Sitting down for your first proper meal abroad can be daunting. New rituals and customs can be baffling, and no one wants to offend her host. What is considered polite? Who sits where? Elbows on the table, shoes off, napkin folded? What about the tip—do we need to leave a tip? I can’t remember…
Luckily, Roger E. Axtell’s outstanding “Do’s and Taboos Around the World” lays down some ground rules for successfully navigating your first meal in a foreign land. Having just returned from Go Ahead’s Wonders of Ancient Israel tour, I thought I’d share one of my favorite memories: my first lunch in Israel.
The meal begins with the arrival of baskets filled with freshly baked pita. Pita is more than just a starter here: with no silverware on the table, the flatbread serves not only as an appetizer but also as the meal’s primary utensil.
Waiters balancing small porcelain plates swirl around the table. Glasses are filled with the Israeli version of lemonade—freshly squeezed lemon juice sweetened with a little sugar or honey and blended with crushed ice and chopped mint leaves.
The table is suddenly ablaze with colors; savory dips, roasted and pickled vegetables, glistening olives, fresh salads and a seemingly infinite selection of sauces lay before us. The mainstays of Middle Eastern condiments—hummus, baba ganoush, tahini and tabouleh—are all here, along with other seasonal accompaniments. The array of appetizers is impressive, but our local hosts tell us that, during weddings and other important celebrations, it’s not unheard of to see three or four times as many offerings.
The waiters step back, give a little nod of approval, and the meal commences. The little plates move from hand to hand, across the table and around again as we indulge in the flavors of the Middle East. A dip of this, a scoop of that, a spoonful of spicy sauce…a few more of those…ooh, I don’t think I’ve tried that yet…
Running low on a favorite dish? Fear not: an attentive waiter is eagerly waiting to replenish your plate. In Israel—and most of the Middle East—a clean plate is a sign that have enjoyed your food and are ready for more. You may want to leave a little food on your plate, or you’ll find yourself eating your host out of house and home!
Just as you start to think the meal is winding down, the waiters reemerge with more plates. There’s another flurry of activity, and the table grows quiet in anticipation of the main course. A heaping platter of barbequed, roasted or skewered meat—usually lamb, beef or chicken—arrives, and conversation ceases in anticipation. Perfectly seasoned with an assortment of spices, the main dish is complimented by grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes and whole garlic cloves. For vegetarians, meat-free options such as rice pilaf, roasted eggplant or falafel are available.
We gorge ourselves on the main dish, but my sweet tooth demands that I leave room for dessert. A small cup of coffee arrives; it’s dark, spiced with cardamom and incredibly strong. Flaky, honey drenched squares of baklava, pistachio cake, Turkish delight, and other assorted sugary confections join the coffee as our meal draws to a leisurely close, and though I haven’t even been here for a full day, I think I’m going to like Israel.
Hungry yet?
Posted by Emily Roy, Tour Consultant
