By Yael Dolev

I would like to introduce you to Israeli Cuisine. Israel attracts immigrants from many countries; each brings a special tradition of food and culture. Israeli cooking is literally a melting pot. Therefore, Israeli cuisine is a combination of Jewish tradition, Arab elements, some Eastern European factors, Mediterranean influences, and an Israeli performance.

Israeli cuisine is inspired by the origin of the population, and by the availability of native ingredients. Israeli food is a blend of mild “Gfiltefish” (stuffed Carp) from eastern Europe, and hot “schug” (Hot Salsa) from Yemen; of chicken soup from the Jewish mother, and of Hummus and Falafel from the local neighbors. Israelis serve French quiches with fresh salads, and eat Italian Pasta. One can find bakeries serving fresh light French bread, heavy German farmer bread, tasty Hungarian cakes, but also Arab pita bread and Balkan Burekas (Puff pastry dough filled with spinach or Bulgarian Feta). The cafés serve strong cappuccino besides Turkish coffee and instant “Elite” coffee (which was once the only coffee one could get in Israel, and many people still love it although it lacks the taste or smell of a regular coffee).

The Israeli kitchen reflects its Geographical location in the Middle-East and the Mediterranean. This location supports a diet with very healthy ingredients and some very good eating habits. Like many countries in this area, a typical meal will start with what is literally being called “open a table” - the table is covered with many plates of all kinds of salads and pickles. Israelis eat many salads, and they are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Besides the traditional “Israeli salad” - tomatoes and cucumbers chopped very small, served with olive oil and minced parsley, you will find on the table a large variety of salads made out of fruit and vegetables, combined with all kind of nuts, a range of green herbs, fish, pickles or cheese. As in any Mediterranean tradition, there is an abundant use of olive oil as the basic ingredient for salad dressing, and in cooking. Fruits are available all year around, therefore, Israelis use a wide variety of fruit in their salads and as part of cooked entrées. Fresh herbs are grown in greenhouses and are used much more often than dried. Dairy products are a very important part of the Israeli diet. There is a good selection of soft cheese, hard cheese, goat cheese, yogurts, and cream in the Israeli supermarket. Israelis love dairy products and they combine them with all kind of dishes. Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Israelis also eat many types of fresh fish.

Surrounded by Arab countries, and having citizens from various Arab countries, it is no wonder that the Israeli kitchen assimilated many Arab dishes that are based on legumes and sesame, such as hummus, tahini, and magadra (rice with lentils). Immigrants from North African countries added couscous, spicy fish, and hot carrots to the pot. Yet, the Eastern European kitchen also has a huge representation in the Israeli kitchen: some plates, such as cooked carrots, use more sweet than hot spices, a Polish custom; many traditional Russian dishes, like dumplings, and beets were also introduced to the Israeli kitchen. Israelis like to travel a lot, and they were exposed to the exotic tastes of the world. They brought to their Israeli kitchen soy sauce from Japan, sweet and sour sauce from China, and hot chili from South America. Once you combine all the foreign recipes together, and serve it in the same meal, you get Israeli cuisine. The defining characteristic of Israeli cuisine is not its originality, but its mixture.

Israeli cuisine has many elements from Jewish culture. On weekends one can find typical food for the Shabbat, like fresh Hallah bread that is baked only on Fridays. In winter, each household prepares “Cholent” – a slow cooking meat-stew that the cook puts in the oven on Friday, and it is ready for Saturday lunch. Although most Israelis prepare it from similar basic ingredients, like dry legumes and wheat, potatoes, and meat, the end product will vary in flavor, according to the origin of the chef, due to different spices the cook uses. All the Jewish holidays are accompanied by customary dishes, linked to the traditions and stories of each celebration. Those traditions reflect the longing of the Jews in the Diaspora, to the land of Israel. Most of those dishes were based on the same very basic ingredients and reflected the compromise that Jews made to use kosher ingredients in their dishes. Thus, instead of using lard, they used Goose schmaltz. Among the dishes are for example, stuffed or spicy carp for the Jewish New Year, fried donuts for Hanukah, chicken soup with matzo balls for Passover, and cheese cakes for “Shavuoth” (Pentecost). But when those dishes immigrated to Israel, the Israeli cooks added to the traditional dishes many fresh vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs, all kinds of nuts, and spices. Thus the dish is converted from a Jewish dish to a “Sabra” dish (a sabra is the name of the prickly pear’s fruit, and it is a nickname for a native Israeli who has prickles outside, but is sweet and soft inside).

Israeli cuisine developed some unique customs. There is a typical Israeli breakfast, a creation of the kitchen of the Kibbutz and the hospitality kitchen industry. An Israeli breakfast is composed of all kinds of veggies and salads, a large variety of dairy products, olives, eggs (boiled or omelets), pickled fish and herring, distinctive breads and cakes, assorted jams, citrus fruit juice and coffee. The order of meals in Israel is also distinctive. The principal meal of the day is usually served at lunch time. Supper is usually a light meal, consisting of mainly salads, dairy products, pickles, and from time to time eggs. Last, there are the Kashrus laws, started in the bible, that some Israelis, Orthodox or observing, keep. According to these laws, some meat products, like pork or shellfish, are excluded. The laws also demand a separation between dairy and meat products. The Kashrus laws are kept in most institutional kitchens. Thus, new and old traditions combine together to define the Israeli kitchen.

References
The Embassy of Israel, Israeli-Cooking pages.
Shalev Ester & Zeeve Keren, Salads. Food & Kitchen Magazine (45). 3/1987.
Nathan Joan, The Foods of Israel Today. New York: Knopf, 2001.
Zisling Yael, Israeli Cuisine? Gems In Israel. October/November 2001. http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000039493.htm
Schwartz Oded, Jewish Cooking. Food & Kitchen Magazine (69). 3/1989.