Today at sundown, Jews will mark an occasion of great joy and feasting as Rosh Hashana -- commonly called the Jewish New Year -- begins. It's a time of introspection as Jews commit themselves to make a better life. It's also a time of great food and plenty of good eating.

"Every holiday, every occasion has foods associated with it, but no holiday has more symbolic foods than Rosh Hashana," said Gil Marks, author of "Encyclopedia of Jewish Food" (Wiley, $40), published this week. "Your entire being this time of year should be reflective on being a better person. The foods you eat during Rosh Hashana are supposed to remind you of that and further that."

But Mr. Marks would also argue that all Jewish foods, from adafina, a Sephardic Sabbath stew, to zwetschgenkuchen, a German plum cake (included in his massive A-to-Z compendium of Jewish food), are in some way symbolic representations of the culture, history and beliefs of the Jewish people.

Take lekach for instance. The honey cake that for many Jews is a part of Rosh Hashana is invested with deep layers of meaning, in part because of honey (a food associated with the land of Israel) and because the Yiddish name for honey cake references a verse in Proverbs: "For I give you good lekach (instruction or doctrine), do not forsake my teaching."

"That's what Jews do," Mr. Marks said. "We take foods and create symbols. Once developed, the symbols become part of the culture and what transforms it into Jewish food."

We talked to Mr. Marks -- who shared his recipe for lekach, included in "Encyclopedia of Jewish Food" -- about Jewish foods and traditions.

Q: There are so many meanings invested in Jewish foods that it seems like every act of eating for Jews is the consuming of culture, religion and history.

A: In Judaism, almost every ritual entails either food or the absence of food. Yom Kippur, for instance, is the absence of food. Part of it is Talmudic, part of it is custom. So much of Judaism was bound up in dietary laws. So everything you ate -- the very act itself -- was part of religion. The very act of eating a piece of bread, which in many cultures is mundane, is very symbolic.

Q: You write that by their food, Jews are declaring who they are and what they want to be. That's an amazing declaration: that Jews can be defined by food.

A: We can all be defined by food. As an American culture our food defines who we are. Twenty years ago ketchup was the No. 1 condiment. It isn't anymore. Today it's salsa. What you're seeing is the Hispanic influence in America. Food is never static, culture is never static.

Q: You ask this question in the introduction: Why is Jewish food important? How would you answer that question?

A: One, food carries history. You get a sense of where you came from, how you got here and where you're going. Judaism is not per se a religion in the sense most Americans think of. Even if you don't adhere to the various precepts, you're still a Jew. It's a nation. It's a peoplehood. It's a commonality. It's not based upon genetics. It's not based upon ethnicity. Once you become a Jew, even if it's Charlotte in "Sex and the City," you have this shared culture and history that transcends your locality and your cliques. To know yourself you have to know other Jews' food because it's part of where you are.

Makes 1 10-inch tube cake, on 13-by-9-inch cake or 2 large loaves

• 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour or 1 1/2 cups white flour and 1 1/2 cups rye flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup strong coffee (from about 1 tablespoon instant coffee) or tea (from 2 bags)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins, diced candied citron, mixed candied fruit, or chopped toasted walnuts or pecans; or 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease Bundt or tube pan, baking pan or 2 loaf pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and regrease.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, honey and sugars. Add the coffee. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth. If using, add the fruit.

Pour into the prepared pan and place on a baking sheet. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour for a Bundt or tube pan, 40 to 45 minutes for 13-by-9-inch pan, or 45 to 55 minutes for loaf pans. Do not overbake or the outside will burn and the interior will dry out. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic or aluminum foil and let stand for at least 24 hours. The flavor improves and the cake matures after a day or 2.

-- "Encyclopedia of Jewish Food"
by Gil Marks (Wiley, $40)

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