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The 25 Best Things I Ate in Israel

By Erin Zimmer

You could say that the Israeli food culture is very young, as Israel only became a nation in 1948. But its roots go back thousands of years. If you want to dig real deep, you could flip through the Old Testament and start talking about the magical manna that sustained the Hebrews in the desert. But we won't go quite that deep.

What's become known as Israeli cuisine today is a delicious melting pot of North Africa (Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria) and its Middle Eastern neighbors (Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq), as well as the Mediterranean countries, and don't forget the Jews from all over Eastern Europe and Russia. Jewish immigration began at the end of the 19th century, and the early settlers brought with them food cultures from far and wide.

This wave of people, mainly from Arab countries but also European Holocaust survivors, flooded the new State of Israel. They tenaciously clung on to their culinary heritages as a way of preserving their identities, but eventually started swapping and sharing cooking styles.

So, what is Israeli food? The closest thing to a one-sentence answer: a cross-fertilization of all of the above, and it's still evolving. Arab and Jewish, Eastern Europe and North Africa, religious and secular.

Most of my trip was centered in and around Tel Aviv, with a day in Jerusalem, and a drive up north to the seaside town of Acre. Some reoccurring themes all over: olives, falafel, fresh vegetable salads, pita, filo dough pastries, and many (many!) bowls of hummus.

Check out all of my favorite bites in the slideshow HERE

Hummus, Falafel, Breads, Etc.

Hummus
Falafel
M'sabacha
Khachapuri, the Georgian Cheese Bread
Challah (Bnei Brak)
That Feast at Haj Kahil (Jaffa)
Preserved Lemons

Breakfast

Breakfast Feast at Manta Ray (Tel Aviv)
Shakshuka
Egg in Challah Toast
Israeli Salads

Cheese

"White Cheese"
Cottage Cheese
Fried Haloumi

Meat and Fish

Lamb Shawarma from Shawarma Bino (Jaffa)
Carpaccio from Salon (Tel Aviv)
Salmon and Wasabi Sorbet from Uri Buri (Acre)
More Fish

Sweets

Mutabak from Zalatimo (Jerusalem)
Kanafeh Pastry
IKA Chocolates (Tel Aviv)
Dates
Ice Cream from Endomela (Acre)

Drinks

Pomegranate Juice
Arak Cocktails

Note: Erin traveled through Israel on a 7-day eating tour thanks to Kinetis.

Since 2008, Erin has been working with Serious Eats writers, editors, and community to make the company a more dynamic and delicious place. Originally from southern California, now a Brooklyn dweller, Erin is always trawling for a ripe avocado...her favorite foods include: deviled eggs, poached eggs, eggs in general along with cheese, kale, radishes, sea creatures, avocados, all varieties of pickle.