Nosh and Tel Aviv- The Quintessential Salad

Hello from Tel Aviv! I am excited to say that this post is the beginning of a new project that I am going to be doing for the semester called “Nosh and Tel Aviv.” Here you will learn about traditional israeli food, how to make and eat it, as well as some snippets about Israel’s vast food culture. I am truly overwhelmed by the food here. From preparation, to presentation, to consumption, I am astounded at how divergent it is from American food culture. For the next few months, I hope to give you a little insight into Israeli food and perhaps some knowledge about Israel itself. For those of you living in New York or Boston, or wherever you are, Israel is very far away. There is more than just what we see on the television screen. Despite growing conflict, threat of war and civil unrest, it is important to remember there is so much life here. And it is that life that I wish to explore.

Without further ado, here is my first Nosh and Tel Aviv post about something which I find to be the quintessential part of Israeli cuisine, the Israeli salad.

This is probably the first time I will ever say this: I have finally found something that is BOTH healthy and satisfying. I don’t believe in those vegan chocolate cakes, healthy cookies with flax, and carob chips. That stuff is nasty. Sorry if that offends anyone.

In this both healthy and satisfying salad,  you have cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions: all diced and topped with copious amounts of parsley and lemon juice. No fat, no oil, no butter, no msg, no genetically modified bullshit. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

This salad is served with pretty much every meal in israel. It is served with eggs, in pita with falafel, on bread, on pizza, and a side to basically everything. There’s no avoiding this dish- and why would you ever want to? I suppose if you don’t like pure freshness then I guess you’d want to.

Today I had this salad from an adorable little place called Zorik, a true eden of cafes. It is situated on a street corner, amidst trees and flowers. There is an abundance of outdoor seating, perfect for the lounging patron. Inside there are plenty of couches and tables in case the weather isn’t outdoor seating permitting (almost never- we’re in Tel Aviv remember?)

The menu is unfortunately only in Hebrew, but I have decided that this must be a good thing. No obnoxious americans, aside from myself, taking up space and ordering faux-israeli fare. Aside from an impressive array of salads, Zorik also boasts a number of sandwiches and breakfast dishes.

The coffee here is also delicious. I have had trouble adjusting to Israelis’ expresso glugging.  The caffeine makes me jittery and the taste- well the taste is another story that is mainly about mud. But Zorik had a really delicious coffee. It was the perfect combo of ice, coffee and milk. It didn’t even need sugar!

So as I come to the end of my first post in Tel Aviv, I get even more excited to share my foodie experiences with all of you. I am so happy to be in a place where the produce is so fresh (brought directly from Kibbutz’s nearby), the pita is thick enough to mop up allllll the juices from my salad, and there’s a cafe on every single corner of every single street. Tel Aviv is a place where food is abundant and clearly full of passion and most importantly, YUMMY!!!!

Bon eating!

Ariel