Entry #22 - Advantages to Living in Israel
Food is a wonderful part of life in Israel especially the dairy and the vegetables. It is hard for me to write this, but I think Israeli dairy beats Danish dairy, at least in the “soft cheeses and yogurt” category. There is something here called “Revion” (it is the tall blue container to the left). It reminds me of what we call “ymer” in Denmark, but a little more liquid so that you can just drink it down like buttermilk. Anyway, it brings me close to nirvana after a workout. And then there is the cottage cheese! The first stage is anger over what you have been missing all your life. Then comes denial… maybe you didn’t read the Hebrew label correctly? After that acceptance… and the reflexive spitting the next time you put American cottage cheese in your mouth.
Next up - vegetables. In California our vegetables might be better looking. But the taste in Israel is a world apart. My mother and I have discussed both the dairy and the vegetable situation and decided that the better quality is most likely a combination of two factors. First, the short distances here between producer and consumer, and second, the strains. In other words, produce is fresher here… and because they don’t have to withstand storage and shipping, the growers can select more tasty varieties. I am sure they also have access to different microbes for the cheeses and yogurts.
Vegetables are an important part of most Israeli meals, including breakfast. Chopped bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, and lemon are the constituents of my Israeli salad. Slice of fresh baked bread, spread with hummus or what the Israelis call “white cheese”, and then dosed with the salad is my standard lunch. Unexpectedly awesome flavor. White cheese is a smoother, lighter, more spreadable, and better tasting version of American cream cheese.
