Israel's culinary delights: Top dishes to savour in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Israel attracts tourists with its spectacular landmarks, beautiful beaches, and outstanding cuisine, a delectable mix of Jewish and Arab traditions. What should you try while staying in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv?

The exotic name of this delicacy comes from Arabic (meaning "big mess"), and its roots can be traced back to North Africa or the Middle East. Today, shakshuka is mainly associated with Israel, where the dish is served in almost every establishment. It began to gain particular popularity in the 1990s, partly thanks to the descendant of refugees from Tripoli, Bino Gabso, who created the famous restaurant "Dr Shakshuka" in Jaffa. This simple dish, often eaten for breakfast, is made from tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, which are sautéed and seasoned with cumin, with eggs added towards the end.

Another specialty from Middle Eastern cuisine, adopted by Israelis, who today consider it their traditional dish. There is no doubt that fried chickpea or fava bean balls, seasoned with aromatic spices, taste exquisite in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. They are usually served in pita, with vegetables and sauce, often based on sesame paste, tahini.

A dish that we can also find in our restaurants. Its base consists of slices of meat, usually chicken, lamb, or mutton, shaved off a rotating vertical spit with a long knife. They are most often served with pita bread and various sauces, such as those based on yoghurt. The secret to shawarma's flavour lies in the high-quality meat and its prior marination and seasoning.

Arabs call it "Arab," while Jews call it "Israeli," but the term Jerusalem salad is most commonly used. Its preparation is very simple – just chop tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and garlic, mix them, season with chopped mint and parsley, and finally drizzle with sesame oil and lemon juice dressing. The salad is often sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

A paste served in Israel by both modest bars and luxurious restaurants. It tastes great with pita bread, but also as an addition to grilled meat or vegetables. Baba ganoush is based on the flesh of previously baked aubergine, mixed with tahini paste (made from roasted sesame seeds), and various aromatic additions, including garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, and cumin.

Contemporary Israeli cuisine draws from ancient Jewish traditions, exemplified by cholent, a dish once consumed only on the Sabbath. The dish withstands long thermal processing well, so it is prepared on Friday afternoon and left in the oven overnight. It's a type of stew made from meat (usually beef), beans, onions, and barley or millet, sometimes with a hard-boiled egg.

Baklava is a delicious dessert also known in Turkish, Greek, Persian, or Balkan cuisine and extremely popular in Israel. Classic baklava is made from filo pastry layered with chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds) and sugar or honey. It is baked, then cut into diamonds, triangles, squares, and other shapes, and drizzled with icing or syrup made from water, sugar, and lemon juice. The top is sprinkled with finely crushed, unsalted pistachios.

Charoset is a sweet, brown paste made from fruits and nuts traditionally served during the Seder dinner (the first evening of Passover, celebrated to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery). In Ashkenazi tradition, charoset is made from grated apples, walnuts, and sweet wine, sometimes with added honey, and served raw. In Sephardic tradition, the dish is usually cooked. The dessert also includes fruits characteristic of the Middle East, such as figs, dates, or chestnuts.