Israeli food: Popular Israeli dishes and drinks
If you are visiting Israel and want to try the best Israeli food, here is a list of the most popular Israeli dishes and Israeli drinks I have tried on my trip to Israel.
Modern Israeli cuisine represents a culinary fusion of traditional Jews foods and foods brought to Israel by Jewish diaspora. Due to the geographical position of Israel, Israeli cuisine belongs to Middle Eastern cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine strongly influenced by Asia, Africa, and Europe. Thanks to various cultural and culinary influences, Israeli foods represent one of the most delicious foods in the World and one of the healthiest foods in the World.
Talking about Israeli food means talking of first-class olives and olive oil, nutritious chickpeas, fava beans, couscous, burgul, lentils, health beneficial goat cheese, saporous tomatoes, aubergines, zucchini, avocados, mangos, heavenly Medjool dates, ambrosial Jaffa oranges, clementines, lemons, grapefruits, grapes, figs, pomegranates … sweet date honey called Silan … and spices such as cumin, zaatar, turmeric, sesame seeds, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, aniseed, saffron … or herbs such as rosemary, mint, sage, thyme, oregano, lemon verbena, fennel, bay leaves.
To conclude this short introduction to Israeli food, let me just say that Israeli cuisine is a haven on the Earth for vegetarians, vegans, and all healthy food lovers.
1 POPULAR ISRAELI FOOD
1.1 HUMMUS
HUMMUS is a Levantine spread usually prepared of mashed chickpeas. Sometimes it is made of other beans too. Mashed beans are blended with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Where to find the best hummus in Israel is a never-ending debate in Israel.
If you want a perfect treat for your palate, I would suggest to try out hummus with pine nuts. After trying roasted pine nut hummus, there is a great possibility of becoming addicted to it. Thus, please beware of hummus with pine nuts in Israel!
1.2 FALAFEL
FALAFEL is a traditional Middle Eastern food. But in Israel, falafel is considered to be an Israeli national dish. It is also the ultimate street food in Israel you can find on every street corner in Israel. While falafel originates from Egypt, today is commonly eaten everywhere in the Middle East.
FALAFEL BALLS are made of deeply fried chickpeas, fava beans or both. Falafel is often wrapped in a pita sandwich or eaten alone as a part of the meze (the Middle Eastern palette of appetizers)
1.3 SHAKSHOUKA
SHAKSHOUKA is an Israeli dish made of poached eggs in the sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions spiced with cumin or zaatar, paprika, cayenne pepper, and coriander. Shakshouka is one of the most Israeli loved dishes and for the good reason. Unambiguously, Shakshouka is divine. Israelites usually eat Shakshouka for their breakfast. It was introduced in Israel by Jewish immigrants from North Africa, more precisely from Tunisia.
The word Shakshouka comes out of the Arabic word Shakka, meaning ‘to stick together‘. After tasting Shakshouka you find out how good poached eggs, tomatoes, chilies, paprika, onions, cumin, pepper, and coriander stick together. And as a result, you stick to Shakshouka for the rest of your life!
1.4 TAHINI
TAHINI is a creamy and savory paste made of sesame seeds usually found in hummus, baba ganoush spread (an eggplant dip), falafel sandwich or as a salad dressing. Authentic Israeli tahini is made with sesame paste, lemon, olive oil, and garlic.
Let me point out here that tahini is an ancient food tracking down sesames seeds cultivated in India 5.000 BC. If you want to find out why people have been adoring sesame seeds for the past 7.000 years, you should try tahini in Israel.
1.5 SABICH WITH AMBA
SABICH, or SABIH, is a popular Israeli sandwich. Basically, Sabich is a pita bread filled with fried eggplant and hard-boiled eggs, tahini sauce, hummus, Israeli salad, and amba (a piquant mango dressing). Sabich was brought to Israel by Iraqi Jews. Traditionally, it was eaten on Shabbath.
Sabich with amba was the first Israeli food I have tried in Tel Aviv on my arrival to Israel and I was literally screaming: ‘What’s this?! This is soooo good!! What’s this?! What am I eating? This is so perfect!’
1.6 ISRAELI SALAD
When you mix fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers and dress it all with lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, zaatar, you get one of the most delicious salads you have ever tried. The Israeli salad is a standard Israeli side dish. There is no need to specially mention how much healthy Israeli salad is!
1.7 TABBOULEH
TABBOULEH is delicious classic Middle Eastern salad originating from neighbouring Lebanon. Israeli Tabouli is a salad prepared of finely chopped vegetables, parsley, bulgur wheat spiced with olive oil and lemon juice. Tabbouleh is a simple salad which confirms that the beauty lies in simplicity.
1.8 ISRAELI STUFFED VINE LEAVES
Rolled boiled or steamed fresh and young vine (grape) leaves stuffed with cooked rice, olive oil, peppers, salt make one of the most delectable Israeli dishes. Best stuffed vine leaves you can find served in Druze villages in Israel. Druze people are well known in Israel for their glorious culinary skills and delicious food.
Stuffed vine leaves are widely prepared in all Mediterranean. Sometimes the leaves can be stuffed with minced meat too. In Israel, vine leaves are stuffed only with rice and represent mouthwatering vegetarian and vegan treat!
1.9 LABNEH
LABNEH (or LABNI, LEBNI) is a strained yogurt cheese, dried and prepared either as a buttery spread or shaped into balls. Native to the Middle East, Labneh is popular in Israel. Creamy labneh is usually spread out onto a pita bread or a bagel. Labneh blends well with lemon juice, olive oil, zaatar and herbs like marjoram, oregano, thyme, and sesame seeds.
1.10 ISRAELI BREAD
LAFA (or,TABOON BREAD) is a traditional Middle Eastern and Iraqi flatbread sold as a street food in Israel. Lafa is heavily topped with lots of olive oil and zaatar in Israel. On my trip to Israel, the first lafa bread I have tried was in Nazareth and got hooked on it immediately.
BAGEL bread is probably the most popular Israeli bread in the World. Oblong bagels with sesame seeds are another popular Israeli street food.
CHALLAH bread is an Israeli bread traditionally baked for holidays and Shabbath. Tasty Israeli Challah bread dough is made of water, sugar, salt, yeast, raisins, honey, eggs and olive oil. For Rosh Hannah, Challah bread is usually prepared in round shape implying the circle of the year.
2 ISRAELI DRINKS
2.1 POMEGRANATES JUICE
One of the healthiest juices ever is offered at every street stall in Israel. Salesmen at street stalls in Israel simply squeeze fresh pomegranate just in front of your eyes before you start indulging in your ruby colored juice. Pomegranate juice in Israel is cheap, refreshing and salubrious!
2.2 ARABIC COFFEE WITH CARDAMOM
Israel doesn’t lack sweet coffee treats for coffee devotees.
In Israel, all coffee addicts, like me, can find their pleasure in sipping Arabic coffee prepared with cardamom, saffron, and rose water. Arabic coffee in Israel is usually served in a small delicate cup with some sweets and cakes on the side. My sweet morning sin in Israel was treating myself with Arabic coffee accompanied with some toothsome dates cakes and anise cakes.
2.3 SAHLAB
SAHLAB or SACHLAV (or Salep) is a popular creamy Middle Eastern beverage made of hot milk and a pudding powder from the orchid plant. Most commonly is topped with cinnamon and pistachios. Salep should be drunk while it is warm. Warmness and sweetness are what you get when drinking Sahlab!
2.4 ARAK
ARAK is an alcoholic drink made of anise. Arak is widely used throughout the Middle East and it is made of the fermented juice of figs and grapes flavoured with the seeds of anise.
2.5 ISRAELI BEER — GOLDSTAR
Goldstar beer is a dark lager beer produced in Israel. Goldstar is No 1 selling beer in Israel. This Israeli lager beer worths to give it a try if you are a beer lover. If you are in Israel and want to try the best Israeli beer then Goldstar beer should be your choice.
2.6 MINT TEA
When you put fresh mint leaves into hot water, you get a perfect tea widely sipped in all the Middle East and Africa region. Mint tea grants comfort and calmness.
Italians say ‘Chi mangia bene, viva bene’, or “Who eats well, lives well’. At the end of this post, I would add that people in Israel eat well!
