The Old City of Jerusalem is known as the heart of three major religions, but it offers more than religious sites. This is where food is a pure cultural experience, offering traditional culinary treasures sold in restaurants and by street vendors. -By John Jacobs

The Old City of Jerusalem is where three religions intersect: Jewish, Christian, and Islam, making it a destination for people who want an authentic cultural experience unlike any other. This spectacular location holds ancient sites such as The Jewish Wailing Wall, the Christian church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Three religious cultures in one spot should be a treasure trove of food reflecting the blending of ancient cultures - and it is. Preparing food in the Old City is a labor of love, because food is more than food. It is a reflection of the people of Jerusalem’s history and culture. From hummus to shawarma to pita sandwiches to sweet desserts, details matter in the choice of ingredients, food preparation, and cooking styles.

Middle Eastern Food You Cannot (and Should Not) Resist

The Jerusalem Old City is divided into four quarters. Three of the quarters are the Jewish, Christian, and Islam areas, and the fourth quarter is called the Armenian Quarter. There are pastry shops, fresh juice bars, bakeries, street vendors, markets, and restaurants, all giving visitors a generous choice of food establishments.

Some of the foods you will discover include Shawarma wraps, whole roasted chickens or kebabs with minced lamb, peppers, parsley, and onions. Mutabak is a thin filo dough filled with cheese or walnuts and dusted with powdered sugar, and Azura a slow-cooked eggplant covered with spiced minced meat topping with cinnamon. Mosakka is a layered minced meat and eggplant pie. When in season, you can try sweet summer figs and mulberries or Malban, a Turkish sweet made by hand. For breakfast, try the famous Jerusalem bread ka’ak-al-quds, a crusty ring-shaped bread with sesame seeds on top and never in short supply. Inside, the dough is soft and can be eaten alone but is often accompanied by hard-boiled or oven-baked eggs.

Sweet food lovers will have a heyday in Old Jerusalem. The bakeries delight with sweets such as Awameh, which are like sweet dumplings. They are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, a feat made possible because they are fried in hot oil, and the fried dough balls are soaked in sugar syrup. Knafeh is an unusual sweet made with melted goat cheese, shredded filo dough, rose water, and pistachios with an orange topping. There is hummus candy and gooey crack pie made with eggs, butter, sugar, and oatmeal. Of course, you will also find Baklava, a pastry made with layered phyllo dough and various fillings. Large trays of freshly made baklava are a sight to see!

Street Foods are Culinary Gems

Open-air food markets and street vendors are scattered throughout the Old City of Jerusalem. The “Three Markets” is a local term for the Spice Market, the Butchers’ Market, and the Goldsmiths’ Market in the Muslim Quarter. The three streets of food vendors run parallel, but you can get to each through narrow alleyways. The Christian Quarter has the Muristan Market and the Avimus Market.

When you think of street food, do you think of ordinary fare that is quickly consumed while on the go? Jerusalem Old City street food is anything but ordinary. It is prepared and cooked with the same attention as chefs give to foods prepared in restaurants. Hummus is a good example. Hummus has grown in popularity in the U.S., but the texture is usually quite similar no matter what brand is purchased. Not so in Jerusalem. Hummus is sold everywhere in restaurants and by street vendors. The basic hummus recipe is mashed chickpeas blended with lemon juice, tahini (ground sesame paste), and garlic. But you will quickly discover that in Jerusalem, hummus is made in various ways - from fluffy and light to dense and sticky – and it is an art form.

You will easily find street food vendors selling pitas filled with shawarma, chopped salad, pickled vegetables, or other fillings intended to create a blended flavor when you bite into the pita bread. Other street foods include a Sabich, Falafel (deep-fried chickpea ball), Knafeh, and much more. Falafel is one of Israel’s national dishes, so it is easy to find.

Sauces Make the Food

You are also likely to walk by a street vendor selling Baygaleh, which are sweet bread bagels. The bagels are perfect for dipping your choice of hummus. Sabich is a common sandwich, but there is nothing ordinary about it. So many foods you find in the Old City of Jerusalem are made with a wonderful mixture of flavors from various sauces. The Sabich is pita bread stuffed with eggs, eggplant, salad, amba (spicy mango sauce), and tahini sauce. The list of street foods could go on and on, meaning you never have to think twice about going hungry while seeking out the many historical sites or markets.

You can visit many ancient sites in Old City Jerusalem, but there is one that is not ancient, but still a hidden gem that is 150 years old. The Al Jebrini Tahini Factory, owned by Izsak Al Jebrini, makes tahini sauce the traditional way, with a basalt stone for milling. The sesame mill uses a production process only found in Jerusalem and is located at the stairs taking you from the Damascus gate (one of eight gates) to the Old City. It is an excellent way to get in the right mood for your food adventure, because the atmosphere in the small mill speaks of years of tradition and culture.

Atmosphere Accompanies the Food

Many people believe the Old City of Jerusalem is the very essence of Jerusalem. Not only is this a historical area, but it is also an area that people still call home. You can taste the foods while enjoying time visiting with welcoming residents. Your religious preferences do not matter here, except in the types of food you are willing to eat or want to avoid. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”