What is true Israeli food?
To find the answer to this question, we need to journey back through time and observe the migration of mankind into the holy land of Israel during the past one thousand years. It is not an easy question to answer, since nearly all Israeli cuisine has its origins in foreign and exotic places.
Israel has become a melting pot of many cultures and ethnic groups as a result of years of political and religious change. With this merging of different people came rich fusions which echo the tastes of their distant mother lands.
The flavours and aromas of ancient herbs and spices that have passed the test of time have their roots across the north of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Arabia.
Today if you eat out in the lively bustling streets of Jerusalem, there seems to be an endless choice of modern Israeli cuisine.
No matter how varied the differences, it is essential to understand one thing. The food of Israel is based on a typical peasant's ideal: "All is good and nothing is wasted." Simple, fresh foods bought from bountiful market places and dairy produce from domestic animals remain the soul of Israeli cooking and preserve its ever-remaining rustic charm.
Israeli cuisine can be divided into two distinct styles: Ashkenazic, brought by the Jewish people who immigrated from the Western European areas; and Sephardic, brought from the middle eastern regions. The Ashkenazic style uses more herbs and spices and is therefore the livelier of the two.
Generally speaking, Israeli cuisine reflects food that are commonly eaten in Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria.
This includes dishes such as moussaka (a baked eggplant dish), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), creamy goats cheese and yoghurts.
Falafel mildly spiced balls made from chickpea flour and deep fried in oil traveled to Israel from Egypt. Couscous, made from semolina, served with grilled lamb was originally a Syrian or Moroccan dish. Turkey brought flat bread, halvah and many other delicately flavored desserts to the region.
Jewish dietary laws, referred to as "kosher", shape the way food is cooked and served. There are many kosher rules, such as not mixing dairy with meat, and slaughtering the meat in a special ritualistic way. Pork and shellfish are forbidden and there is an understanding that unwanted parts of the meat are not removed, such as bones from fish. Meat has to be properly cooked or salted to avoid ingesting any blood.
Although most Jewish followers adhere to these rules, modern day Israel has many non-kosher restaurants and caters for a global population.
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