NOURISHMENT FOR THE BODY AND SOUL.....FOOD!

Linda and I sampled the Halva to the right on the shelf behind us. In the centre of the room is every type of tea you could imagine including beduin tea and love tea!!

FOOD...................Each nation has their own general vision of what food is supposed to taste like, how it is prepared, combined and the social meaning that behind it.  From seeds in the field to the china/pottery in the kitchen, food creates relationship and understanding - a universal lingo of its own!

A lively conversation over the olives 

These strawberries at the Damascus Gate literally
fill the air with their fruity aroma 

Lamb Kebobs in the Muslim Quarter along with
Middle Eastern salads, so delectable!

The bread sticks with poppy seed, cumin, and caraway
(our guess) are delicious. 

Spice stalls everywhere - large and small!

Sampling of olives and pickled foods.  On the Mount of Olives is found the traditional location of a garden with an oil press (Aramaic:  Geth-semane:  Our tour guide compared Jesus's suffering to the equivalent of being place in an oil press.) 

An array of dried foods

The corner pastries here in West Jerusalem at Maheneh Yehuda market are chocolate filled croissants 

Another healthy option.....dried fruit and nuts

I walk past this East Jerusalem vendor every day just to get my fix of the aroma of his tantalizing kebobs.  Nothing overcooks on this charcoal fire because they are hand-fanned to disperse any flames.


THREE FOOD QUOTES

"If there is anything we are serious about, it is neither religion nor learning, but food."

Lin Yutang (1895-1976) a Chinese writer and inventor who is known for his compilations and translations of classic Chinese texts into English.

And another one........

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."
James Beard (1903-1985) an American chef and food writer

And appropriately the third and last quote....

"The whole of nature, as has been said, is a conjugation of the verb to eat, in the active and in the passive."

William Ralph Inge (1860-1954) an English author, Anglican priest, professor of divinity at Cambridge, and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral.


We have been in this magnificent country since April 16th.  The richness of the cultural diversity in many ways have been at times overwhelming to the senses yet inspiring at the same time.  The food is another topic in itself.  I love to eat healthy food and this country has definitely delivered.  Andy and I went out tonight for a power walk to Mamilla Mall and back through the Old City and we both commented on how physically healthy people appear to be.   At anytime whilst strolling through the Old City, one can find empty cardboard produce boxes being carried outside while the inside contains countless stalls containing colours of the rainbow in produce, spices, herbs and dry goods. The reason I say this is that I  am truly impressed how healthily the residents eat here.  I never pass up the opportunity to sample some local diversity whether it be through my eyes, nose, taste buds or yes.....through the camera lens.  

The spices and herbs that tempt the palate and senses sometimes confuse me. It is in the last few days that  I am finding myself being able to identify some different mixes of spice and herbs. Zatar is a blend I have come to love.  Most preparations include  thyme,oregano, marjoram and mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt.  Another blend includes salt, sumac and sesame seeds.  I notice Zatar everywhere including at the breakfast bar as well as during the day with olive oil and bread.  I read that traditionally Arabian housewives made their own variations much like Canadians might make their own blend of salsa mixed according to taste.  And don't even get me started on the cardamom that is infused into the turkish coffee.  Mint is used here liberally in teas and salads.  Another member of the mint family is hyssop which is cultivated from a bush. Prior to visiting this country I really didn't care for hyssop, but I now appreciate the subtle nuances it brings to mixtures when it is a mild preparation.  It has small purple flowers and aromatic leaves.   Sumac is another heavily used spice here, which is a reddish purple powder that is used in Middle Eastern food preparation and harvested from a berry that is then ground into spice or sold whole.  The expense involved in producing saffron is due to the intensive hand labour in harvesting the stamen of the plant.  Cilantro, cumin and parsley are also used frequently in tabouleh.  There is another ingredient that seems to be an Arabian/Lebanese salsa and I am guessing that it might be chillies because it packs a punch to the taste buds.

When I explore outside on my walks , I  frequently find myself tearing off tiny leaves and crushing them in my hands to allow the flavourful oils awaken my senses and wonder if Andy gets tired of me asking him to close his eyes and guess the smell under his nose..  Even the Eucalyptic leaves smell wondrous when torn. The countless varieties of rosemary and lavender here in this country are truly unbelievable.  I am so very satisfied with the small sprigs of them that I collect and cherish for a few minutes under my nose every time I go on a walk.

Trust me!   These food photos probably account for only a small percentage of what I actually took.  Please follow me on another culinary tour of the multi ethnic food offerings that Israel has to offer:

Mackerel, Herring and to the left, the pink dish is creamed roe

Cheeses of many descriptions, ripe, semi soft and hard, some with spice blends including the option of sprinkling zatar and olive oil 

Salad options have been available everywhere - with every meal, including breakfast.  Now that I like!

Fruits and cereal options

The large glass canisters contain such wonderful tea blends that are unlike what I have tasted before.  So healthy.

Breakfast bar to the right......Eggs done in numerous ways,  including a really spicy one that I forgot the name of.  Also hard boiled eggs are presented on the serving platter on a layer of chunky kosher salt.

Breakfast bar to the left......more hot dishes and veggie options such as the ubiquitous eggplant dishes and also zucchini 

Do-it-yourself bread bar......
slice your own thickness of artisinal bread 

Anyone care for Halva for their breakfast?  A little goes a long way.

This hedge smelled intoxicating.  It was across the highway from the Dead Sea in such an oppressively hot climate.  I am guessing it is a member of the mint family.

Okay I know we are in Israel and I have yet to talk about Shwarma and Falafels.  I personally don't care for the  fried balls of chick pea flour but they certainly are a huge local favourite.  I want to try the Shwarma soon!

Shwarma stalls in the Old City, but they can be found anywhere in Jerusalem.  The skewered meat is rotissed and sliced into long pieces and tucked into a pocket of a pita.

I took this pic for my blog this morning while strolling through the Muslim Quarter.   Even if you don't buy, the tantalizing aromas invite you to enter and inhale.

This spice pyramid was the piece de resistance!  The zatar mixture is made from crushed thyme, sesame seeds and sumac.

I asked this young man to demonstrate how he makes fresh juice with his press and he happily agreed.  Practise your Arabic using the sign behind the stall...  :) 

Pistachio pastries

Aw'ameh is in a class of it's own.  It is the Palestinian "Timbit"....a deep-fried dough ball soaked in syrup - very sweet.

Palestinian Mana'eesh is like pizza.  The topping of the pita is a mixture of olive oil and zatar and baked in a wood- fired oven.  Notice how the sesame seeds pop out of the zatar when baked.

Sfeeha is either ground beef or lamb, fried with chopped onions, spices and tomato paste.  The mixture is spread onto thick pita dough and also baked in a wood fired oven.

Israel is known for fresh dates which have been cultivated for thousands of years.    They hold very significant meaning for the Muslim population.  During Ramadan, many use dates to break the fast after the sunset.  We drove through miles of date farms in the Dead Sea.  Palm trees symbolize human life - they need both a male and female to produce dates, it takes nine months to fully mature the fruit, and trees last 70-80 years on average.  

I was curious what these deep-fried items were.  I found out that  they are msahbak, meaning webbed in English.  

Another orange press.  They are literally everywhere in the Old City.

On my food quest today, so many kind people posed for pics.  This young man was delivering bread with a very heavy load on his head.

These two men kindly stopped to allow me a photo opportunity while trying to maneuver the heavy cart-load of bakery goods.

More bread stalls.  This is at the entrance to the Damascus gate.  Notice the long shapes at the front.  They are Ka'ek bread, covered in sesame seed.  The Arabic bread is served at breakfast or in street stalls with packages of zatar to sprinkle on for extra flavour. 

We have been treated tonight to a Palestinian type of Paella.  Dolly and Helen are from Victoria.

Throughout the Old City, muslim women spend literally hours sitting by their produce of mint and grape leaves..