country Essentials · 13 foods
Israel Essentials
A considered first route through Israel: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Israel foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
13 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
United Arab Emirates
Hummus
حمص
Served warm in a shallow bowl at a hummusiya that shuts by mid-afternoon, and wiped up with pita.
Israel
Sabich
סביח
Fried aubergine, brown egg, potato and amba in a pita — an Iraqi-Jewish breakfast turned street food.
Egypt
Falafel
פלאפל
Fried to order, green inside from the herbs, and stuffed into pita at a salad bar you work yourself.
Israel
Shakshuka
שקשוקה
Eggs poached in cumin-heavy tomato and pepper, brought to the table still in the pan.
Israel
Jachnun
ג'חנון
Rolled dough baked twelve hours overnight, eaten Saturday morning with grated tomato, egg and schug.
Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem Mixed Grill
מעורב ירושלמי
Chicken offal seared with cumin and turmeric on the Mahane Yehuda grills and packed into laffa.
Lebanon
Muhallebi
Sakizli muhallebi
Rose-syrup milk pudding under coconut and peanuts, sold from street windows for small change.
Yemen
Sahawiq
Yemenite green chilli and coriander paste offered by the spoon, and a spoon is more than enough.
Israel
Chamin
חמין
Left in a low oven from Friday afternoon so it can be eaten hot without cooking on Shabbat.
Israel
Bourekas
בורקס
Bakery-case pastry where the shape tells you the filling — triangles cheese, squares potato.
Israel
Limonana
לימונענע
Lemon and mint blended to a pale green slush, invented for an advertising campaign and never left.
Israel
Tahini
طحينة
Sesame paste loosened with water and lemon into a pourable sauce that goes over almost everything.
Israel
Israeli Salad
סלט ישראלי
Cucumber and tomato diced fine and dressed the same way in every kitchen — it is inside every pita and beside every grill.