Tu B'Shvat: Menu and Recipes

An annual new year for trees was established by Talmudic rabbis so that Jews could calculate the age of trees and know when they could be harvested. This tree birthday is called Tu B'Shvat, which literally means "Day 15 of the Hebrew month of Shvat."

Jews today celebrate the festival of Tu B'Shvat in a variety of ways. Some learn about the environment. Some plant trees in Israel. Many serve dishes containing fruit and grains mentioned in the Bible, either for a regular meal or for a Tu B'Shvat Seder ceremony.

This Tu B'Shvat menu is designed to include the seven species (shivat haminim): wheat, barley, grapes, fig, pomegranate, olive and date.

• Simple Whole Wheat Bread
• Seven Species Salad
• Fruity Chicken
• Pearled Barley Pilaf
• Almond Horseshoes
• Dried Fruit Compote