ISRAEL: Best Israeli Food

In big cities and small towns, Israelis from all walks of life enjoy these popular Israeli foods.

It’s easiest to try them during a trip to Israel, but you can also find many of these dishes at a local Israeli or Middle Eastern restaurant, a specialty market, or make them in your own kitchen!

While there is a tremendous variety of cuisines and food eaten in Israel, certain dishes are considered typical Israeli food.
popular israeli food

These traditional foods of Israel can be found throughout the country in restaurants and cafés,food stands, and of course, in many Israeli homes.

Israeli Breakfast Foods:

These dishes are universally popular in Israel. We often eat them at home because they’re easy to make and very filling. A chopped Israeli salad is often served on the side.

Borekas – these pastries can be filled with cheese, potatoes, or vegetables

Israeli breakfast – features fresh vegetables, eggs, and cheeses

Israeli salad – a popular way to enjoy vegetables

Jachnun – a filling dish made from dough and cooked overnight

Labane – a tangy yogurt spread to be enjoyed at any meal

Shakshooka – an easy way to enjoy eggs in the morning (or anytime!)


Israeli Lunch / Dinner Foods:

Popular Israeli food is characteristically simple. A typical lunch in Israel is shnitzel with different side salads, including hummus and tahini, and served with rice or mashed potatoes, and vegetables.

For a quick meal on the go, it’s easy to grab a falafel or shwarma on the street, usually stuffed in pita with French fries ("chips") and salad.

Baba Ganoush – a tangy eggplant spread

Falafel – deep fried chickpea balls, often served in pita bread

Hummus – a mashed chickpea spread, hummus can be served in many ways and is a staple in Israeli households

Malawach – this flaky round pastry can be enjoyed with sweet or savory toppings

Pita bread – the “national bread” of Israel

Sabih – a sandwich of fried eggplant, hard boiled egg, tahini in pita

Shnitzel – chicken cutlets breaded and fried, Israeli supermarkets also offer many varieties of frozen “shnitzelim” to be enjoyed easily at home

Shwarma – grilled lamb or other meat that is then sliced or “shaved”, often enjoyed in pita or laffa bread

Tahini – a delicious spread made from ground sesame seeds


Israeli Snack Foods / Desserts:

These are just some of the sweet treats available in Israel. Disclaimer - they're not exactly dietetic!

Baklava - a sweet layered pastry enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East

Crêpes - In the malls and on the streets, food stands sell freshly made crêpes, available with different fillings.

Ice Cream - Israelis, like people all over the world, love their ice cream.

Knafeh – this dessert is made of shredded pastry, soft cheese and sweet syrup

Malabi – a pudding flavored with rose water and topped with nuts

Sahlab – a rich, creamy, sweet hot drink or pudding


Israeli Drinks:

Living in Israel convertes one from a die-hard tea drinker to a coffee drinker. The coffee served in cafés here is delicious! Fruit shakes and lemonades are especially refreshing and tasty because the produce is grown locally.

Café Afuch – an “upside-down” cappuccino

Fruit Shake – in Israel these shakes are always fresh and flavorful

Mint Lemonade – called “lemonana”, sometimes served frozen and blended

Mint Tea - enjoyed with or without a teabag!


As you can see from this list, most of the popular food in Israel is also “everyday food” – tasty, unpretentious dishes to be enjoyed often, both in and out of the home.

Great Sanga Scandal Of 2009

Qantas was threatening to remove its famous steak sandwich from its first-class menu, but its high-flying customers wouldn’t have a bar of being denied their favourite in-flight tucker.

They kicked up such a stink the airline that their pleas couldn’t be ignored.
“The steak sandwich was promptly reinstated to the menu, where it remains a firm favourite today,” the airline relates in its recap of the past two decades of in-flight dining.

As it celebrates the 20th anniversary of its culinary union with Rockpool chef Neil Perry, Qantas names the Rockpool signature steak sandwich with tomato relish as the hero of the partnership — the one constant of Qantas’ First Class in-flight menu for the past 20 years.

Every year, Qantas serves up more than 600,000 of them.

The celebrity chef says employing the attitude that the customer is always right has been one of his keys to success during his time working alongside Qantas.

“Listening to customer feedback, engaging with the crew who prepare the menu in-flight and being sure to create dishes that use the best seasonal produce across each destination that Qantas flies to, are the three vital components to creating a successful menu each season,” Perry says.

Reflecting on the journey with Qantas, Perry notes how Aussies’ tastes have changed over the 20 years.
“Twenty years ago, we put tagine on the menu and had to call it Moroccan braised lamb, but now we use terms like baba ganoush and garam masala without thinking twice,” he says.

“Australians today are also incredibly food savvy — they understand what’s in season and love exploring food and wine regions around Australia and overseas. They expect to see great produce grown by passionate locals both in-flight and in our lounges.”

Qantas is marking the anniversary by bringing back some “blast from the past” menu items on both in-flight and lounge menus over the next six months.
Popular dishes of the past 20 years set to get a re-run include:
• Stir fried crab omelette with oyster sauce
• Korean style yellowfin tuna tartare with sesame dressing
• Lobster with XO sauce, lo mein noodles, bok choy and sesame seeds
• Grilled salmon with chilli, garlic, cherry tomatoes and squid ink noodles

• Chermoula lamb rack with vegetable tagine, couscous, harissa and coriander yoghurt
• Rockpool Bar & Grill style beef fillet with “mac and cheese” and green beans
• Spice Temple inspired caramel, chocolate and sesame ice cream sandwiches

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says Perry’s influence has become is an integral part of the Qantas experience.
“It’s impossible to imagine food and wine on Qantas without Neil’s influence, which shows you the way he’s made it his own over the past two decades,” Mr Joyce.
“We say that when you step on a Qantas flight overseas you’re already in Australia — and a Neil Perry meal is part of that experience.
“We love the passion and perfectionism that he brings to the job, but also the way he challenges us to experiment and evolve. Qantas has always worked with brilliant Australians, and Neil is well and truly part of the hall of fame.”