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Hacarmel Market |
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The Carmel Market is Tel Aviv's largest food and vegetable market. Visit this charming place which is the heart of Tel Aviv's culinary culture.
Hacarmael Market
The vendors holler from each side of the alley, offering their merchandise "for the best price in the market". The environment is very friendly and casual, so just enjoy the hustle bustle and absorb the different smells and colours. In order to keep a fond memory of the place, avoid the butcher's area which isn't a pretty sight. Being a tourist, you will probably get ripped off, but the market prices are so much lower that it will probably still be cheaper than anywhere else.
Some Important Stops
When you enter the market from Allenby Street, you first have to pass through the clothing area before arriving at the fresh food section. Make sure you don't miss out on the places hiding behind those cloth booths. " The best Borekas place in town", many people would call this small Turkish Borekas booth, just in the entrance to the market, on your right. Borekas actually is originated in Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine, but Israel has claimed it to be its own. It is a salty pastry, usually puff pastry, fillied with cheese, potato or spinach. Delicious when you eat it still warm from the heat of the oven. Here you will get it sliced up with a hard boiled egg, homemade pickles, tomatoes and a delicious spicy tomatoe paste - Quite heavenly!
A little after the Turkish borekas, there are two excellent butchers offering a wide selection of meat and sausages, "Maadaney Mizra" and "Fredi", so if you are considering a picnic or a barbeque you should take a look. These buthchers specialize in pork, but also have a good selection of poultry and beef.
Continuing down into the market, you will find "East and West" offering a wide selection of Asian products, so if you want to prepare a curry or some sushi, this is the place. The prices aren't very low but the variety is amazing. Another nice stop is a cheese stand at the far end of the market. Once you have walked all the way down HaCarmel street you exit at the other end and the cheese stand is right opposite you. "Maadanai Gad", Gad's delicacies, offers a wide selection of good cheeses for relatively modest prices. They specialize in Riccota, Feta and Mozarella.
Enjoy the tastes, smells and experiences which Tel Aviv's market offers. After or before roaming around the market, pop to the nearby Kerem HaTaymanim ( The Yemenite Vineyard), and walk around the little streets, or try some Yemenite meat soup in one of the local restaurants.
Address: Allenby St. corner of Hacarmel St.
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Our first day we set out from our hotel near the Hilton on Ha-Yarkon Street and walked down Dizengoff, past the square, no particular destination in mind. Suddenly, we stumbled on Ha-Carmet Shuk (market), and I knew I had hit pay dirt. Joy wanted to experience "real Israel" and "real Israelis," and her it was. We wandered through the market, checking out the clothes, smelling the food and the spices, listening to the vendors hawk their wares and taunt each other over space, prices, quality, or sports teams. it was fabulous. I saw Joy's eyes light up at the chance to see a slice of everyday life, and the sights and sounds made for a perfect first day in Israel.
And her image of the country, previously honed from CNN news broadcasts, changed instantly. Here were real people out shopping on a gorgeous day in a vibrant city. Not exactly the "fortress Israel" image that most outsiders have.
If you want to see real life as it's lived by Tel Avivis, and not the sanitized, packaged tourist product, this is a must-stop. Just wander and people watch.