The Food & Wine Of Israel
What is it that makes Israel such a destination for food and wine aficionados? A good part of it is that this tiny Mediterranean nation is an ethnic melting pot of cultures, religions and immigrants—all of which is reflected in the food on offer throughout Israel. There are restaurants in Israel that serve cuisines that exist nowhere else on earth: particularly the cuisines from areas now devoid of Jews, where large Jewish populations created their own eclectic cuisines, such as in Salonika, Dubrovnik, Tripolitania, Mesopotamia, Persia, Yemen and Bukhara.
There are also two vital elements that make food in Israel so unique. One is its location on the shores of the Mediterranean. Like Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Spain, Israeli cuisine reflects the warm sun, the olives that grow on its trees, the olive oil we press, and the breads, fish and meats that have made the Mediterranean the source of what is considered by many as the world’s healthiest diet. Secondly, Israel produces the most splendid quality of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. From the legendary Jaffa oranges first exported to Europe in the 1930’s, to the kiwis, star fruit, citrus, tomatoes, peppers, flowers, yogurts and cheeses we export today. And the contemporary traveler to Israel can enjoy the fruits of the bountiful Israeli harvest at one of the country’s many outdoor fruit, vegetable and spice markets, such as Jerusalem’s famed Mahane Yehuda market and the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (pictured here).
From the simplest lunch of hummus and pita to the most elaborate chef’s tasting menu in a fleet of new, top-tier restaurants, Israel will amaze your clients with its diversity of options for dining out. Café life is major in Israel—it is the Mediterranean, after all!—with sidewalk cafes throughout every city and town. They offer a varied menu of coffees, teas, cakes, sandwiches, pastries and light meals. Israelis often sit in cafés for hours over a cup of coffee. One of the Israeli favorites is “café affuch” (“upside-down coffee”), a combination café cappuccino/café latte. U.S.-style coffee bars are more and more common in Israel, with one Israeli chain now with two stores in New York.
And while it’s never a good idea to skip breakfast, nowhere is this more true than in Israel! In Israel’s early days, pioneers on kibbutzim would rise at 4AM to work the fields and milk the cows, and return for a hearty breakfast at 8 or 9AM. Breakfast would revolve largely around their own produce: eggs, bread, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruit. Fast forward five or six decades and the pioneers’ breakfasts have evolved into one of the most delicious – and renowned – gastronomic experiences in Israel. Every hotel serves a version of the “Israeli Breakfast” – invariably a giant buffet of vegetables, salads, cheese, eggs, smoked fish, breads, pastries, yoghurts, cereals and fruit.
And with its abundance of world-class vineyards, groves of olive, fig and orange trees, and bountiful produce markets, Israel’s chefs have plenty at their fingertips with which to create some of the best fine-dining cuisine in the world. With restaurants in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem setting new trends in haute Middle Eastern cuisine, Israel’s restaurants are on par with the top tables in Europe and North America.
To know more, please call 1-877-ISRAEL or visit: http://goisrael.com/tourism_eng
