Mediterranean Diet, Israeli Style
Israeli food has become popular among Americans and Europeans alike. This is due to its unique combination of Middle Eastern flavors and spices, such as garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric.It's no wonder Israelis are known for their fantastic cuisine. They have been cooking since ancient times and continue innovating and experimenting with recipes.
In addition to traditional dishes, Israelis also enjoy experimenting with fusion foods. For example, they combine ingredients from various cultures, such as Indian curry with Middle Eastern hummus.
Israelis aren't afraid to mix things up either. They often add exotic ingredients to their meals, such as kiwi, mango, and avocado.
Shakshuka & Beyond: Authentic Israeli Cooking
So, if you're considering trying Israeli food, here are 10 reasons to give it a go.
Delicious Flavors
Many Israelis say that Israeli food tastes sweeter than any other cuisine. And they're right!They use fresh herbs and spices, such as thyme, parsley, mint, lemon zest, and chives. They also use plenty of olive oil, which adds flavor to everything from salads to desserts.
Healthy Ingredients
Although most Israelis don't think of themselves as healthy nuts, they eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. They also consume whole grains, legumes, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs.This means Israeli food contains fewer calories and less saturated fats than American or European fare. It contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
Unique Combination of Spices
Israelis love to experiment with spice combinations. They may add coriander seeds to their chicken soup or saffron to their rice pudding.They also love spicing their meals with various herbs and spices, such as rosemary, sage, oregano, basil, marjoram, dill, tarragon, and thyme.
Authenticity
Because Israel was once part of the Ottoman Empire, many of the country's dishes reflect Turkish influences. These include stuffed grape leaves, falafel, baklava, and pita bread.However, Israelis are quick to point out that these foods were actually brought over by immigrants from Greece, Italy, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco.
Variety
While Israelis tend to stick to one type of dish, they are open to trying new cuisines. Many Israelis travel abroad yearly, bringing back interesting foreign foods to share with their families.For example, they may cook Moroccan couscous with lamb shank, or serve Thai curries with tofu.
Cultural Heritage
Israelis are proud of their culture and heritage. They celebrate Jewish holidays like Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Tu B'Shevat, Shavuot, and Lag BaOmer.They also honor Arab traditions, such as Eid al Adha, Ramadan, and Muharram.
International Cuisine
As mentioned above, Israelis are adventurous when it comes to mixing international cuisines together. They may prepare a Mediterranean meal using ingredients from India, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, France, Spain, Germany, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Health Benefits
According to Israeli researchers, eating Israeli food helps prevent certain diseases. For example, they found that people who ate a lot of Israeli food had significantly lower rates of diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.They also discovered that those who consumed lots of Israeli food tended to live longer lives.
Easy to Cook
Unlike other cuisines, Israeli food doesn't involve complicated techniques. Instead, it relies on simple methods, such as roasting, baking, grilling, frying, boiling, steaming, stewing, simmering, poaching, and braising.These methods allow you to create delicious dishes without spending hours in the kitchen.
Fun to Eat
Finally, Israelis love to eat. They take pride in sharing their culinary creations with others and appreciate a good laugh while enjoying a hearty meal.
What Is Special About Israeli Food?
(getButton) #icon=(link) #color=(#ff502f) #text=(Israel has been at a crossroads for people and cultures for centuries), resulting in a unique culinary experience.
Israeli food reflects the cultural diversity within its borders. There are three main types of food in Israel: Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi. All three categories represent the diverse population that inhabits the country.
Ashkenazis are descendants of European immigrants who settled in Israel during the late 19th century. They eat bagels, knishes, lox, blintzes, cheesecake, and matzo ball soup.
Sephardim are descended from Spanish and Portuguese Jews who migrated to Israel in the 16th century. Their dishes include couscous, hummus, shakshuka, rice pilaf, and falafel. Finally, Mizrahim are descendants of Jews who immigrated to Palestine from North Africa, Asia Minor, and Central Asia.
While each type of food represents a specific ethnicity, Israeli food is a blend of all three traditions. For example, the classic dish shawarma is a mixture of lamb meat marinated in spices and cooked on a vertical rotisserie spit called a tandoor.
The resulting dish contains elements of Turkish, Persian, Egyptian, and Arabic cuisines. Another standard recipe is babaganush, a stew containing chicken, beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley, cumin, coriander, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Israeli salad, mixed salad, and green pepper.
.png)
They brought diverse cultural traditions, including falafel, hummus, kibbeh, baklava, baba ghanoush, tahini, shawarma, pita bread, couscous, and matzo ball soup.
In addition to being a center of trade, religion, art, and science, Israel has long been where immigrants from all over the globe came to find refuge.
As a result, Israelis are exposed to a (getButton) #icon=(link) #color=(#ff502f) #text=(variety of cuisines), including Jewish foods, Arab cuisine, Greek cuisine, and other Western and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines.
Source & Credits:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/foodtoc.html
http://www.israelikitchen.com/
http://www.israel-travel-tips.com/en/14/Israel%20Travel/Israeli%20Street%20Foods
http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/food/20762/shakshuka-israel%E2%80%99s-hottest-breakfast-dish
