Wednesday, June 4, 2014

I underestimated Israel.

I underestimated Israel in more ways than one – but since this is a food blog, we'll focus on the cuisine.

In my last blog post, I said that I hoped I'd have a few things to share about the falafel and shawarma upon my return. The truth is, I discovered that Israeli food (essentially, Mediterranean cuisine) is so different from what you'd find in the States, so fresh and flavorful, and so tempting, that I could probably dedicate an entire blog to the topic. But for now, we'll stick with this one post.

Things That I Tried For The First Time (In Forever)
  1. Halva: A sweet sesame seed paste that sounds terrible but tastes great and is rather multi-purpose (i.e. It's like Frank's Red Hot – I put that sh*t on everything.)
  2. OK, this was actually the only halva I didn't enjoy, but after that I was an addict. // Photo by Lara C.

  3. Shakshouka: A tomato-based pepper and onion dish with poached eggs. It's reminiscent of huevos rancheros, but with more ranchero than huevos. It really does taste as good as it looks. I actually tried mine wrapped in melawach, a fried bread that's similar to Naan.
  4. That's shakshouk// COURTESY NEW LEAF EATS
  5. Sabich: This can be eaten as a sandwich or salad, but I had the pleasure of enjoying mine as a ginormous salad bowl at Cafe Greg in a random mall in Nahariya. Fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, potato, and Israeli salad smothered in tahini sauce... All I wanted to do was sit there for the rest of my life munching on that eggplant.
  6. WANT. NOW. // Photo by Lara C.
Things That Are Better In Israel
  1. Eggplant: I'm pretty sure I have tears in my eyes as I type this. WHY isn't the eggplant as good in America? This is why we can't have nice things :(
  2. Dairy products: Cottage cheese, yogurt (labneh), etc. It's ALL. SO. GOOD.
  3. Falafel: I held out on ordering falafel for at least half the trip – because I thought to myself, "How can it really be that much better over here?" But once I took a bite of my falafel pita in Jerusalem, I cried out, "Why have I not been eating falafel in Israel every day?!"
  4. Shawarma: The meat is tender, juicy, and full of spices, but I think what really makes it so great is all of the salad toppings that go inside your pita. There's a much wider variety of options, and they all taste fresher. It adds depth to the meal and warmth to my heart :)
  5. Hummus: I'm not sure what the distinction is, but I'm going to venture to say it's the texture. It's definitely creamier, lighter and airier. Maybe they take more care to blend the chickpeas smoothly than the mass produced versions sold here?
Things That Brought Back Memories
  1. Bamba: Essentially the peanut-flavored version of cheese puffs, they bring happiness to my soul.
  2. Bissli: They kind of remind me of Fritos and come in all sorts of flavors, from barbecue to falafel to pizza. Not my fav to be honest, but they still make me feel like I'm back in elementary school.
And now for the superlatives...
  1. Craziest Thing I Put In My Mouth: Milk chocolate with popping candy (like Pop Rocks!)
  2. Best Meal, Hands Down: First night (but really every night) at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel
  3. In this buffet hall at the Dan, I laughed, I cried, and I ate myself silly. // COURTESY DAN JERUSALEM 
  4. Best Dessert Eating Partner: Lara
  5. My Version of Crack: Halva
  6. What I'm Still Craving: Laffa/Melawach/Bread Products
  7. The Epitome of My Trip: Baklava (plus knafeh)
  8. I purchased an insane amount of Baklava at the Shuk in Jerusalem and ate it for dayzzz // Photo by Lara C.
Since I've gotten back home, I've spent more time than a sane person should researching Israeli markets, the best Mediterranean restaurants in the area, the specifics of the menu at nearby Aroma Espresso Bars, and recipes for some of my favorite meals I had.

I think that's because I have a small void in my heart after leaving Israel, and all I can do now is fill it with food.

No comments:

Post a Comment