In biblical times, Israel was known as the Land of Milk and Honey: “A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey…”
In modern times we all know that we associate food with comfort, fun, fulfillment, and even friendship. Learning about Israel’s culinary traditions is a way to enrich your knowledge of the Holy Land while delighting in the pleasure that good food brings.
A visit to Israel today will allow you a glimpse at how food has been prepared in this area for thousands of years. You can learn about the power of spices and herbs at the spice farms of the Judean Hills, traditional methods of cheese making at the dairy farms of Galilee, and the secrets to baking bread in preparation for the Sabbath in Jerusalem.
You can even visit the only winery in the world that makes pomegranate wine — the Rimon Winery is nestled in the heart of the Galilee Mountains.
The wonderful thing about Israeli cooking is that it exemplifies an awesome array of honored traditions and is also filled with a plethora of colors, fragrances, and exotic flavors. It is very diverse because it is comprised of an array of traditions from Jewish immigrants from around the world.
It reflects Ethiopian Jewish, Indian Jewish, Iranian Jewish, Yemeni Jewish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences. While strolling through the streets of Israel, you’ll be met by the wafting scent of popular street food such as falafel — balls of hummus and spices that are fired in oil; shawarma — cuts of meat packed into a large Iraqi pita; and sabih — a salad made of hummus, eggplant, egg, and spices.
Because of the vast array of influences, a large number of kosher restaurants can be found that serve up many types of cuisine. You can go to a kosher Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Libyan, or Moroccan restaurant!
Now that your stomach is surely rumbling, you may want to try out a traditional Israeli recipe. One of my favorites is for Israeli Kibbutz Salad. It is a refreshing, healthy side dish, or can be served as a main dish by enjoying it in some pita bread.
Israeli Kibbutz Salad
Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, diced and seeded
2 medium cucumbers, diced
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 scallions, diced (including the green tops)
4-6 radishes, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, coarsely shredded
1/2 of a medium lettuce, coarsely shredded
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together and season them with salt and pepper, or other spices to suit your tastes. That’s it!
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