The Guide to Jewish Food E-mail
User Rating: / 5
PoorBest 
A short introduction to Jewish East-European cuisine - Not appropriate for all tastes but certainly an experience.

No one can say that Israeli Ashkenazi food is especially delish or appetizing (some might even use more extreme adjectives). Mainly of East European origin, it's mostly food that has been cooked for quite a long time, tends to be on the heavy side and involves an odd combination of sweet and salty.  But as comfort food, East-European food is in a league of its own.

There are some dishes that make an exception to the oddity of the cuisine, and many people of Jewish background will do their best to defend the honor of these specialties. The most famous of these are:

  • Chicken soup
  • Chopped liver
  • Krepalach (fried or steamed dumplings filled with meat or potato)
  • And Chulent (a dish of meat, potatoes, beans and onions cooked overnight)
If prepared by a skilled cook (who must be a mother or grandmother according to the demands of tradition) such fare can be quite tasty, though the nostalgiacal element accompanying the feast might prove to change the way the food tastes. 

In principal, this food is best on a cold winter's day, but exceptions can be made if you allow yourself a short rest after.

Warning!

The most infamous member of the East-European Cuisine is the "Gefilte Fish".  This is a kind of "fish-burger", served with a jelly sauce and a piece of carrot.  The Polish version demands it should also be quite sweet. 

In short eating it is a childhood trauma for many young Israelis, but if you drown it with hot horse-radish it is tolerable. No real reason why you should find yourself eating this dish, but if you are invited to a Jewish traditional event, keep the horse-radish in mind.

Comments (2) add feed
Gefilte Fish
written by Guest on March 15, 2006

What's written here is absolutely not true. In fact, a lot of people search out the old Jewish style restaurants (like Doda or Elimelech) just to eat Gefilte fish or food of that kind. It's not a childhood trauma, but a delicious plate when prepared by someone who KNOWS how to make it.

Gefiltefish
written by hannahmiriam on August 9, 2007

Honestly, I LOVE this dish.
And talking about the rest of east-european dishes...they are extremely good but it all depends of tastes.

Write comment
Name:
Email:
Website:
Remember info?
Title:
Comment:
Write the displayed characters
security image  
 
 
< Prev   Next >

Around Town

Rabin Square
Yitzhak Rabin, twice Prime Minister of Israel, Defence Minister, Commander in Chief during the Six Day War, was assassinated here on November 4th 1995.


GO >>
Bruno
An excellent  kosher restaurant from one of Israel's leading chefs, Eyal Shani.


GO >>

Recommended

Short Term Apartment Near The Beach.

Coming with a family ? Feel at home in Tel Aviv

and get a much better deal than a hotel.
Tel Aviv Weather
Tel Aviv
27°C
Tel Aviv Map

Map of Tel Aviv
Map of Tel Aviv
Download the map of Tel Aviv from here. This map is marked with many hotspots. Click on each hotspot to get updated review on hotels in Tel Aviv, attractions and other point of interest.  

 

Our Restaurants

Brasserie (24h)

Brasserie offers a classical Parisian menu in a Middle Eastern setting.

GO >>