Israeli Cookbook by Sam Kuma

If you have travelled to Israel or have seen pictures of Israel’s streets, you will see many vendors selling mouthwatering dishes.

Israel is known for its street food, and every vendor serves different dishes, such as falafel, Shakshuka, hummus and more. It is easy to find something you like in Israel.

While Israelis believe family is most important, they also believe food is an integral part of their lives. If you see a group of Israelis gathered around, you can bet there is going to be a lot of food served. Whether they choose to eat at a local food joint or cook at home, most Israelis seem to talk about or eat food.

Academics and food critics still debate whether true Israeli cuisine exists or not. While this debate is ongoing, Israelis have been developing and enjoying delicious food. Israelis use their society and culture to develop these foods. This cuisine is an example of a melting pot. Jews hail from many countries and have travelled across the globe, before they returned to Israel, their ancient land. They brought different recipes and foods they came across during their travels. These new recipes mingled with other dietary laws, rules and native ingredients Jews use.

Any cuisine is a result of a combination of different forces, such as agricultural, historical, and sociological. The same can be said for Israeli cuisine, as well. It is for this reason many foods considered to be an integral part of the Israeli cuisine originated from different cuisines in the Middle East, including the famous salad of tomatoes and cucumbers or falafel. Israeli cuisine is also influenced by Eastern European Jewish traditions. Therefore, you may find some recipes with sour cream and borscht.

It should come as no surprise that Israeli cuisine is influenced by geography. Therefore, different foods, such as olive oil, olives, yogurt, chickpeas, and wheat are an important part of the cuisine. Some dietary laws also have an influence on Israeli cuisine, including aversions to shellfish, pork and other foods and separating meat and milk. Additionally, Jewish festivals and holidays have also shaped Israeli cuisine.

If you want to learn how to cook different foods, you have come to the right place. This book has some of the best Israeli recipes. The instructions are easy to follow, and the ingredients can be found easily in the supermarket near your house. You can tweak these recipes in case you do not find some ingredients and create your own recipes.