Mahane Yehuda Market, located between Jaffa Road and Agrippas Street (my map here), is without doubt Israel’s best market; a wonderland of fantastic produce and ingredients.
We spent many a happy hour wandering the two long indoor arcades and their cross streets, as well as the maze of lanes around the main market area. Video here.
On the many stalls we saw…
…a multitude of fresh fruit and vegetables, such as ruby red pomegranates and remarkably thin sweet potatoes…
…loose dried figs and dates…
…white cheeses and strangely-shaped sausages…
…fresh fish and wax-sealed bottarga (not sure if it was grey mullet or tuna roe)…
…round pitas and some unfeasibly long flatbreads…
…a multitude of spices and spice mixes…
…and all kinds of Halva, a sweet made locally with sesame tahini, sugar and a huge variety of flavourings.
Also luminous Kanafeh, a dessert made here with a white-brine cheese called Nabulsi and a thin noodle-like pastry soaked in a sweet sugar syrup and colouring.
Naturally there were many varieties of Baklava and other pinenut and pistachio-based sweets.
One stall was selling Etrogat which I believe is a blend of a yellow citrus known as Etrog and a chewable leaf called Khat. Historically Etrog has medicinal and religious uses for Jewish people whereas Qhat is a mild stimulant with an ancient tradition of use around the Horn of Africa that’s comparable to coca leaves in South America or betel nut in Asia. The combo certainly made for a nice pick-me-up.
And of course as befits such a great market, there are lots of wonderful places to eat and drink, more of which next…