Israeli Recipes: Ancient Flavors Coming Together

Israel, of course, is known in the Bible as the land of milk and honey. But for a long time the country did not have a recognized culinary heritage. Thankfully, today it does! Israel's diverse population makes its cuisine unique. People from more than seventy different countries, with many different foods and customs, currently live in Israel. Many people began arriving in 1948, when the country, then known as Palestine, gained its independence from Great Britain. At that time, large numbers of Eastern European Jews hoped to establish a Jewish nation in Israel. They brought traditional Jewish dishes to Israel that had been prepared in countries like Poland, Hungary, and Russia. The Palestinians, most of whom were of Arab descent, enjoyed a cuisine adapted from North Africa and the Middle East. Try the recipes, you’ll like them!