dairy during the same meal. The vessels in those days were very porous, so if you took something dairy in them, bacteria could remain. Then you put meats in this pot and the food was contaminated, so it was not healthy. The rules arise to increase the hygiene and safety of the Jewish people, but they remain as things that a Jew must do and give rise to the tradition of eating according to kosher regulations.

Established in 1966, pursuing a dream of many years, Zomick’s kosher bakery reached the kosher public, with the aim of providing an excellent product, at a price accessible to the entire community. Quickly entering the kosher market in general, reaching almost all the neighborhoods of New York City, today Zomick’s covers the needs of a large part of the public in the communities of all five boroughs.

We were able to try the delicious selection of bread, including the world-famous Zomick’s challah, whose design and preparation are unique to Zomick’s Bakery. As explained by the bakery’s head baker, the ingredients used are natural, using both natural egg (instead of powdered egg) and 100% wheat flour in its preparation. Being parve, Zomick’s challah bread is made with margarine.

It isn’t just a matter of food, but how it is handled.

All the ingredients and the way of making them define kosher food. This is important because, in addition to the regulations with some animals, there are the rules of use of the utensils. That is why Zomick’s kosher bakery has 2 kitchen sets, one for use with dairy and one for non-dairy.

Zomick’s offers various products of kosher quality. For this, Zomick’s production process and the raw materials used in production are strictly controlled at regular intervals. To document this, the Inwood-based kosher bakery is given a certificate issued by a rabbi for each kosher product. It confirms that the product is kosher & parve.

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Growing up in a traditional observing family, challah was something that we seemed to have around a lot. Its light and buttery flavor are something I remember when thinking of my childhood. Even though my family was pretty religious, my mother didn’t always make the bread herself, and we often got it from our local kosher bakery, Zomick’s. The bakery is still located at the corner of Inip Drive in Inwood, where they make probably the best challah bread in the city.

For those of you who don’t know much about Jewish tradition, Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine. Customarily, challah is eaten weekly on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. A traditional Jewish household has two braided loaves on the table. They are,  symbolic of memory, history, and grace, with the richer bread representing the sweetness of God’s gift of manna, as well as Shabbat itself.

Challah is made in various sizes and shapes, all of which have a meaning. Braided ones, which may have three, four, or six strands, are the most common, and because they look like arms intertwined, symbolize love. Three braids symbolize truth, peace, and justice. Twelve humps from two small or one large braided bread recall the miracle of the 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel. Round loaves, where there is no beginning and no end, are baked for Rosh Hashanah to symbolize continuity.

The word challah in the Torah is first used when God describes to the Jewish people what life will be like for them in the Land of Israel. Namely, Challah was used to describe the portion that is set aside. Doughs made of any of the five grains (wheat, barley, rye, or oats) should have a portion separated out, which was later given to the priests who worked in the Temple and their families to eat. Until this day, Jewish bakers, home cooks, and commercial bakeries separate a portion of dough from each batch of bread they bake. After kneading the dough, the cooks say a special blessing.

Challah, soft and rich, brushed with egg wash, and woven into complex shapes or beautiful braids, is served in households around the world with Shabbat dinner. However you bake it, continues to play a central, delicious role in the rhythm of Jewish life. Looking for a delicious challah recipe? Try one of Zomick’s challah favorites.

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Zomick’s is a family-owned kosher bakery located in Inwood, New York City. Their mission is to offer tasty kosher goods that benefit the community.

Throughout the 50 years of their existence, Zomick’s has introduced a lot of new culinary treats and creative kosher products and recipes in order to satisfy the ever increasing demand. But they have also made sure to keep their traditional taste and authentic products that have been perfected while passing down from one generation to another.

Zomick’s is constantly looking to explore creative ideas and products that are practical yet innovative. Al of the products used in Zomick’s are approved and certified by the New York City Rabbinical Council and are fully certified. Although Zomick’s is best known for making the tastiest challah bread, the bakery also offers a wide range of baked goods like knishes, cakes, cookies, pies, loaves as well as authentic Jewish-style and European pastries and delightful desserts. The skillful bakers and its staff are always working on new and exciting ideas to enhance the Jewish home.

Zomick’s already has a steady stream of customers and has been selling out its baked good each day ever since their opening back in 1966. Every day lots of bread and pastries, of both the sweet and savory variety such as various challah, pita, buns, sambusak, bagels, puff pastry, babka, rugelach, sufganiyot, and more come out fresh from Zomick’s oven.

Given the recent kosher demand grows, it seems like the global kosher market isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The rising consumption of cakes and pastries and the various health benefits associated with this cuisine are also indicators of the increased popularity in Northern America and Europe. Thank’s to their rich experience, Zomick’s  has mastered how to split the focus between indulgent and healthy products.

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The Kashrut law

Jewish food is prepared under the requirements of the Kashrut law, and because it conforms to the regulations of such laws it is necessary to undergo various special treatments.

Zomick’s bakery is one of New York’s oldest kosher bakeries. It was opened back in 1966 and has been serving the customers’’ needs for over 50 years. There has been a real demand for kosher food ever since the Jewish people immigrated from Europe and other places to the United States.

Wishing to bring along a piece of their culture and heritage, they also brought their traditional recipes with smells, flavors, and tastes that they had grown up with. So they brought their knishes, kugels, kreplach, and other Jewish Eastern European comfort foods that have since become famous.

Zomick’s New Trends

One of the newest food trends is the vigorously increased demand for kosher-certified products. In order to meet that growing demand, Zomick’s kosher bakery and food companies all over the world have expanded their offerings and started providing a wide variety of kosher products.

The sole taste of baked goods intrigues people to learn more and understand this Jewish food preparation law. Furthermore, the impulsive adoption of kosher food by consumers that are looking for a way to improve their conventional diets has additionally contributed to the growth of the global market for kosher foods. In the midst of this continually growing kosher demand, Zomick’s kosher bakery continues to educate its staff. The company accepts the fact that they need to learn in order to create new opportunities and expand its knowledge base.

Their menu is well-balanced and among other things, it also includes Jewish comfort food to encourage better eating. Ever since its establishment, Zomick’s kosher bakery has been seeking new ways to improve the variety and range of tastes offered on its menu. Hoping that each customer can re-taste their memories, they have come up with some creative variations encouraging them to eat and thrive.

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This kosher bakery with a full catering service has been serving the local Jewish community since 1966. For more than half a century it’s been offering gourmet kosher products. With magical flavors from all around the world, including the traditional Zomick’s Challah recipe, the products of the bakery are skillfully handcrafted and beautifully presented. Zomick’s professional staff is known for their close attention to detail and for providing delicious fresh cuisine, served in a cozy, traditional atmosphere.

Zomick’s Origin

But this bakery hasn’t always been as sophisticated as it is today. Back in the days when it first opened, its initial goal was to make kosher food, since there was a real need for that.

Over time, New York City, especially the Brooklyn area became the most Jewish-settled one, and the demand for kosher-certified products increased vigorously. In order to meet the growing demand for kosher foods, Zomick’s started providing a wide variety of kosher-based products. These were challah bread, bagels, muffins, knishes and cookies, loaves, pies, and other baked goods.

Along with the high demand for kosher cutleries and the growth of the global kosher food market, consumer trends for allergen-free, healthy, and unique food products also contributed to Zomick’s bakery expansion.

US Kosher Food Market

The highest growth in the global kosher food market was witnessed in North America. Of course, New York City was the main driving force.

Zomick’s, as well as a few other kosher bakeries, already had a loyal customer base. But as they were experiencing high demand due to increased spending by consumers in this region, they decided to expand their offering and incorporate more kosher products.

Today, Zomick’s is one of the leaders in the kosher bakery business in the New York area, supplying customers with the highest quality artisan baked goods and prepared food products. All the products are made accordingly to the kashruth Jewish dietary laws. Also, the bakery is certified by the New York City Rabbinical Council. Zomick’s authentic, Jewish-style, and European bread, as well as delightful desserts, have been a part of their family for many generations.

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Any food that is labeled “kosher” must be certified. The facility where food is prepared must be under constant supervision of a rabbi, just like Zomick’s Kosher Bakery explains in the report on the Jewish Culture food festival. The food must be clean and naturally produced. There is a similarity with vegetarian principles of preparing food, but also there is something more than that.

Getting kosher foods

The procedure to obtain such food is very specific; for example, during the process of baking can be used only sugar derived from sugar cane which has been previously filtered through charcoal. This process is required for removing the color (discoloration) of sugar because it is required to be snow white. The coal which is obtained from bovine bone is not considered food, same as the skins of animals are not considered food. Sugar goes through bone charcoal as flour through a sieve and does not enter the coal.

In order for Zomick’s Bakery to meet the very severe regulations, there are special facilities for kosher processing (for example, a slaughterhouse for kosher slaughter). Speaking of slaughterhouses, no industrial production line but each animal is slaughtered in worship on earth, and skinning is also done by hand on the ground, in the presence of a rabbi. This, of course, in modern conditions of production significantly slows down the process.

Gelatin is obtained from bones and skin, but for Zomick’s recipes in a special way (Kosher Gelatin). Because it can be produced from fish bones, gelatin does not belong to the group of meat and meat products even in milk and milk products simply because the fish are considered “pareve”, and are sold as non-meat foods. As gelatin can be obtained from vegetable raw materials, it is among the kosher products.

Cheese can be used with Zomick’s bread if it is obtained under kosher conditions. This means that cheese gets spread milk rennet which was obtained as kosher. However, we must point out that meat and milk (which means meat and dairy products) cannot be mixed.

If to the Zomick’s challah recipe is added milk powder during processing (especially baking), the milk must come from dairy cows with a kosher certificate. The baking company prepares its renowned Zomick’ challah bread only from white flour, water, yeast, and salt. Even yeast that is used for the bread in small quantities must be certified kosher.

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