Chumus Night!

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Chumus Night!
Welcome to
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Food for Thought

• Food is more than a sum of its ingredients. By
  studying the cuisine of any society we can learn
  about its geography and local agriculture, its
  religious values, its location in and adaptation
  to the world around it, and its historical
  journey. Israeli cuisine is no different. Lets
  take a look at some factors that have influenced
  the creation of Israeli food.

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Popular Israeli Foods

• Popular culturewhether were talking about
  music, fashion, or foodcan provide so much
  insight into a society. Israeli food is no
  different, as it reflects the cultures and
  religions, social habits, and local ingredients
  that blend together so perfectly in the most
  popular Israeli foods.

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Jewish Influence on Israeli Food

• Israel is a Jewish state and its impossible to
  deny the influence of Jewish culture and religion
  in the development of Israeli cuisine. Jewish
  holidays, such as Chanukah and Purim, dictate
  which treats you will find at the corner bakery.
  And kashrut, the religious laws regarding food,
  shape the countrys eating habits. In other
  words, even though many Israelis do not keep
  kosher, bacon and eggs probably wont be
  considered an iconic Israeli breakfast anytime
  soon.

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Ethnic Origins of Popular Dishes

• Popular Israeli dishes can often be associated
  with a specific ethnic cuisine. Obviously, the
  many ethnic cuisines of the Middle East have
  found their way to the Israeli table. Chumus and
  falafel, for example, are common dishes in
  Israels neighboring Arab countries. Israels own
  Arab communities have contributed special dishes
  as well. Finally, Jewish immigration to
  Israelfrom Yemen, Eastern Europe, North Africa
  and Ethiopiahas also brought new dishes to the
  Israeli table.

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Modern History of Israeli Food

• If you place a historical timeline of Israel next
  to a culinary timeline of Israel, you are certain
  to notice some interesting points of connection.
• A few examples
• As the first Eastern European immigrants arrived
  in pre-State Israel, they were entirely
  unfamiliar with Middle Eastern geography, climate
  and agriculture and they learned muchincluding
  how to farm and what to eatfrom their Arab
  neighbors.

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Modern History of Israeli Food

• Waves of immigration brought new, ethnic dishes
  to Israel.
• Kibbutz life, with its focus on community and
  agriculture, is still celebrated with the
  traditional Israel breakfast of salads, cheese,
  and eggs.
• Tzena (1949-1959), a period of austerity, was
  marked by food rationing and the necessary
  creation of new, cheaper foods that could serve
  as substitutes for the preferredbut
  hard-to-getoriginals.

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Food in the Bible

• Just as Judaism influences Israeli cuisine,
  Israeli cuisine can also point to its roots in
  the Bible. There are two main reasons for this
  1) the Bible is the defining book of Judaism, and
  it outlines basic concepts of kashrut and other
  religious eating practices, and 2) the Biblical
  stories are set in the same region as modern-day
  Israel, allowing the same geography and regional
  agriculture to influence food both then and now.