Food : Isreal

Some Israelis’ diets are affected by kashrut (meaning proper or properly prepared), the Jewish dietary laws. Kashrut forbids the consumption of meat or chicken with dairy products, animals without split hooves that do not chew their cud (most notably pork), and fish without both scales and fins (such as shellfish). Observant Jews will not eat or shop in a place that carries non-kosher goods; consequently, to keep kosher clientele coming, the big supermarket chains in Israel carry only kosher products, and many restaurants (including most hotels) serve only kosher food. Still, observance of kashrut is hardly the norm in Israel-many restaurants, particularly in the big cities (except Jerusalem), are strictly non-kosher.

The typical Israeli eats a large breakfast, returns home for a big mid-day dinner, and has a light, late supper. Because of the poor quality and high cost of meat, Israelis rely largely on chicken, dairy, and vegetable products. Popular items in the Israeli diet include hummus, an Arab import-CHm-Israeli staple; the Israeli salad, a finely chopped mix witii tomatoes and cucumbers, garnished with oil and vinegar; gvina levana, soft white cheese; schnitzel, breaded and fried chicken breast; chips, the local name for french fries; and a variety of sweet dairy snacks.

Israel’s most popular street food is still falafel-pita bread stuffed with salad and deep-fried ground chick-pea balls, topped with tahina sauce. Other typical pita-fillers are hummus (a creamy mash of chick-peas, garlic, and lemon) and shwarma (chunks of roast turkey, sometimes posing as Iamb); falafel, hummus, and shwarma stands always have a colorful selection of salads and toppings for added flavor, such as harif, a red-hot sauce. Burekas (filo dough folded over a cheese, potato, spinach, or meet filling) come in different shapes, typically triangular, and are available at oastry shops and some fast-food kiosks. Pizza is always an option. On hot summer davs, street vendors sell what look like hand grenades. Not to worry-these are sahras ($ prickly cactus fruit), and the inside is edible, although the seeds cause some people indigestion. (Sabra is also a term for native-born Israelis; both the fruit and the people are said to be thorny on the outside, sweet on the inside.)

The variety of ethnic cuisines in Israel is impressive; restaurants run the gamut from Chinese to French, Moroccan to American, with a little Yemenite thrown in for spice. Many restaurants serve typical Middle Eastern food, like hummus and kabab. In Yemenite restaurants, Malawah, thin fried dough usually dipped in a watery tomato sauce, is a cheap specialty. Surprisingly, there are relatively few restaurants that serve traditional East-European Jewish food, and they tend to be very expensive; for affordable gefiltefish, go to New York.