Better than mum’s? Surely not! Soup-erb ‘Jewish penicillin’ scoops top award

A British Jewish food brand has won a ‘great taste’ award for its chicken soup with Matzo balls – also known as “Jewish Penicillin”.

1070 KITCHEN was handed a Great Taste Award 2021 for its ‘Jewish Penicillin’ chicken soup, after judges praised its “homemade appearance, with a rich, deep aroma.”

Judges also found that the soup’s “flavour echoes the aroma, delivering on the promised intensity of flavour.”

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Chicken soup has long been a mainstay of Jewish cuisine, with the philosopher Moses Maimonides recommending the soup as treatment for the sick and weak.

Among Sephardic Jews, the custom prevailed to give ‘caldo de gayina vieja’ – old hen chicken broth – to women who had given birth.

After the 15th century, chicken soup slowly became a traditional dish within Jewish Ashkenazic culture.

Jewish emigrants also popularised it in America in the post-war period, leading to its nickname ‘Jewish Penicillin.’

1070 Kitchen, which says it is Britain’s first brand dedicated to celebrating Jewish food, also sells other staples including gefilte fish and smoked salmon bagels.