Dateline Jerusalem – What could be better than the aroma of exotic spices and herbs?  There are shops in my town devoted solely to their sale.  Barrels and bins are piled high with just about every kind imaginable. A leisurely stroll up and down Rehovot's residential streets indicates that these fragrant spices and herbs are used in everyone's cooking. Tastes of Israel are even better than the scents.

Some spices and herbs mentioned in the Bible still are available today. Saffron, considered the most expensive spice in the world, is produced by crushing and drying the stigmas of colorful crocus flowers that bloom throughout Israel.  Cinnamon is used abundantly in Israeli dishes. It was used as an ingredient in holy oil and incense burned as sacrifices by the ancient Hebrew priests. In Exodus, the manna that fell from heaven was described as “white like coriander seed.”  Cumin and caraway seeds were mentioned in Isaiah.

Some Israeli dishes are noted for particular spices and herbs.  For example, zaatar is a mixture of herbs such as thyme, oregano, marjoram and sumac, sesame seeds and salt.  It often is mixed with oil and eaten on pita bread. Zaatar also makes a delicious salad dressing.  Hawaij is a common mixture of spices used in Israeli Yemenite households for soup and coffee and also rubbed onto meat for stew. Turmeric and paprika are used in many dishes.

My favorite is a combination of cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and ginger.  I put that combination in my cholent/hamin (meat stew with potatoes and barley simmered overnight), soup, rice, vegetables, and moussaka. For those who love lemonade, in Israel it is made with mint and only sold that way.

Other than the flavors and fragrances that tantalize my taste buds and olfactory senses, I finally am learning Hebrew by familiarizing myself with the names for the spices and herbs. What a great way to learn a language.

L'hitraot.  Shachar