I’ve considered myself lucky workwise for many reasons.
But the biggest one is I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the United States and very frequently to our headquarters in Israel. These trips often mean lots of networking, meetings, and then lots of self-rewarding with the yumminess that is Israeli-foods and wines.
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are the 2 cities I’ve frequented the most and therefore explored the most. Like many young tourists, the beaches, nightlife and active scenes of Tel Aviv are what I am drawn to. Beautiful waters, people, clothes, activities, and just general fun. Jerusalem has it’s own beauty and more history than almost any other place in the world. I thoroughly enjoy both but here I will focus on Tel Aviv and the foods I’ve loved the most.
Just take a look at the scene above. Who wouldn’t enjoy eating and drinking anything in that setting?? But then to add to it, just imagine eating a 20+ appetizer meal in this scene! That’s right, at The Old Man and the Sea in the Jaffa district, right on the water, ~23 side appetizers are served to you before your main dish arrives. They include beets, hummus, corn salsa, pita breads, tabbouleh, and salads of all kinds. Fresh vegetables, traditional dips, and all the fixings you could need. While mass produced, the appetizers are still fresh and flavorful. Further on the plus side, very little guilt when so many nutrients and colors in front of you. I love a colorful plate and a colorful table is even better.
You will be tempted to fill up on these appetizers first thing, and some people do; however, being that you are at the sea, I highly recommend ordering a dish from the menu. The fish are fresh and well made and the portion sizes very generous. Unfortunately the only downside is the service. With a restaurant as popular as this one, the lines can get long and the staff can get short, meaning they need quick turnaround. This is known and yet people still come in droves for the mezze spread and views.
Hot tip: get a table when it’s time for sun set.
One thing I love most about Israeli foods is how natural and flavorsome it is.
The use of lentils, vegetables, sauces, ingredients grown in Israeli farms or caught in the seas and then made in-house can be seen, or better yet tasted, in most restaurants. For example, the dish above, enjoyed in a little café lunch spot, right on the water in Tel Aviv. You’ll note lentils, corn, rice, minced veggies, topped with hummus, tahini, and salsa. It’s simple, wholesome, filling and packed with flavor. I love these foods individually but together, they create a party in a bowl. While most of these foods are likely familiar to you, I’d like to focus on tahini. Rich in flavor and texture, tahini is a very common dressing on many dishes in Israel. The profile is nutty thanks t0 the use of sesame seeds and with just a drizzle any dish becomes just that much more robust. If you’re new to Israeli food, some tahini on a falafel wrap should do the trick to make you fall just as in love. The above makes for a perfect meal and Israel is full of them!
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the markets that adorn the streets of Tel Aviv and the desserts that can be found in them. Below are just two examples of the vendors and displays that make my morning and evening walks just a treat.
Israel is known as “The Land of Milk and Honey” and when you see these mountains of sweets piled high in the markets and grocery stores, you understand why.
Kanafeh, or specifically below sweet cheese kanafeh, was completely new to me. Shredded filo, which you can see on the plates atop the kanafeh (orange squares) and is known as Kadaif, is soaked in sugary syrup, layered in cheese, and topped with pistachios. Once baked it is crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth gooey on the inside. I absolutely loved this dessert and have found myself on the hunt for it in the states (surprisingly Trader Joe’s does have their own version in the frozen dessert aisle). Traditionally rose water is poured over just before consuming and it should be consumed warm but don’t worry, if the markets are the only place you find yourself able to get your hands on kanafeh, go for it! Of course you may recognize baklava, which is very generous on the sweet syrup making it all the better and Turkish jellies should you be looking for just a small sweet bite.
Chocolate rugelach on the top left below are so common, they’re available daily in our offices. Delicious Danish yeast rolls filled with melted chocolate, they’re hard not to consume daily as well. There are so many traditional Israeli cookies available that it’s hard to decipher which are which as a tourist who is new to many. Tahini cookies are very popular and made with a tahini sesame paste that keeps them only slightly sweet, making them easy to devour more. Mandelbrot, or Mandel Bread, translated to almond bread, are another well known cookie, similar to a biscotti in shape but tasting more like a shortbread cookie.
There are so many more that I have yet to try but I will leave you with this, and I can not stress this enough, indulge. Get them all, it’s worth it.
