Nagila Goes Kosher

WILMINGTON, NC — A stunning mound of fresh cilantro awaits chef Shai Shalit near the kitchen sink one morning at Nagila restaurant. The tender, green sprigs look ready for a cookbook photo, yet Shalit, despite working since nearly dawn, begins washing each leaf by hand.


“It has to be done the right way,” Shalit says, immersing the bunches in a sink full of water before beginning his tedious routine. He first rinses the herbs, then soaks them in water to which a little salt and vinegar have been added. Afterward, he examines leaves for insects, rinses the greens again and finally lets them dry.

“Then,” he says, “you do it all over again.”

Shalit is an enthusiastic chef, a man who openly dares anyone to best his fresh-baked pita and from-scratch falafel, but he grew even more particular last winter when the 3-year-old Nagila, located on Wrightsville Avenue near Independence Boulevard, became Wilmington’s only kosher restaurant. For Shalit, who is an Israeli Jew, the decision to gain kosher certification was personal, an adherence to his faith. “It starts all within my heart,” he says. But Shalit also wanted to show others the dedicated care that goes into preparing food according to kosher law, standards that he and now many non-Jews in this age of regular food-safety scares believe makes food better.

The annual $40 billion kosher food market is being driven by non-Jews and will continue to grow, market research firm Mintel reports. Fifty-nine percent of consumers who purchase kosher foods say they do so because they think these foods are safer and healthier than non-kosher selections. Last month, a consumer survey showed that more Americans are buying kosher foods as a precaution against contamination. The report found that kosher food sales have increased some 15 percent in the last decade.

Nagila is a good example of why. Kosher refers to foods prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws outlined in the Torah. Many gentiles are familiar with the prohibition of pork and shellfish, as well as meat and dairy at the same meal, but Chabad of Wilmington Rabbi Moshe Y. Lieblich, who certified Nagila, explains that kosher goes much further.

To gain and keep kosher certification for the Moroccan restaurant and its new catering service, Shalit has to abide by many practices, among them switching to all kosher-certified foods. Processed food packages must be marked with accepted kosher symbols that indicate contents have been properly prepared.

Meats must come from animals quickly, precisely and be painlessly slaughtered, following methods that must be undertaken by a specially trained Jew known as a shochet. Slaughtered animals are thoroughly examined for disease and injuries and rejected if either are present. Lastly, all blood is removed by a special salting and soaking process. Fruits, vegetables and grains must be free of insects, which are non-kosher, hence Shalit’s lengthy cleaning of the cilantro and all other produce.

Additionally, during the certification process Lieblich inspected all of Nagila’s utensils and surfaces to determine if any had been used for both meat and dairy or to prepare non-kosher foods. Those that were had to be eliminated or thoroughly cleaned.

Lieblich visits Nagila daily to ensure kosher rules are continually honored. The rabbi checks food stores for kosher symbols and reviews Shalit’s work habits. After the cilantro is washed, Lieblich uses a bright light to scrutinize the herbs for insects.

“When I come here I watch him (Shalit) doing whatever he is doing,” Lieblich says. “I come unannounced. I come sometimes in the morning; sometimes in the evening.”

Whenever he arrives, Lieblich says, he finds Shalit’s dedication to keeping kosher unwavering. Oftentimes, rabbis must be in kosher kitchens throughout the workday. “The only reason I can come in here an hour a day or randomly a couple times a day is because I trust him,” Lieblich says of Shalit.

For diners, Shalit’s devotion is an assurance that they are getting safe, carefully prepared, high-quality foods, and, if they are Jewish, foods that allow them to keep kosher even when eating out.

Shalit’s rewards come from his love of cooking and his faith. Nagila is one of just a handful of kosher restaurants in North Carolina. Keeping kosher means more work. “It takes me 45 minutes as opposed to five minutes,” Shalit says of washing cilantro. Food costs are higher, too, and Nagila is closed for Jewish holidays and the weekly Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, from sundown Friday night to Saturday night, a profitable time most restaurants owners are unwilling to sacrifice.

Despite the challenges, Shalit says, kosher certification has improved the restaurant, his food and even his mood.

“You see that falafel?” the chef says, eyes bright and grin wide as he deep fries the golden balls made from garbanzo beans and freshly ground spices that perfume the kitchen. “So beautiful. So beautiful. Unbelievable.”

He gently places the falafel on warm pitas just out of the oven and finishes the dish with flawless lettuce and tomatoes. He has also prepared fresh hummus and couscous with vegetables.

“When I take it out to the dining room, imagine what I feel,” Shalit says. “I feel a lot of pride. And people are telling each other they are having the best, the best, the best.”

“Sometimes,” Shalit says, “it’s worth it just for that.”