How to Cook in Palestine facts for kids
Book cover
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| Author | Erna Meyer |
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| Original title | איך לבשל בארץ ישראל |
| Country | British Mandate of Palestine |
| Language | Hebrew, English, German |
| Genre | Cookbook |
| Publisher | Histadruth Nashim Zionioth |
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Publication date
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1936 |
How to Cook in Palestine (Hebrew: איך לבשל בארץ ישראל, meaning "How to Cook in Eretz Israel") is a very important cookbook from 1936. It was written by Dr. Erna Meyer and published by the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO). Many people consider it the first Jewish cookbook printed in Palestine during the time it was ruled by the British.
This book was special because it helped people who had recently moved to Palestine. It taught them how to cook with ingredients that were easy to find locally. These included foods like eggplant, zucchini (which the book called vegetable marrow), and olive oil.
For example, the book encouraged people to support local businesses. It said: "If you're a housewife in Palestine, you should buy butter made here. But if you can't afford that, why buy butter from other countries when there are great local vegetable fats available?" This shows how much the book wanted people to use what was grown nearby.
Dr. Meyer also encouraged cooks to use herbs and spices from the Mediterranean and Middle East. The book is seen as a big influence on how Israeli cuisine developed into its own unique style.
Why This Cookbook Was Important
How to Cook in Palestine was more than just a collection of recipes. It played a key role in helping new immigrants settle into their new home. Many people arriving in Palestine came from different countries and were used to cooking with different ingredients.
Using Local Foods
The book taught people how to use fresh, local produce. This was important for a few reasons. First, it helped people save money because local ingredients were often cheaper. Second, it helped support local farmers and businesses. Third, it helped create a new way of cooking that used the flavors and foods of the region.
Shaping Israeli Cuisine
Before this book, there wasn't a clear "Israeli cuisine." People cooked dishes from their home countries. Dr. Meyer's cookbook helped blend these different cooking styles with local ingredients. This mix eventually led to the unique and delicious food we know today as Israeli cuisine. It showed people how to make tasty meals using what was available in the Eretz Israel.
