Israel has recently seen something of a gastronomical revolution with top quality restaurants all over serving all styles of cuisine.
Over the past ten years or so, Israel has experienced something of a culinary boom. Off the back of Israel’s hi-tech boom which has led to the country being dubbed Silicon Wadi, have modern, international restaurants opened there.
Many restaurants in Israel are kosher. This means they conform to Jewish food laws serving only meat killed in a special way, and not serving both dairy and meat products. This does not diminish their quality, although it is worth pointing out that most of the selection in dairy restaurants will be suitable for vegetarians, whilst there are usually some options suitable in meat restaurants.
Having said this, many of Israel’s trendiest restaurants are not kosher and thus serve meat and dairy products, with some going as far as to serve even pork and shellfish which are forbidden in kosher restaurants.
Restaurants in Israel only survive if they are good. They say that if a restaurant survives two years, it is good, and if it survives, ten, it is an institution! Whilst as a tourist you don’t know what’s been around for how long, we have to say that the standard of food in Israel is generally high, especially in Tel Aviv, which we want to nominate as a world center of gastronony!
Israel’s National Dish?
Israel’s national dish is undoubtably regarded to be falafal although there is more to this than meets the eye. The sheer diversity of Israel’s population means that all varieties of cuisine can be found here, cooked often by people who have lived in the country itself. Recipies in restaurants as diverese as Ethiopian, Iraqi, and American, are often handed down through generations to the family members who run the restaurants today.
Drinking in Israel
Israel isn’t a country of drinkers, although has recently built up a reputation for its micro-breweries and wineries.
