Traditional Israeli cuisine: main dishes and their peculiarities

Israeli cuisine is one of the few that strictly obey the set of religious laws. Despite this, all traditional Jewish dishes are distinguished by the versatility of flavors, rich composition. Products used in them are enriched with vitamins, proteins, minerals, which are well digested by the body. Let's consider the most popular dishes of Israel.

Falafel

This dish is a small balls, similar to the familiar meatballs. Falafels are prepared on the basis of chopped legumes with the addition of spices. Formed balls are deep-fried, then placed in a pita and abundantly poured with sauce. More vegetables are often added to the bread flatbread. As a result, falafel has moved into the ranks of delicious street food. At the link you can see what a real falafel looks like - the classic recipe.

It is worth noting that the protein content in the balls is much lower than in meat. However, it is digested by the body much better. This provides a feeling of satiety for a long time. Among Israelis, modern falafel is equaled to the world-favorite hamburger.

Tahini (tehina)

The main ingredients of the dish:

• sesame or sesame seeds;
• olive oil;
• lemon juice;
• garlic;
• salt.

Such a rich composition saturates the human body with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, other useful substances.

The recipe for tahini is not very complicated: after mixing and grinding the components, a creamy consistency in the form of a paste is obtained. It is used as an independent dish or taken as a base for sauce, sweets.

Hummus

This appetizer is a puree of chickpeas with the addition of such ingredients:

• sesame paste;
• paprika;
• lemon juice;
• olive oil.

It is quite a tasty and healthy appetizer. Substances that are contained in chickpeas improve the protective functions of skin, muscle, bone tissues. The product is enriched with protein, so that after hummus a person feels satiety for a long time, avoids overeating. Also in the composition of chickpeas contains a large amount of arginine, which has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

Forshmak

This dish is prepared on the basis of ingredients chopped to the state of pate:

• herring fillets;
• apples;
• white bread;
• butter.

The binding component is an egg. Traditionally, the finished pate is served on a slice of black bread. It is considered a tasty and hearty cold appetizer. Thanks to the availability of products and ease of preparation, Jewish forshmak became a popular dish in Russia in the 90s.

Latkes

The traditional Israeli dish is prepared from raw potatoes grated on a grater. From it, small flat cakes are formed, which are fried until fully cooked in plenty of vegetable oil. It is worth noting that previously latkes were prepared from grated cheese, onion feathers, but the popularization and availability of potatoes fundamentally changed the recipe.

Tzimes

Jewish dessert, is a sweet stew of vegetables. In the traditional version it is carrots and dried fruits with the addition of honey. In the past, such a sweet was prepared as a holiday dessert. Now this dish has become more accessible and widespread.