Schmaltz has two primary meanings, one literal and one figurative, depending on the context:
1. Literal Meaning (Culinary)
- Schmaltz refers to rendered animal fat, particularly from chickens or geese. It’s a traditional ingredient in Jewish and Eastern European cooking, often used for frying or as a spread.
- In Jewish cuisine, chicken schmaltz is used similarly to how other cultures might use butter or oil. It gives dishes a rich, savory flavor and is commonly used in foods like matzo ball soup or chopped liver.
2. Figurative Meaning (Emotional or Artistic Context)
- In a more informal, figurative sense, schmaltz refers to something that is excessively sentimental or overly emotional, often in a cheesy or exaggerated way.
- It’s commonly used to describe movies, music, or writing that are dripping with sentimentality, aiming to provoke strong emotional reactions but often seen as over-the-top or insincere. For example, a romantic movie with exaggerated emotional scenes might be called “schmaltzy.”
Example Sentences:
- Culinary: “I used schmaltz instead of butter to fry the onions, and it gave the dish a wonderful flavor.”
- Figurative: “That movie was pure schmaltz—every scene was trying too hard to make you cry.”
Both meanings of the word stem from Yiddish and German origins, where “schmalz” literally means “fat” or “lard,” with the figurative meaning evolving later to describe emotional excess.
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