Cholent, is thought of as a Central European Jewish dish prepared from primarily beans and meat that is baked endlessly in a slow oven. It was created by observant Jews who did not work on the Sabbath and for whom cooking was also prohibited. The dish was prepared on Friday and slipped into the oven before sundown. When Sabbath was over, the dish was removed from the oven.

However, the tradition of cooking a meal in a pot overnight so as not to violate the interdiction against lighting fires or cooking on the Sabbath is much older than the 14th century. It was often referred to in Talmudic days and dates back to ancient times.

What is current about cholent is the combination of ingredients that can be traced back to France and medieval Germany.