Middle Eastern food is good. It's a Mediterranean diet for the most part. More emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables which are in ample supply. But there are spices used that aren't common in the American culture. The one I do not care for at all, is Za'atar. It was in so many dishes. Perhaps in moderation it would be tolerable, but it always seemed to overpower whatever food it was used in. Or, maybe I just don't like it!
Shwarma. When it's good, it's very good. When it's bad, it's horrid. The best I have had so far was in a little cafe in Acco. I would definitely go back to that establishment for more if I was in the area. My worst experience was near Tel Aviv, where the shwarma tasted sweet instead of savory. Almost as if there were a little cinnamon and sugar in the spice mixture. What were they thinking?
Falafel is yummy too. Ratzon makes a great one.
Coffee? Everywhere you go there are coffee houses. Espresso, Americano, Mocha, Latte, Cappuchino, etc. I laughed when I heard that Starbucks came to Israel and didn't make it. I guess the Israelis are smarter than your average bear, Boo-boo! Never could I understand how burned yuck at the bottom of a pot that tasted 3 days old and smoke infused could ever become an American staple. Aroma is the name of a popular chain of coffee houses in Israel. Tasty food and good coffee. There's also Cup O' Joe, and Cafe Cafe, among others. If you drink it black like me, don't be surprised by the odd looks. Most Israelis drink their milk with a splash of coffee. :)
Pita in the US cannot be compared to what you will enjoy in Israel. Here, it's dry and thin and flavorless. Over there it is moist and chewy, often being bagged up while it is still warm from the oven. I would take a pack home, cut them in half, and then put them in the freezer. A half an Israeli pita is quite filling. My favorite breakfast was a pita with "yellow" cheese (that is actually white---never did understand why they call it yellow!) and green olives and red bell peppers. Yes, BREAKFAST. Eggs are used more at dinner time, for some reason. And they do taste somewhat different than the eggs I am used to. Still can't determine what it is exactly....but there is a difference.
Meat. I am used to walking into the supermarket and deciding what meat I want by looking over the various packages of pre-portioned selections. Beef Roast, Chicken, Ground Beef, etc. In Israel, there was a meat counter in the market. Although, there were no pre-portioned FRESH meat selections...but you could find them frozen. I found out later that all one has to do is ask the butcher for what you want, and they will cut it or grind it for you right there. Since I didn't speak the language even somewhat fluently, that would've been a hilarious scene. So I stuck to buying frozen. My frozen package of ground beef for a pot of chili I was making was around 1/2 pound. Cost? About $7.00. I also recall frozen salmon (not sure if it was wild or farm raised) and it was the equivalent of $26-28! Ouch!
Did I tell you about the yogurt? The ice cream? The cottage cheese and sour cream? It's incredible! All of the dairy products are out of this world. I can't think of the name of my favorite yogurt---Mueller's? Not sure. It had a layer of pureed fruit on top. (Or you could buy it pre-mixed). Lemon, Strawberry Banana, Orange and so on. If you don't like yogurt, I dare you to try it! It tastes nothing like the yogurt you don't like!
I eat ice cream about 3 times a year. Well, that was before visiting Israel. My first experience with ice cream over there was in Tiberias in 2007. I needed a chocolate fix, and it was a warm day. So...I see this little ice cream stand. I peered into the freezer and see the darkest chocolate ever. I have to have it! 8 shekels later (about $2) I was falling in love with the smoothest, densest ice cream I had ever tasted. And in a waffle cone to boot! I was hooked. It became a treat often, especially in the summer months.
I thought of a few more interesting items, so I will continue this topic in my next post.
Aliana
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