Would you like a felafel???

I had been in Israel for a few weeks and I had been subjected to the strange variety of foods this country had to offer.

The huge numbers of Americans means that there is a constant supply of fast food (which I wasn't so keen on) in addition to the local foods.

The most surprising food was the Chinese food though. There is a small Chinese population in Israel intent on supplying the population with noodles and stir fries.

They also serve a very important function as some of the few restaurants that are actually open on Shabbat!!! On the days where necessity dictated that I eat Chinese food, I was always certain to be set upon by the owners. The owners of the restaurant in Haifa were particularly keen on introducing me to their two teen aged kids. Both had been born and raised in Israel and it was a very strange site to see them conversing freely to one another in Hebrew whilst struggling to speak to me in a combination of broken English and Mandarin.

The real foods I wanted in Israel was the Israeli food though!

Hummus in particular caught my attention!

.... again.....

.... and again....

It wasn't long before I was a bit sick of it in fact.

The people eat it as a meal in itself! There are hummus restaurants that serve NOTHING ELSE! JUST HUMMUS!

Don't get me wrong, it's a tasty dish. Smooth, rich and always with bit of a kick.

But to eat it day in an day out. That was a bit much for me.
So when I reached Tel Aviv, I revolted from the hummus. I decided I wanted something more substantial.

With the Mediterranean in sight, I wandered down the beach towards Jaffa and I bought myself a fish lunch.
And no hummus!