shmaltz

/ʃmɑlts/
noun
  1. Excessive sentimentality, especially in music, movies, or writing; emotional content that feels cheap or overdone.
    • The speech was pure shmaltz, designed to make everyone cry.
    • Some people love the shmaltz of old holiday songs, but I find them too sugary.
    • The movie was full of shmaltz, with a sappy love scene every ten minutes.
  2. Rendered chicken or goose fat, used in traditional Jewish cooking.
    • The recipe calls for a tablespoon of shmaltz to give the chopped liver a silky texture.
    • My grandmother always used shmaltz to make the matzo balls rich and flavorful.
    • You can buy shmaltz at the kosher market or render it yourself from chicken skin.
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