This post was written by Delicious guide David Lerner, who knows every nook and cranny of Machane Yehuda and can’t wait to show you around when life gets back to normal!
As someone who has spends countless hours at Jerusalem’s glorious Machane Yehuda market, having experienced this past month at home isolating in my small moshav (small town/community) in the outskirts of the city, I definitely missed the shuk - big time. So as soon as I heard that stores and shops were reopening, I eagerly hopped into my car and drove to the market to do my shopping there, rather than in my less-than-500m-distance-from-home supermarket. Simply put, I just missed the shuk. I also needed good quality techina (tahini - sesame paste), which I hadn’t had access to for the last two months. If you have ever been to Israel, you’ll know that techina consumption is not something we take lightly.
On my way to the market, I knew exactly which vendors I was most excited for. I couldn’t wait to give them business and simply stop and say “Shalom!” And that’s when I had the idea to share with all of you some of the (not so) hidden gems of the market: vendors who stand out to me because they have the best products, best stories or the widest smiles. As a culinary guide, you realize how important it is to share those stories and the people behind them, because if not, it would simply go unnoticed - and that is a damn shame. With big online presences and crowds flocking to them, most visitors will likely encounter the marvelous Yemenite jachnun from the Jachnun Bar or will taste Marzipan’s gooey-beyond-belief rugelach - which they should! But there are others with equally thrilling products and stories who tend to fly a little under the radar - let’s explore them together.
#1: Zion at Haba Bakery
Zion’s legendary Haba bakery writes ‘sabich’ on top of their sign as an homage to their sambusak filled with eggplant, egg and much more!
I dedicate my first shout-out to my good friend Zion, well-known among the locals. He owns the market’s branch of the famous bakery chain Haba (חבה) that sits on Agripas Street between the two entrances of the market. Now, do not be mistaken! This place has absolutely nothing to do with a chain or a large corporation. Zion, aged 80-something, has been running the bakery for several decades now. There’s proof of his eternal presence from a tiny, classic-1960s picture of himself in the same store, only younger and sporting a huge afro and a cigarette in his mouth (which, by the way, he replaces every several years with a new one once it becomes deteriorated!)
It’s the only Haba bakery (and as far as I’m concerned, the only bakery in the market) that uses the ancient Egyptian method of cooking bread in an inward taboon oven. The heating source is all the way within, and the dough is smacked onto the sides of the oven so as to cook one of the sides, whilst the other comes out ever so slightly burnt and crispy. He calls it the “Iraqi pita,” I call it “absolutely delicious”. It is, by far, one of the most remarkable bakeries found in the market. If you ask politely, he will add olive oil and za’atar onto a pita and cut it into pieces so you can eat it fresh in-store. And if you are lucky enough, as is 1 in every 40 people (personal research), he will share his beautiful smile with you. Otherwise, please do not take his interaction (or lack thereof) with you personally, he’s just busy making pita!
Visit Haba at 119 Yafo St. (across from the light rail)
#2: Rachamim’s Produce
Rachamim’s unassuming market stall. Photo courtesy of Leora Mietkiewicz
Next up is an interesting one. Not quite because of what he sells, but of the storeowner that sells it. He is by far (in my very humble opinion) one of the most creative vendors in the market. And in plain sight, you would never guess so - trust me. Meet Rachamim, which in Hebrew means “mercy” or “merciful.”
While everyone else in the market is fully embedded in what economics would define as “perfect competition,” Rachamim, also an 80-something year old man, has for many decades, very subtly and sneakily left this perfect competition to play by his own rules. How does he do this, you ask? He simply sells what everyone else won’t. Yes; a lot of his produce is beyond a suggested “best before date.” But a lot of it is actually quite good! And even though he has an actual scale in his store, I am pretty sure that his was broken since the first day he opened.
At Rachamim’s store, it works like this: once you get there, you greet him, then you wait to see if you’re lucky enough to get a smile in return, then you start shoving fruits and vegetable into a bag. This way you save on plastic, since it all goes into one bag. Once you’re done filling, he takes a very brief inspection of your bag and bases the price off of what he sees. His inexhaustible experience and perfect mastery of technique will give you his closest approximation of what you ought to pay. And most certainly, you can imagine that no one can compete with his prices.
By the time your money is out of your pocket, he has succeeded at stuffing those figs that no one is willing to buy into your bag, and forces you to keep them there, no matter how much you insist you have no interest in eating figs. But this interaction will end with his ‘עליי’ - in other words, “it’s on me.” And the story repeats itself time and time again.
I am not trying to persuade you into buying there or not. That is for your own discretion. But I am encouraging you to at least stop by and give this kind man a heartwarming hello as you continue down the market.
Find Rachamim at the corner of HaEshkol and Machane Yehuda streets. It is worth the trip!
#3: Samir’s Fruits and Veggies
This one definitely falls under the radar, even to most locals (I think), but he should not be missed. Although his stand is quite small, and hidden within the mysterious Iraqi market section of the shuk, it’s packed with delicious exotic produce that you will not find anywhere else in the market. He always has a wide variety of mushrooms, either wild shiitake, saffron , porcini… you name it, Samir’s got it. Moreover, he will always surprise you with something you didn’t expect, let it be spicy chiles from Mexico, or hot pink dragonfruit from China. Being at his stand is always exciting because you never know what to expect, and not only will you be surprised, but it’s also a great way of getting to know new products. In all sincerity, I now realize how little I know about Samir and why he always has such a magnificent variety of items. I know who I will be having an interesting conversation with once all this is over. Stay tuned for updates!
Find Samir in the ‘Iraqi Shuk’ part of Machane Yehuda just opposite Argento Empanadas
#4: Magdaniat Pe’er Bakery
A picture is worth a thousand words. Photo via Leora Mietkiewciz
My fourth recommended vendor is also a bakery, because at Machane Yehuda, you can’t get enough of carbs and bread. You just can’t. At Magdaniat Pe’er (known often just as Pe’er Bakery or Pe’er,) you can find all the expected local sweets, ranging from the wonderous Ashkenazi rugelach, the Palestinian Arab knaffeh or the large variety of Turkish baklava. They are all delicious, guaranteed.
On a weekday, there is no major difference between Pe’er to any of the other 8 or 9 excellent sweet vendors on Etz Hayyim street: nothing really makes him different or special for most of the week. But just like a superhero’s transformation from an ordinary person happens at night, transformation for Pe’er happens early Thursday morning, when literally half of the stall is freed-up from all their standard products to give way for their long-awaited hero – their challah! Oh my, how much perfection in one loaf of bread. They have three types – the standard, the sweetened, and the small loaves. All of them are heaven on earth in their own way, but they all share the most incredible features - the perfectly crusted outside and the moist, fluffy inside. I can guarantee you that everyone that knows about it will tell you it is at least top five challah breads they have ever tried. I would recommend you to buy it on Thursdays, because you cannot even imagine to what level of ‘enthusiasm’ (to put it lightly) people will try to buy that last loaf of sweetened challah instead of you on Fridays. And for a reason.
Visit Pe’er and get your challah at 33 Etz Hayyim St.
#5: Tekoro Enbasa Ethiopian Spice Shop
Tekoro Enbasa’s spice shop features the colours of the Ethiopian flag and Amharic writing! Photo via Leora Mietkiewicz
This last one is a spice shop. There are a lot of great spice shops in the market but this one is one of my favourites for several reasons - the vendors, what it represents and the wonders one can find in there. I’m talking about Tekoro Enbasa (or however the family wishes to pronounce it in English), in Hebrew it is טוקורו אנסבה. It is one of the very few Ethiopian spice shops in the market, run by a charming Ethiopian woman, but chances are you will find her son there most of the time.
It does not only sell Ethiopian spices; you can find most of your routinely used Israeli ones, including za’atar, cumin, or regular paprika. But they have an endless amount of spices you will not find anywhere else. What’s so great about this place is that the family is so incredibly welcoming. They will definitely take the time to show you around and teach you about what they have, where they bring it from and how to use it, because it can be ever so slightly overwhelming if you’ve never heard of or seen any of these products.
My personal favorites are the Ethiopian Desi chickpeas (they have almost nothing to do with the flavor of the chickpeas we know), the Berbere blend used liberally in Ethiopian cuisine (careful, its really hot!), the Timiz pepper (also known as long peppercorn), and of course, the Shiro powder (served mainly as a paste on the traditional Ethiopian flatbread called injera). Next time I head back there, I will buy their Teff flour, as I have decided to take on the challenge and try to make injera myself!
Visit my favourite spice doctors on HaShezif St. between Etz Hayyim and Machane Yehuda (the two main market streets)
So, this is it. We have come to the end of a brief but charming virtual tour of some of my top vendors. I wish for better times to come, and for all of you reading this to have the chance to head over real soon to experience some of these great recommendations and encourage you to find many more!
