20 mouthwatering foods you need to try in Israel
Laliv Gal/Wikimedia Commons
The INSIDER Summary:
- Many of Israel's signature dishes come from its Middle Eastern neighbors and immigrants.
- Pita bread is delicious on its own and stuffed with falafel, schwarma, or schnitzel.
- Eating bamba has been proven to reduce peanut allergies.
"Israeli food" is a multifaceted category that's still evolving. Its culinary influences range from neighboring countries in the Middle East to immigrants who brought their recipes from North Africa and Central Europe.
In between visiting holy sites associated with various religious traditions, hiking its many desert paths (a favorite national pastime), and floating in the famously salty Dead Sea it shares with Jordan, here are 20 foods that will help visitors sample all that Israel has to offer.
Shakshouka
Shutterstock
This North African dish of eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce is a popular Israeli breakfast.
Falafel (with the works)
Christina Garofalo/Flickr
Falafel balls made from ground chickpeas and stuffed into pita are a blank canvas for endless toppings. Fried eggplant, hot peppers, fries, pickles, caramelized onions — you name it, it's sure to be delicious.
Freshly-baked pita bread
Shutterstock
If you play your cards right at outdoor markets like Jerusalem's Machane Yehudah, you can score a whole stack of steaming pita rounds for less than a dollar.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider