Credits
Susan, vocals, percussion; Tina, bass viol, backup vocals; Howard, lute;
Steve, bombo de gaucho
Source: María Salgado: Siete Modos de Guisar las Berenjenas, Nubenegra (2007)
| LADINO Siete modos de guisados |
ENGLISH There are seven different |
| se guisa la merenjena. | ways to cook eggplant. |
| La primera de las guisá es la vava de Elena | The first recipe is Elena’s specialty. |
| Ya la hace bokaditos | She cuts it into bite-sized pieces |
| i la mete’n una sena | and serves it for supper, |
| Esta komida la yaman komida de merenjena. | And this meal is called a dish of eggplant. |
| A mi tiyo, Serasi, que le agrada beber vino: | My Uncle, Cerasi, likes to drink wine, |
| Kun el vino, vino, vino, | Lots of it; |
| Mucho y bien a él vino. | He feels fine. |
| La segunda que le guisa | The second one who makes it |
| es la mujer del Shamas, | is the sexton’s wife; |
| La kavaca por ariento y la inchi d’aromat | She hollows it out and fills it with herbs. |
| Esta komida la yaman | This meal is called |
| la komida la dolmá. | a dish of dolma. |
| La tracerá que la guisa | The third one who makes it |
| es mi prima Ester de Chiote. | is my cousin, Ester di Chiote. |
| La kavaca por arientro y la hinchi d’arroz moti. | She hollows it out and fills it with rice. |
| Esta komida la yaman | This meal is called |
| la komida la alomondrote. | a dish of almondrote. |
| La alburniya es saborida | The alburnia is a tasty recipe |
| en kolor y en golor. | both for its color and aroma. |
| Ven haremos una sena mos gozaremos los dos | Come, let’s make a supper to enjoy together, |
| Antes que venga el guzano | Before the worm comes |
| y le kite la sabor. | and takes the flavor away. |
| En las mezas de la fiestas | On the tables at the feasts |
| syempre briya el jandrajo. | the jandrajo always shines. |
| Ya l’hacemos pastelikos, | We make little pastries out of it, |
| I las briyan en loz platos | They shine in the plates |
| Asperando a ser servidos | waiting to be served |
| kun los güevos jaminados. | with hard-boiled eggs. |
| La salata maljasina es pastosa y saborida. | The maljasina salad is rich and tasty. |
| Mi vesina la prepara kun mucho aceite de oliva, | My neighbor makes it with a lot olive oil. |
| Estos platos acompañan | It’s served with |
| a los rostros de gallinas. | left-over hen. |
| La setena que la guise | The seventh way it’s made |
| es mejor y mas janina. | is the best and most exquisite. |
| La prepara Filisti, la hija de la vecina. | Filisti, the neighbor’s daughter, makes it. |
| Ya la mete en el forno | She puts it in the oven |
| de kabeza a la kocina kun aceite y pimienta | in an open dish with oil and pepper, |
| ya la yama una meyina. | And they call it a meyina. |
Description
The origin of this song is not known, though we first heard it on a recording by the Spanish singer, María Salgado. Eggplants came to Europe from the Arab world, but Sephardic Jews are credited with having popularized (and developed many ways of cooking) them in southern Europe.
