Our Favorite Israeli Food Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Israeli food? ›

Falafel is probably the most recognizably Israeli food there is. In almost every town in Israel you can find a choice of shops attracting the hungry with the delicious smell of frying falafels. The Shuk (market) Betzalel area in Tel Aviv, for example, is famous for its excellent falafel.

Falafel. Another staple food here in Israel, falafel is made of a mixture of ground chickpeas and spices, which are then formed into balls that are then deep-fried. This Middle Eastern street food is common across the region, but it's actually considered the “National Dish” of Israel.

It is titled "Falafel is Israeli national snack" and depicts a portion of pita bread and falafel with an Israeli flag stuck on top. ...

Dietary staples among the Israelites were bread, wine, and olive oil; also included were legumes, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish, and meat. Israelite cuisine was adherent to the dietary restrictions and guidelines of Yahwism and its later-developed forms: Judaism and Samaritanism.

The Maghrebi egg dish shakshouka (shakshuka), brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews, is a common choice, comprising eggs poached in tomato sauce. Other Middle Eastern dishes may include Israeli salad, hummus, tehina, halloumi, ful medames, baba ghanoush and the strained yogurt known as labaneh.

Bamba. The undisputed king of Israeli snacks, and the main reason Israeli kids are relatively peanut-allergy free. The little, fluffy yet crunchy peanut clouds are shoved down our throats from the moment we learn how to eat, so it's no surprise that most Israelis consider it to be an absolute staple.

These might include muesli and granola, cold fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring), homemade jams, baked goods such as croissants and pain viennois and hot dishes such as shakshuka (eggs served in a spicy tomato sauce, served with bread for dipping) and malawach (a flaky fried flatbread hailing from Yemen).

In addition to citrus, these include avocados, bananas, apples, olives, cherries, figs, plums, nectarines, grapes, dates, strawberries, prickly pear (tzabbar), persimmon, loquat and pomegranates. Israel is the second leading producer of loquat after Japan.

Kashrut prescribes that a large number of animals are not to be eaten. Any animal who has cloven hooves and chews its cud may be eaten; such animals as the camel, badger, hare and the pig then may not be eaten. Sheep, cattle, goats and deer are all kosher and may be eaten.

What kind of meat do they eat in Israel? ›

Chicken, fish, and lamb are common animal proteins. Grilled kebobs and shawarma (meat cut into thin slices) are typical ways that Israelis prepare meat. Pita bread—often made fresh—is dipped in sauces and stuffed with falafel.

There's always an egg dish involved (whatever style you prefer or even shakshuka!), fresh salads (including Israeli salad of course), cheeses, spreads (including fish such as tuna or herring), breads, hummus, tehina, labaneh, butter and jelly, the list goes on!

“I assume it would have been a peasant diet in the Mediterranean world, heavy on olives and breads, grains, grapes, dates, wheat, barley and maybe fruits,” said Rabbi Barry Marks of Temple Israel, 1120 W.

In this article, we journey through the flavors of iconic dishes such as Hummus, Falafel, Shakshuka, Sabich, Borekas, Jachnun, Malabi, Labneh, Knafeh, Israeli Salad, Shawarma, Chraime, Schnitzel, Baba Ganoush, and Cholent/Hamin.