Traditional Shavuot recipes center around dairy foods. Milk is considered to be a symbol of the Torah, which nourishes the people directly, as milk does for a baby.
Some also believe that because the Israelites had not yet received the kosher laws, they had prepared foods on the first Shavuot that did not follow kashrut. When they received the Torah, they read the new laws of kashrut and realized their meat dishes were not kosher, in accordance with God’s will– so they opted to eat dairy dishes only.
Others say that Shavuot occurs during the fertile spring period, when animal mothers produce lots of fresh milk. Whatever the reason, dairy foods are often consumed on Shavuot.
Popular Shavuot recipes include cheesecake, blintzes, and kugels – all of which you’ll find plenty of in the collection below!