two cities one break the food edition welcome PULL-OUT! RECIPES Israel serves up an exciting blend of Four dishes with a flavours and tastes reflecting its vibrant twist to recreate melting pot of cultures, traditions at home and nationalities, from Tunisian and Yemenite, to ancient Persian and Jewish. In both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — and in the surrounding hills and deserts JUST FOR STARTERS — you’ll find experimental dishes and 4 An overview of Israeli cuisine, foodie hotspots that speak of Israel’s and an A-Z guide diverse cultural influences, and its young and innovative food scene. From tasty TEL AVIV skillets of shakshuka for breakfast by 8 City overview, itinerary the beach, to tours of lively food markets and local insights with passionate local chefs, there’s endless opportunities to discover the START THE DAY RIGHT incredibly unique Israeli cuisine. Read 14 Where to go for the best on for a taste for Israel as we take a look Israeli breakfast at what’s happening within the two cities and beyond. JUDEAN WINE 16 Between the cities, we explore Emma Holland the wineries of the Judean Hills Editor JERUSALEM 18 City overview, itinerary and local insights STREET EATS 24 Tastes on the street THE VEGAN REVOLUTION Two Cities One Break: The Food Group art editor: Chris Hudson 28 The rise of veganism Edition is published by APL Lead designer: in Israel and where to dine Media Limited. Danielle Humphrey APL Media, Unit 310, Highgate Printed in the UK. The entire Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, contents are protected by BEYOND THE CITIES London, NW5 1TL copyright 2017 and all rights are An exploration of food scenes aplmedia.co.uk reserved. Reproduction without 30 Editorial T: 020 7253 9906 prior permission is forbidden. in the desert Email: [email protected] Every care is taken in compiling Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909 the contents of the magazine, Email: [email protected] but the publishers assume no A TASTE OF ISRAEL responsibility in the effect arising Editorial director: Maria Pieri therefrom. The views expressed 32 Israeli-style restaurants in the UK Editors: Emma Holland, are not necessarily those of the Josephine Price publisher. Readers are advised to Sub-editors: Chris Horton, seek professional advice before ESSENTIALS Ben Murray, Nick Rutherford, acting on any information which IMAGES: GETTY. COVER: GETTY Charlotte Wigram-Evans is contained in the magazine. 34 Where to stay and more citiesbreak.com Two Cities One Break 3 There’s no better way to digest the local culture than to consume Just for it. Sarah Barrell explains why she starters has a growing appetite for Israel Like the country itself, Israel’s becoming a ‘go-to’ recipe in the food culture is young but its roots same vein as hummus. go back to the Old Testament Originally adopted as the and beyond. And while chefs unofficial Israeli national dish, such as Yotam Ottolenghi have hummus suits Jewish kashrut, thrown modern Israeli cuisine or kosher, laws — religious into the UK media spotlight, its rules that deal with eating and ingredients, flavours and food- food preparation. And as this for-life attitude remain well and chickpea dip complements truly grounded. everything from vegetarian to This is a cuisine of earth and dairy and meat dishes, it has sea, which reflects the ever- become a staple. evolving ethnic mix that defines While visitors to Tel Aviv used Vegetarian food traditionally Cooking tours and courses this remarkably diverse nation. to hit the beach and tour the proliferates, with plant-based have become an integral part Moroccan, Libyan, Tunisian art deco district, now they go in dishes rich in their simplicity of an Israeli experience, with and Algerian flavours are search of the latest pop-up pitta and vegan food currently on travellers making pilgrimages complemented by their Middle sandwich hotspot and kitsch the rise. With Israel home to to its culinary corners, such as Eastern and African neighbours, coffee shop. Culinary walking the world’s highest percentage the Galilee cooking school at the with dishes from Lebanon, tours are popular with companies of vegans (even the army offers home of celebrated baker and Yemen, Iraq, ancient Persia such as Delicious Israel, whose vegan-friendly menus), there’s an chef, Erez Komarovsky. and Ethiopia as common as celebrated ‘hummus crawls’ take abundance of places to check out Food shapes Israel’s landscape those that draw on the bedrock groups off-the-beaten track to with vegan Georgian, Ethiopian from city to sea. Head to Tel Jewish food traditions of Eastern literally taste Israeli culture. and pizza places just some of the Aviv’s Carmel Market to see Europe and Russia. From sun-ripe Mediterranean more diverse choices in both Tel everyone from old farmers There has been no lack of vegetables to locally caught Aviv and Jerusalem. to young entrepreneurs side- ambitious celebrity chefs star- crustaceans, fragrant herbs These days every young chef by-side in a trade as old as studding the country’s gourmet gathered from biblical hillsides to is tapping into a rich heritage in civilised human existence. scene in the last five to 10 years. the pulses that form staples such which tradition and religion are The banner above the stand Among them are seafood master as falafel and hummus, food here intertwined with food. at olive purveyors Olia says it Uri Jeremias, and the venerable is fresh, tasty and simple. Yet A dish that’s firmly at all — ‘sex, drugs and olive oil’ Meir Adoni known for his New it’s taken generations to perfect the heart of these old-food — a sentiment served up with a York and Tel Aviv restaurants. such delicacies as the soft and traditions is the Sabbath stew, playful panache and passion that Israeli food is firmly making salty bulgarit (feta), referred to cholent. The only hot food of can only be Israeli. its name on the international simply as ‘white cheese’; equally the day, served as the Sabbath food stage. In the last couple of so, a skillet of punchy shakshuka midday meal. This dish is having years, the best restaurants in (eggs in a spicy tomato sauce) or a a renaissance in all manner London (The Palomar) and New sweet pillow of challah bread. of restaurants across Israel, York City (Timna) were both Israeli, according to GQ and USA Today, respectively. These days every young chef is tapping But for many foodies, the draw Clockwise from above: into a rich heritage in which tradition hummus dishes; Carmel is, arguably, at the more informal Market, Tel Aviv end of the dining spectrum. IMAGES: GETTY; SUPERSTOCK and religion are intertwined with food 4 Two Cities One Break citiesbreak.com citiesbreak.com Two Cities One Break 5 Key Israeli ingredients, foods and KUBBEH QUEUES VINE LEAVES favourite drinks to help you get a Made with ground rice or It’s not just Brits that love a Usually stuffed with a-z feel for the local produce semolina, this dumpling queue. Long lines of people rice, you’ll find these in is stuffed with meat and can be seen outside the many a mezze, alongside poached in soups. best street food vendors. tabbouleh and other Middle Eastern dishes. LIMONANA RUGELACH Limon and Yiddish for ‘little WATERMELON nana (mint) are twists of The nation’s mixed together with sweet summer fruit ARAK ETROG sugar and ice to create a things’, is found Similar to Greek Hebrew for ‘citron’, this refreshing lemonade. these everywhere ouzo, this clear is a rare citrus fruit that pastries during the anise-flavoured resembles a lemon but has MALABI are hot months, distilled alcoholic a coarser skin, and is used A milk-based, creamy usually and is drink is best in the festival of Sukkot. pudding which is similar filled with perfect to mixed with to blancmange and chocolate. cool you water or FALAFEL flavoured with rose water. down. fruit juice. Fried chickpea balls, SABICH High-quality often served in pitta with NEGEV BREWERY Iraqi Jews introduced this X-FACTOR grapevines hummus and salad, or Based in the southern city popular recipe of fried You won’t find the letter are key to on their own; they are of Kiryat Gat, this was aubergine and egg with X in the Israeli alphabet, producing beloved across the one of the country’s first hummus, tahini, salad and but the X-factor behind good arak. Middle East. independent spices, wrapped in a pitta. Israeli food is freshness. breweries. BUREKAS GOLDSTAR TAHINI YOTAM OTTOLENGHI Filled with fresh cheese, This local pale brew is, This sesame paste is widely Renowned Israeli chef potatoes or spinach, alongside Maccabee, a used, whether who owns restaurants in these triangle-shaped cheaper option than in a pitta London and co-wrote the puff pastries make for a imported beers. filled with cookbook Jerusalem. delicious snack. Burekas falafel or were introduced to Israel HALVA meat, diluted ZA’ATAR from the Ottoman Empire. Made of ground with lemon juice A mix of oregano, sesame seeds and honey, OLIVE TREES as a dressing, or as a dip. marjoram, sage, thyme and served plain, or with Some of the country’s a local herb, hyssop, that’s vanilla, chocolate olive trees date back more URI JEREMIAS often sprinkled on meats. CHALLAH or pistachios. than 1,000 years. Olive oil Famous chef with a The smell of this freshly is a staple in the local diet. legendary seafood baked braided bread ICED COFFEE restaurant, Uri Buri, and wafts through the air Coffee kiosks are POMEGRANATES hotel in the northern on Fridays on the everywhere.