Basically, one can divide Israeli cuisine to two: Ashkenazic and Sephardic.
Ashkenazic relates to Jewish people (immigrants) from east and west Europe and Sephardic relates to Jewish people from middle east countries. The Sephardic food is full of aromatic spices & herbs, spicier and livelier in general than Ashkenazic cooking which is sweeter. Nowadays we have new Israeli cuisine which combines the two with modern cooking. The style of Jewish cooking reflects the many places that Jews have lived throughout the centuries. Jewish cooking shows the influence of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Spanish, German and Eastern European styles of cooking, some influenced by the unique dietary Jewish laws.
Many of the foods that we think of as Israeli are not unique to Jewish or Israeli culture. Stuffed cabbage, a traditional Jewish dish, is common in Eastern Europe. Blintzes and knishes are familiar to all Germans, not just Jewish ones. Many of the dishes that make up the Israeli cuisine have been brought by immigrants from the countries of their origin. Thus, even though dishes such as couscous, felafel and shishlik are extraordinarily popular throughout the country, none of them can be considered "truly Israel." Couscous, for example, originated in the Maghreb nations of North Africa; the roots of felafel are Egyptian; and shishlik first came from Turkey.
Israel is a small country. It is long and narrow and stretches just under 450 kms from north to south and, on average, is 60 kms from east to west. Israel's cosmopolitan society is reflected by the infinite range of cuisine available in the country. Any style of food from Argentinian to Zairean can be obtained in Israel. Israel is famous for its fresh fruits and vegetables. The Jaffa orange has long been a sweet symbol of the country.
Many restaurants in Israel observe the Kosher (Jewish dietary) laws. When dining Kosher you cannot mix meat and dairy products. However there are many non kosher reasturants where you can found a big saucy white (refer to pig meat) steak. Bacon and eggs too can be obtained in some restaurants. Together with the country's non-jewish citizens - Muslim and Christian Arabs, Bedouin, and Druze this melting pot gives the country its exceptional cuisine flavour.
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