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Eggplant Caviar

JL;DR SUMMARY Leah Koenig's article passionately recommends trying her Eggplant Caviar recipe, an appestizer popular across Eastern Europe and the Middle East. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CuisineShabbatCommunity EngagementOttoman EmpireMiddle Eastern CuisineBrighton BeachEggplant CaviarLeah KoenigFood WritingScott Filkins

Places mentioned

Brighton Beach, British Columbia, Canada
"If you visit the Soviet-Jewish enclave of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn today, jars of eggplant caviar can be found on every grocery store shelf."
Romania
"eggplant caviar spread across Romania, Hungary, and the Balkans."
Hungary
"eggplant caviar spread across Romania, Hungary, and the Balkans."
Ukraine
"the zesty salad was introduced to Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia, where ikra (Russian for caviar) was beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike."
Georgia
"the zesty salad was introduced to Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia, where ikra (Russian for caviar) was beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike."
Azerbaijan
"the zesty salad was introduced to Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia, where ikra (Russian for caviar) was beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike."
Russian Federation
"the zesty salad was introduced to Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia, where ikra (Russian for caviar) was beloved by Jews and non-Jews alike."
Brooklyn, New York, United States
"If you visit the Soviet-Jewish enclave of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn today, jars of eggplant caviar can be found on every grocery store shelf."
Illinois, United States
"I was supposed to physically be in Illinois during those two days, but my flight plans were thwarted twice: first by a broken plane (yikes!) and then by a bout of rough storms (sigh)."

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Cairo Item ID 85206
Cairo Source ID 37
Retrieved 2026-06-19 05:30:46 UTC
Curated 2026-06-19 08:31:00 UTC