Israel as a foodie paradise

Israelis are very fond of tasty and healthy food. It is extremely important for them what they eat and how it is cooked. Surely you also heard the expression "kosher food" and managed to get scared. Now we, as superheroes, dispel myths and explain everything!

Features

Traditional Israeli cuisine is part of the familiar Mediterranean cuisine, which is logical given the geographical location. The taste variety is due to the symbiosis of ancient Jewish recipes (Ashkenazi and Sephardic cuisines), European and Eastern cuisines (Turkish and Arabic). Here, just a little bit, and everything is very harmonious.

Photo by Itamar Grinberg

Israelis pay great attention to the choice of products, preferring environmentally friendly. In their kitchen there are a lot of vegetables and herbs, legumes, juicy meat, fresh fish, olive oil and aromatic spices. There are quite spicy dishes - you have to be on the alert all the time! Vegetarians love Israeli cuisine for a huge selection of recipes with chickpeas, couscous, fruits and vegetables. Some dishes have become very popular all over the world, for example, falafel, hummus and bagels with all kinds of toppings.

Kosher food

Traditional Israeli dishes are tasty and hearty, but balanced - without excess fat and sauces. Often this is due to religion, because Orthodox Jews only eat kosher food (cooked in accordance with the law of Kashrut - a kind of set of rules regarding nutrition).

The kosher menu will not include pork, hare, camel, birds of prey and their eggs, fish without scales and fins, insects, crustaceans and mollusks. We usually don’t eat much of this either, agree. Also, kosher dishes do not mix meat with dairy products. That is, to eat a piece of beef and drink his coffee with milk will not work.

Photo by Itamar Grinberg

Establishments that comply with the laws of Kashrut post special certificates obtained from the rabbinate (or the highest religious authority of the State of Israel). Therefore, there is always and everywhere a choice - there is ordinary food or kosher. In some cities in Israel there are many kosher cafes and restaurants, for example, in Jerusalem, while in others there are quite a few, for example, in Tel Aviv or Eilat. In general, this does not affect the taste of dishes, since the restrictions apply to a greater extent to the products from which they are prepared.

For fun, try a kosher and non-kosher dish, compare and draw conclusions. Believe me, you are unlikely to notice any difference. We do not notice.

Regional cuisine

The local cuisine will vary slightly depending on where you are. Eilat's favorite tourist destination, as well as the vibrant coastal Tel Aviv, will have more fish and seafood than any other Israeli city. Moreover, the fact that Eilat is located on the Red Sea, and Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean, also leaves a peculiar imprint on the restaurant menu. In Jerusalem, you can try much more meat dishes, as well as different types of pastries and sweets, than in the above cities.

Photo by Noam Chen

Photo by Dana Friedlander

If possible, it is better to travel around Israel a bit, tasting traditional national dishes along the way.

National dishes

Israel is called a gourmet paradise for chic restaurants, unusual dishes and the ability to combine seemingly incompatible products.

It is best to start tasting national dishes in the morning, which usually begins with the Israelis with a cup of strong aromatic coffee. Those who like without milk can drink "bots", translated from Hebrew as "mud." No, no, we’re not joking, everything is so! This is an ordinary inexpensive black coffee made from ground beans, which can be brewed directly in a mug. When you drink a cup, the bottom is ... a lot of thick coffee grounds - hence the name. Everything is quick and easy - ideal for those who urgently need to wake up. Those who like coffee with milk should try the aphukh coffee, which translates as "vice versa." It is very similar to a cappuccino, only it is prepared, respectively, on the contrary: coffee (usually espresso) is poured into hot foamed milk. Yummy! Almost the same as cappuccino.

The perfect breakfast dish is shakshuka. These are eggs, consider that cooked in a thick sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices. It is very reminiscent of fried eggs with tomatoes, only the latter are so many that the egg can not be fried. Very satisfying and tasty, the main thing is to ask that it is not very spicy. Although, of course, it tastes and color ... There is shakshuka with meat, mushrooms, eggplant and chicken, cheese, you can’t list everything - you have to go and try it! Shakshuka is cooked in many places, but you can choose some institution specializing in this dish. One of these, for example, is a small Shakshukia restaurant with a lot of variations ... yes, shakshukas.

Photo by Dana Friedlander

Excellent shakshuks are also prepared at Palmer Café (Haifa) and Café Cafe (Eilat). Although, of course, in any city you can and should try, compare and choose the best for yourself.

If it is still a long time before lunch, and you want a snack, then a great option would be hummus or falafel. Hummus is Israel’s most popular chopped chickpea snack with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and thinha (sesame paste). Sometimes paprika, onion, pine nuts, egg, etc. are also added to it. Hummus is a rather thick and satisfying dish, it can be a snack or, depending on the additives and the way of serving, the main dish. Try it for sure.

Photo by Dana Friedlander

Israel honors traditions; this also applies to culinary. In any city in the country there is a small institution with home cooking, where a long line will stretch. This is how the Israelis work: if they love, say, hummus from a cafe, they will come there again and again, even if there is nothing else on the menu.

Delicious national dishes can be found in well-known restaurants with famous chefs, and in small cafes on the outskirts of the city. It is up to you to decide where you want to try Israeli cuisine, but we recommend that you evaluate hummus in several places.

One of the most delicious hummus in Tel Aviv is cooked in Abu Hassan (Ali Karavan). There is almost nothing more in the menu, but it is not needed either. The line in the cafe is usually long, but moving fast, because visitors, sympathizing with everyone who wants to get inside, prefer not to hold the table, but to take home hummus to take away. You don’t need to pay attention to the institution’s work schedule - as soon as the dish ends, it closes, so it’s better to go here in the early morning or for brunch. It’s not worth it to be offended by the owners, they have been working like this for 45 years, and the lines are not ending.

Another amazing place with hummus in Tel Aviv is The House of Hummus. Here it is served with whole boiled chickpeas, spices and fresh herbs, guests dunk pita in it and smile with pleasure. You should try it too! Well, another place worth mentioning is Hummus Nachmani. It is very tender here, with excellent olive oil, but not fat at all, but airy. Mmmm, you’ll just lick your fingers.

There are a lot of establishments where they cook excellent hummus - in Haifa - often according to old family recipes. For example, in Hummus Hanamal Abu Ramy, which is near the harbor. This is a small cafe owned by one family. For a very long time they have been preparing wonderful homemade hummus with secret ingredients. The portions are large and the prices are low, what else is needed ?! Be sure to visit. Another restaurant is Humus Abu Marwan. It is served here with meat, mushrooms, vegetables, cheese, etc. Curious, but it combines literally with any products. Hummus Abu Shakker also has a lot of options for this popular dish, including boiled eggs, tkhina, mushrooms and whole chickpeas. Hummus is always warm and fragrant, you will not regret it.

Falafel is deep-fried balls of chickpeas and / or other legumes with spices. Following the example of hummus, falafel is often stuffed with pita, fresh vegetables and tahini are added, turning all this into a tasty and healthy vegetarian roll. You can eat it in a cafe or take away.

Photo by Dana Friedlander

The delicious falafel in Jerusalem can be tasted, say, in the Moshiko Falafel. The cafe is kosher, falafel has been prepared since 1985. With the addition of hummus and hot sauce, the dish will become more piquant and satisfying. In addition, here you can appreciate the local shawarma - "Jerusalem mixture". Portions of chicken and / or turkey (usually offal) are fried in a pan with spices and then wrapped in fresh tortilla. Add to your taste salad, tkhina and, again, hummus - without it, nowhere!

In Tel Aviv, one of the great places with falafel is Falafel Hakosem. The portion is very large, so it is better to take it for two. If you are in Haifa, then here falafel is sold literally at every step and everywhere is very tasty. If you want to buy it to take away and eat somewhere in the park, then look at the small cafe Falafel Hwadi Micheal. Falafel is juicy, tasty, hot and there are many options for filling.

Photo by Dana Friedlander

For lunch, the Israelis can eat something fish or meat. For fish dishes, it is best to go to Eilat or Tel Aviv, where the choice is much richer: numerous restaurants offer not only fish dishes, but also fresh seafood. All servings are usually large and generous.

Photo by Itamar Grinberg

Israel’s traditional Israeli salad, Israel, is very popular. In fact, these are finely chopped vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices. As a rule, it is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers, although there is a variation with tuna, eggs and cheese. For lunch - that's it!

Meat lovers should appreciate the cholect and prax. Chollt is a tasty, satisfying and aromatic dish in a pot, like stew from meat, beans, cereals and vegetables. This Jewish dish was traditionally put on the table on Saturday, after it languished overnight in a cooling oven. Praxes - these are Jewish meat stuffed cabbage with thick tomato sauce. This dish is prepared from minced meat with boiled rice, eggs and onions, wrapped in large cabbage leaves. In general, if you suddenly miss the Russian home cooking in Israel, you know what to take.

If you suddenly want to try something really strange and unusual, then we saved up something for the last time. So, perhaps, the most unusual dishes of Israeli cuisine, in our humble opinion, are liver pate and apple kugel. First, about the first: surprisingly, this dish is not prepared from the liver, but from eggplant. In fact, it is minced eggplant with eggs and onions. For taste, spices or mayonnaise are sometimes added. It is unlikely to be able to try something like this somewhere, so eat in Israel for health! Apple Kugel is a very interesting round Israeli casserole of boiled noodles, cottage cheese and apples with raisins and sugar. Nuts and cinnamon are added to taste. We tried something similar in kindergarten under the Soviet Union. If you are from the next generation, try what your older brothers and sisters ate after the "quiet hour."

Famous restaurants in Israel

In Israel, of course, there are places that deserve special mention.

The eucalyptus

This restaurant is unique in that the menu contains only dishes from foods and herbs that are described in the Bible. A kind of "biblical cuisine." The owner and chef of the restaurant uses organic products and carefully monitors the presentation of dishes - everything should be elegant and delicious, as in any gourmet restaurant. A lamb stewed in a pot, a wild duck with dates in red wine and oriental flower pudding are perhaps the most interesting dishes of the establishment. Book a table better in advance.

Website: www.the-eucalyptus.com

Catit

One of the best restaurants not only in Tel Aviv, but also throughout Israel. The famous Israeli chef and restaurant manager, Meir Adoni, combined Mediterranean cuisine with the traditions of the Middle East. Here you should definitely try the panna cotta of lamb with yuzu, pomelo with almonds, as well as the signature tiramisu with cardamom. For those who find it difficult to choose one dish from the menu, it is better to order a mini-tasting.

Photo by Dana Friedlander

Website: www.catit.co.il

Edible souvenirs

You should bring a bottle of wine from Israel. Almost the entire north of Israel is winemaking - Galilee, Golan, Samaria - choose the region where you are more convenient to get to. Samaria, the oldest wine region, is famous for the Tishby and Carmel Winery wineries. The local wine has a more tart, vibrant taste and rich aroma. An unusual option is Israeli fruit wine made from pomegranate and blackcurrant. Surprise your friends, we have such a rarity! Another great souvenir from Israel is olive oil. One of the best varieties is Halutz. The main thing is not to overdo it with the number of bottles, otherwise there will be problems at the border;)

Photo by Noam Chen

Useful information that will help you plan your vacation in Israel can be found on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism: tourism.goisrael.ru

You can read the latest news about Israel on our Facebook page.

Share this post with your friends!