Israel and India: A Shared Cuisine

When one thinks of Israel's and India's cuisine, similarities between the two are not necessarily the first thing that come to mind. The reality, however, is that there is an impressive shared culinary history between the two regions and more commonalities and overlap between the two cuisines than one might think.

The Incense and Spice Route

Israel's and India's shared food history goes back at least to the famed incense and spice routes dating back to the beginning of the first millennium C.E. Spices, grown and processed in India were sent over various routes on their way to their main market in Europe. One of the most popular routes was through the Arabian peninsula and the Nabataean empire that extended into what is now Israel on its way to the ancient Gaza port where they were shipped by boat to Europe. Today only the ruins of cities such as Petra, Avdat, Shivta and Mamshit (amongst others) bear testament to the once impressive trade that provided much of the western world with the spices for their food.

More than history, there is shared food between the two countries. Sabich, considered to be one of the most "Israeli" foods, owes part of its origin to India. Sabich is a dish considered by most of Iraqi origin, consisting of fried eggplant, hardboiled egg and various vegetables in a pita bread. Sabich cannot be complete without its signature amba sauce. Amba, a spicy mango sauce, is of Indian origin and was introduced to Iraqis and Iraqi Jews via India. Hummus/Chickpea/Garbanzo is a staple of both Israel and India and there is no shortage of dishes with this ingredient in the two countries.

 Sabich (www.herbavacious.com)

Finally, since the creation of the state of Israel there have been thousands of Jewish-Indian immigrants contributing their culinary cultures to the foods that comprise Israeli cuisine. There are dozens of wonderful Israeli restaurants everywhere there are Indian communities from Shaked in the North to Tel Aviv and Ramle in the central region and Moshav Nevatim in the Negev.

LeadEarth

Israel and India: A Shared Cuisine