Israeli Food

A Virtual Culinary Tour in Jerusalem

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Independence day

Caveat: Kosher Restaurants

Basic Kosher rules:

● Can’t eat dairy products and meat products together. Everything else (including fish) is called “Parve” and can be combined with either dairy or meat.

● No pork, no shellfish.

Kosher Restaurants (and many other venues) are closed on Sabbath, which is roughly from sunset Friday till sunset Saturday. Check before you go!

Mahane Yehuda Market

Halva: Confection made of sesame seeds. Very sweet!

Olives: Feel free to try some before buying

Martsipan Bakery

BurekasBalkan savory pastry with various fillings such as potatoes, cheese, mushrooms etc.The shape usually implies the filling.

Turkish BurekasServed with tomato sauce, hard boiled egg.

RogalachSweet pastry with chocolate or cinnamon

Around the Market

Nahla’ot

The Iraqi market

Hummus BasicsHummus

Onion

“Fool” beans

Hard boiled egg

Olive oil

Parsley

T’hina

Cooked chickpeas

Pita

Pickles

PinatiServing Hummus, Kube (recommended) and other Israeli food

Kube: Semolina dumplings filled with ground beef (coming mainly from Iraq). Can be cooked in a soup or fried.

Kube Hamusta (cooked in a lemony soup)

Kube Selek (cooked in beet soup) Fried Kube

BabetteBelgian Waffle, Hot Chocolate

Perfect for a cool Jerusalem evening!

Tmol ShilshomA restaurant named after Agnon’s storyfeatures dining among books, and plates ornamented with quotes.It is located in Nahalat Shiv’a, the third Jewish neighborhood built outside the city walls in the 19th century.

Lavan in the Cinematheque

Nice restaurant with a great view of the old city walls from the balcony.The Cinematheque is a special cinema for quality films, not necessarily recent, including many Israeli and foreign films.

View from the Footbridge(above the Cinematheque)

Mount Zion hotel

Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the windmill and Yemin Moshe

The old city walls, tower of David and Dormition abbey

YMCA and King David hotel

Other Places to Eat in JerusalemEin Karem: A picturesque village in the skirts of Jerusalem with some Christian sites. Nice to walk around, has several restaurants.

Gaza street: Several restaurants and bars along the street. The prime minister’s residence is at the high end of the street.

The German colony (Emek Refa’im street): An area with impressive old houses and plenty of eating options, mainly kosher.“Lev Smadar” cinema shows quality movies in a friendly atmosphere.

Nahalat Shiv’a: The third neighborhood built outside the city walls in the 19th century. Currently full of restaurants and bars, some kosher and some not.

More Israeli food you should try(just ask Israelis you know)

Falafel (obviously)Expect to be asked what you want inside the pita.

Hummus

Spicy

Tomatoes

Salad

White cabbage

Red cabbage

Not in the picture: pickles etc.

Don’t forget the T’hina on top!

Shawarma

Pieces of meat (most commonly turkey or lamb) grilled on a vertical rotating spit, and shaved for serving. Served in a Pita or Lafa (which is like a wrap but thicker) with the usual toppings: Hummus, T’hina, vegetables and also fries.

Arab/Druze Food

Pita with Labaneh: Pita (an Arab version which is thinner and larger than regular Pita, and has no pocket) made on a round metal surface (Saj) over a fire and then rolled with Labaneh (sour soft cheese), olive oil and Za’atar (spice)

Baklawa: A very sweet desert of various shpaes and forms, usually made with phyllo dough, sugar, honey, rose water, nuts and pistachios

Stuffed StuffVegetables stuffed with rice and spices, with or without ground beef

Stuffed cabbage (east European)

Stuffed grape leaves (various origins)

Stuffed pepper (various origins)

North African Origin

Couscous: Cooked Semolina grains usually served with cooked vegetables

Shakshuka: A dish made of eggs, tomatoes, onion and peppers. Usually served for breakfast or dinner with bread for dipping

Yemenite Origin

Malawah (left) and Jahnoon (right) are both made of the same kind of dough, folded over and over to create thin layers. The Malawah is then fried or baked, while the Jahnoon is rolled and slow-baked in a pot.Both are served with tomato sauce, hard boiled egg and spicy sauce (s’hug).Jahnoon is a common dish for Saturday morning, since one can start cooking it before the Sabbath starts.

Eggplant!

Israel is a heaven for eggplant lovers, as it is common in many dishes and served in many forms. It goes well with either Labaneh or T’hina (below), and is also common as a spread (called eggplant salad) with either T’hina, mayonnaise or by itself.

Summer Fruit in Israel

Bon Appetite!