Monday, January 18, 2010

Can We "Hold the Boxer" Please?

In my continuing preparations for Tu B'shvat, which begins a week from this Friday night, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the Tu B'shvat fruit we all love to hate: BOXER (also known as carob).
It doesn't look like anything edible. It doesn't even taste like anything edible (little known fact: It isn't edible when fresh... which is why there is a question whether or not you can make a "Shehecheyanu" {blessing for a new [fruit]} on it). And yet ... for some inexplicable reason, it is standard fare on Tu B'shvat platters and packages everywhere.

OK..... whose STUPID idea was this anyway?!?!? Kids all over the world are cracking molars right and left!

I've heard it said that carob is a symbol of endurance and survival, because if you keep it dry, it lasts a long time. Who are we kidding? It lasts a long time because NOBODY WANTS TO EAT THE THING!!!

8 comments:

Yekkishe Bekishe said...

Do you know where the name BOXER comes from? It is actually a contraction of BUCKSHORN, a German translation for CHARUV. I saw this either in the Tiferes Yisroel on Mishnayos or Hametargem on the foreign words in Rashi & Tosefos.

This is for the inquiring minds who want to know! BTW, it seems that your description of eating Boxer is similar to chewing on a Shofar! Ouch!!!!!!

Mikeinmidwood said...

ive never eatin buxer, i see it fall from my neighbors tree every now and then and it makes a nice snap when stepped on, never knew them for eating really.

sandra said...

I have similar memories of this fruit from elementary school days when they gave us fruit to make the various brachot on Tu B'shvat.
There is a very nice story from the Talmud about Choni Hameagel-Honi the circle maker-regarding carob trees.Here is the link-
www.spiritoftrees.org/folktales/schram/honi_carob_tree.html
Anyway, I like to include it on the Tu B'shvat platter but it's really for show!

Anonymous said...

Yekkishe Bekishe, is there some gematriya related to your comment also? Ok, no I do believe you, sort of.

As for carob I actually like carob. Of course I do. I like things that are tough, contrary, and hard to sink your teeth into, but very sweet. :-)

Anonymous said...

I recall on more than one occasion poping my braces on them.

ProfK said...

And yet, I love boxer, the taste and the chewing experience. As kids we would all save up the seeds that are in the boxer to play a game of "boxer kerelach."

Shlomo said...

Plus, at least in Israel, they are frequently infested with insects/worms :)

Anonymous said...

Try boiling the boxer in a pot of water using enough water to cover the boxer. Cook it for about about 20 minutes on a medium to high heat. It makes it much more tasty and edible.