Israeli cuisine is a culmination of traditional foods from surrounding countries and areas.

Being a “melting pot,” Israel has adopted foods that have arrived from many immigrants,

such as from Yemen, North Africa, Turkey, and Iraq, among many others. Here are some

traditional “Israeli” dishes that you can find while exploring the delicious country of Israel.

Sabich- a street food made of fried eggplant, hard boiled egg, tahina, and vegetables served
Pita- a slightly leavened bread used as a sandwich in many dishes of Israeli cuisine. Most often served with falafel and tehina inside of the pocket
Hummus- dip made out of pureed chick peas and tahina
Falafel- a Middle Eastern dish made of deep tried chickpea balls
Schwarma- grilled lamb or meat that is often “shaved” and served in a pita
“Israeli Breakfast”- typically includes fresh juice, coffee or tea, eggs, Israeli salad, cheese, freshly baked bread, jam, and butter
Shakshuka- a traditional Israeli breakfast, stemming from North African cuisine. A breakfast staple made up of poached eggs smothered in a tomato sauce with sautéed onions
Bureka- small Turkish pastry filled with cheese, spinach, eggplant, vegetables, or meat
Schnitzel- fried chicken cutlets
Haloumi- a cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk, producing a soft cheese that can be fried or grilled
Labane- a thick yogurt-based cheese typical in Israeli breakfasts
Tzfatit- a semi-hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. First produced in Tzfat by Meiri dairy
Knafeh- a dessert made of shredded pastry, soft cheese and a sweet syrup
Babka- a dessert made from double and twisted dough which often contains a cinnamon or chocolate filling topped with streusel
Halva- made out of sesame flavored tahini, halvah comes in many different flavors including chocolate, nut, coffee, and hundreds more
Rugelach- a Jewish pastry made with cream cheese dough rolled around chocolate, jam, or cinnamon

Spices and Condiments:

Za’tar- a spice mixture that is popular in the Middle East, served usually on meats, vegetables, hummus, or pita
Sumac- a reddish spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to salads or meat. Commonly used in Israeli salad and sauteed onions
Doa/Dukka/Duqqa- an Egyptian spice mixture made of salt, coriander, peanuts, chickpeas, mint leaves, and sesame seeds
Tahina- prepared sauce of ground sesame seeds (tahini), lemon, and garlic. Tahina is often eaten with falafel and pita

Snacks and Drinks:

Bamba- a peanut butter-flavored puffed maize. Bamba also comes in other flavors as well
Lemonana- a drink made up of lemonade and mint that is often served frozen or blended
Hafuch Coffee- literally means “upside-down” which consists of frothed milk on the bottom and espresso coffee on top. This is a cross between a cappuccino and a café latte
Gazoz- comes from the word “sparkling water.” Gazoz can come in many different flavors including a combination of various fruits, spices, vegetables, and herbs
Arak- a traditional alcoholic beverage in the Middle East made from anise
Sahlab- a hot Turkish drink based on milk and wild orchid powder