Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

The locals in Tel Aviv proudly dub it the ‘vegan capital of the world’. And they are not kidding.

With 400 vegan and vegan friendly restaurants feeding some 200,000 vegans in Israel, they are serious.

Add to that the fact ‘vegan’ is currently the buzzword of the year, I had the chance to sample some of the best food in two cities – Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The boom in vegan haute cuisine has transformed Israel’s population of eight million into the largest vegan nation, per capita, in the world. Even the Tourism Ministry promotes the country as a ‘vegan nation’.

You can see it in the colour, taste the flavours and smell the aromas on every street corner.

And that’s exactly where my journey to sample vegan food started in the shape of vegan street food in the heart of the movement in Tel Aviv.

I was soon to learn that you don’t have to be vegan to appreciate plant-based food with the readily available high quality fruit and veg everywhere.

Our first stop was Sultana run by the amiable owner Harel.

Inspired by his grandmother to cook from an early age, the chef named the street restaurant after her as a testament.

It’s only been open under a year but it’s already creating a buzz among diners who travel far and wide to sample his cuisine.

“’Farm to table’ isn’t just a trend – it’s a way of life,” explains Harel.

“Tel Aviv is a young and vibrating city where people are open to ethical eating.

“What we do here is think outside the box which heightens the boring side salad into an explosion of dynamic and flavourful dishes. The vegetables are placed at centre stage.”

The proof is evident on the plates of food that swiftly arrive at our table.

Vegetarian shwarma, mushroom and aubergine patties, potato wedges accompanied by tahini and hummus dips were all vying for our attention.

They taste simply divine. So much so, I think to myself how easy it would be to become a vegan if I lived here.

With the bar set so high by this humble place, it was impossible to think vegan food could get any better than this.

But Manta Ray restaurant on the beach front gave it a good shot.

And although it offers many vegan dishes, it holds a high reputation as an excellent seafood restaurant. Not everyone in Tel Aviv is vegan but they are certainly foodies.

Our guide Igal Zeevi said that the best way to get to know the folk of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was to get to know them through their stomach.

Israeli’s love of food is balanced out with their passion for fitness.

Tel Aviv beach stretches for miles along the whole western edge of the city and is awash with outdoor gyms with separate cycling and walking paths.

Almost everybody is into their fitness in a big way. Honed and toned bodies engaged in some sort of sport are everywhere come day and night.

It made sense to follow their lead and I embarked on an early morning jog the next day to make way for the food I was to consume in the coming days.

The open-air Carmel Market selling everything from fruit and veg to falafels and baklawa is a foodies haven.

Stall holders are literally screaming at you to sample their produce. It’s a great way to be introduced to foods you’ve never heard of let alone tried.

The food available here is a melting pot of delicacies from far-flung locales such as Turkey, Yemen, Morocco, Persian, Greece and Iraq, adapted to appeal to the trendy Tel Aviv crowd.

And in such fashion, we munched our way through Bourekas (puff pastry filled with cheese, spinach, potato), Kubbeh (a meat-filled croquette), falafel, Burik (thin dough filled with egg and potato or other fillings) hummus and tahini.

Israeli staples like hummus and falafel are already vegan, and available practically everywhere.

But it was in Jaffa – an ancient port city – famous for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomonand Saint Peter that we tasted hummus in true fashion.

Ali Karavan is like a fast food restaurant popular with office workers and locals alike enjoying hummus and falafels on the go.

Some office workers get vouchers to spend here – not a trend that is likely to be followed in the UK in a hurry, I sadly think.   

Huge plates of freshly cooked round pitta breads arrived to be dipped in the various concoctions of hummus.

Before we dived in, Igal gave us instructions on how to perform a hand ‘flamingo’ type move demonstrating how to scoop hummus with pitta. Strictly no double dipping allowed.  

Despite having had our fill at Carmel Market, we polished off the food licking our fingers clean for good measure.

Food needs a good beverage to wash it down with and with the Beer Bazaar not far, it makes for a great place to sample local beers.

But if you’re after something stronger, then a visit to Milk and Honey – head to Israel’s first whisky distillery.

Milk and Honey filled its first cask back in 2015 at a time when there were no other whisky distilleries in the country but the whisky industry is booming.

The first whisky was to be aged for a minimum of three years and will finally be ready for consumption later on this year.

If you like a strong spirit, this one is for you The whisky at 46 per cent ABV will set you back 169 shekels, which is around  £37. 

Currently guided tours end with a tasting of gin they already produce and there was a good few gins we tasted. So cheers to that.