Israeli breakfast is a term known to any tourist who has ever visited the country. The extravaganza of all breakfasts includes, and is not limited to, eggs any style, shakshuka, chopped salad, roasted eggplant, tahini, avocado salad, pickles, lox and herring, fresh and hard cheeses, breads and pita, babka and danishes and excellent coffee (an Israeli obsession).
Whether it is served on long buffet tables at hotel dining rooms or on a tray filled with mini ramekins directly to your table at a restaurant, the breakfast is not to be missed, although sightseeings after such meal is not an easy task. Learn from Israelis and indulge on such breakfast on lazy days only, such as Friday morning.
Israeli breakfast has probably evolved from the kibbutz breakfast, served in the communal dining room for early morning workers as they returned from romantic tasks such as milking the cows or picking cotton. When visiting uncle Ovadia at Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan in northern Israel as a child, breakfast may have seemed the most exciting aspect of kibbutz life for me, but it was rarely anything more than (the best) cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, chopped vegetable salad, rye bread and milk. And it was absolutely delicious.
As a side note, I need to add, that the truth is that Israelis have this exact meal for dinner, not breakfast… Most Israelis still have the main, heavy hot meals at lunch. Kids come back from school early and have their schnitzel and mashed potatoes. Dinner is light and includes the dishes listed above. Having the light meal for dinner is not a bad idea to adopt.
Visiting Israel soon? Here’s a list of not-to-be-missed breakfast places. Otherwise, here’s a menu and recipes for a full, wonderful, easy-to-make Israeli breakfast that will transport you right to a Middle Eastern summer day on the beach. Or the kibbutz.
Israeli breakfast menu
