Ok, but why a fish head?

Jewish tradition calls for welcoming the new year with symbolic foods that represent well wishes and sustenance for the coming year. Translated as Head of the Year, Rosh Hashanah is an important time for Jews because it allows for a great deal of self reflection and improvement. Having these customary foods at the Rosh Hashanah dinner table reminds Jews of what's important and of what another year can achieve. The following is a guide to the meaning behind some traditional and customary foods, as well as the foods that the Gemorah instructs Jews to eat on this high holiday.

Fish head

Not only does "rosh" literally mean head, but "just as our head (brain) directs us, Rosh HaShana directs the ensuing year," said Lisa Katz, in an article entitled Rosh Hashanah Food Customs. The head also serves as a symbolism for the head of tribes, for which the Jews strive to be through their acts of righteousness (mitzvot.) So why is a fish head chosen? Aside from appearing less harsh than say an ox head, or a cow head, fish represents fertility and abundance, both things Jews hope for either themselves or their loved ones in the coming year.

Fish recipes: Baked Lemon Sole, Baked Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach and Mushrooms, Sauteed Tilapia Fillets with Lime

Pomegranate

Speaking of abundance, pomegranates are often present at most Rosh Hashanah dinner tables. The abundance of seeds inside the pomegranate represents the abundance of merit Jews hope for in the coming year. The number of seeds in a pomegranate also represents the 613 Jewish mitzvot (acts of righteousness) that a Jew should observe, as it is thought that a singular pomegranate has over 613 seeds.

Pomegranate recipes: Pomegranate-Walnut Chicken, Tevzi-Poached Fish with Pomegranate Sauce

Round Challah

While challah isn't new for a high holiday, Rosh Hashanah challah takes a different shape. Often challah is a braided loaf, but on Rosh Hashanah the challah is round. This represents the cycle of the new year, and circular motion of our lives.

Bistro Challah Bread (made in a round pan)

Honey

Dipping apples into honey is probably the most well-known Rosh Hashanah tradition. The reason this is done is to welcome the new year with something sweet, and apples are chosen because they typically represent the fall season. Honey represents the sweetness, and we try to incorporate honey and sweet things into the entire meal. Before dipping apples into the honey, we dip our challah into honey since the blessing of the bread comes first. The most traditional dessert for a Rosh Hashanah meal is honey cake, a dark brown sweet honey bread. Often you won't find a Rosh Hashanah table without one.

Honey Cake recipes: Apple and Honey Cake, Lekach (Honey Cake), Honey Apple Cake

Other recipes with Honey: Cinnamon Honey Sweet Potatoes, Honey Pecan Delight

Carrots

Not only is Rosh Hashanah a time for Jewish self reflection, but it is the marks the beginning of a judgment period that ends with Yom Kippur. Each Jew is individually judged by his or her acts of righteousness, and based on these things G-d sets forth a plan of decrees for the following year. According to Rabbi Yehuda Prero, because of this, it is important to ask for good things at this time. We ask G-d to lessen the harsh decrees and plan something sweet in store for the coming year. The word decree has the same hebrew root as the word carrot; they both come from gezer. So by taking a bite out of the carrot, we hope G-d will lessen our harsh decrees.

Sweet Carrot recipes: Roasted Honey Carrots, Glazed Carrots, Carrots with Ginger and Honey

The Five Foods reccomended by the Gemorah

The following foods are a bit less traditional than some of the others highlighted thus far, partly due to the inaccessibility of some of these items today.

K'ra refers to gourds. Not only are gourds a seasonal food or decoration, but they have two meanings when they are consumed or used. When we eat the gourd, we are asking that G-d both know our merits, and lessen our decrees.

Rubia refers to a vegetable called the fenugreek that is no longer readily available today. The word's root is shared with the word for increase, and in eating a fenugreek, Jews hope for their merits to increase.

Karsi refers to leeks or cabbage. The word's root also means "to cut or destroy." By eating leeks or cabbage, we ask G-d to destroy our enemies.

Silka refers to beets. The word's root also means "removal," so much like when we eat the leek or cabbage, by eating a form of beets, we are asking G-d to remove our adversaries.

Tamri refers to dates. An extrapolate word from the same root means "that they be consumed." So by eating dates, we ask G-d that our enemies be consumed.

Recipes: Beet Salad, Karila Bitter Gourd Chips (try and switch the recipe to sweet!), Dried Apricot and Date Jam, Orange Date Squares, Harvard Beets, Cabbage Soup, Leek Pies

That completes this list of symbolic foods of Rosh Hashanah. There are not only many variations of this list, but many different interpretations of each of these foods. Also, depending on your origin of Judaism (Sephardic or Ashkenazi,) you will hold different traditions for what to eat. As for the rest of the meal, here are some recipes to complete it:

North Shore Chicago Hadassah's Lick-Your-Fingers Kugel, Beef Brisket, Tangy Meatballs, Snappy Green Beans

According to an article on Rosh Hashanah foods written by Bessie Krapfman, it's not what we eat on Rosh Hashanah but how we eat it. L'shanah tova u'metukah! Translation: Have a good and sweet year!

Sources:

Torah.org

Judaism.About.com

Bessie Krapfman