Mar 6, 2015

However you look at it, or sample it, Arab-Palestinian-Israeli cuisine is one of the most authentic cuisines to be found in Israel. It is the product of diverse past empires and cultures, dating as far back as the Persian Empire and through the Ottoman Empire, with the Lebanese and Syrians leaving their marks along the way. This cuisine was strongly influenced by the long series of conquerors who occupied the Holy Land, taking bits from every era. Thus, for instance, stuffed dishes so popular locally can be traced to stuffed vine leaves from Turkish cuisine. This is also the source of filled dumplings and kanafeh. At the same time, well-liked mutton dishes originated in neighboring Arab lands. Each recipe and dish embodies the history of the people who feasted on it in some other period or another.

In northern Israel, an unsightly concrete structure dominates the view at the derelict Migdal junction, a few hundred yards from the Sea of Galilee. This huge shopping mall is surrounded by a vast asphalt parking lot designed to accommodate hundreds of cars. In drafting the blueprint, someone apparently thought that the area would be an ideal site to establish yet another commercial center, but standing there, at the foot of the mountains and so close to the Sea of Galilee, it seems nothing less than a crime. On the third floor of the building, however, overlooking the sea, is the Magdalena Restaurant, a fancy, chef-run establishment in every respect.

After stepping from the elevator, the neglect witnessed outside is forgotten, and the restaurant's huge, lavishly decorated space draws you in. Magdalena chef Youssef Hanna, who previously worked as a sous-chef de cuisine in upscale Tel Aviv restaurants, had always dreamed of opening a place of his own near Rameh village, where he lives. “This is the peak of my career,” he said excitedly. The crystal glasses, Bordeaux wines and pricey raw items in the kitchen confirmed his brave attempt to do something different. For years now, Arab cuisine in Israel has been considered simple and cheap. If one asks the average Israeli what, in his eyes, Arab food is, the automatic answer will be hummus with fries and char-grilled meat.

The thrill attached to hallmark Arab cuisine has had to do primarily with the distance an Israeli Jew had to go to get it. The farther the distance, the more isolated and less well known the place, the more sumptuous the cuisine, whether requiring a jaunt to nearby Jaffa, in the center of the country, an excursion to the Arab Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm in Wadi Ara in the north or a journey to the Arab villages of the western Galilee.

When military conflict erupts along the border, or when violence flares between Jews and Arabs, Jewish restaurant patrons of Arab restaurants disappear, but as soon as the situation calms down and appears to return to normal, they return to their favorite spots. In mixed cities, such as Nazareth and Acre, restaurateurs realized long ago that they couldn't rely on their Jewish clientele alone. Another problem was that not a lot of Arab customers could afford the prices. Thus, somewhat pricey Arab restaurants have to close during times of strife and reopen once calm is restored.