Kishke

From Shabbat

What's Kishke?

Kishke (Polish: kiszka; Russian: кишка, kishka; Ukrainian: кишка, kyshka; Yiddish and Hebrew: קישקע, kishke), is a Slavic word meaning gut, or intestine, that lends its name to varieties of sausage or pudding.

Kishke is traditionally made from a kosher beef intestine stuffed with matzo meal, rendered fat (schmaltz) and spices. Blood is not used, as it is forbidden by kashrut. The cooked kishke can range in color from grey-white to brownish-orange, depending on how much paprika is used. In recent times edible synthetic casings often replace the beef intestines. Home cooks also often use kosher poultry neck skin to stand in for the intestines; it is cut, the bones removed, stuffed, and sewn up with an edible thread. Such kishke is often used as an ingredient in cholent.

Kishke is available in some kosher butcheries and delicatessens; in Israel, it is available in the frozen-food section of most supermarkets.

Check out some tasty lookin kishke here!

Want to make some Kishke of your own? Check out our recipes page!