MUSTACHUDOS (“mōō-stä-CHŌŌ-thōs”) Here is a prime example of the way in which many Sephardic foods are infused with symbolism.
As a general rule, Sephardic custom doesn’t call much for cooking with wine. There are exceptions, of course, and these can be unusual enough as to impact the name of the recipe in question. During Passover, any wine consumed must be ‘new’; this means using either grape juice or young wine that is kosher for Passover. The mustachudo gets its name from this specific ingredient: musto in Ladino; mosto in Spanish and Italian, must in English. The name has absolutely nothing to do with ‘little moustaches’, despite the similar-sounding root word. Continue reading