Israeli breakfast facts for kids
An Israeli breakfast is a special kind of breakfast. It first started on a kibbutz, which is a type of collective farm in Israel. Now, you can find it in most hotels and many restaurants across Israel. It's usually served like a buffet, where you can pick your own food. This meal often includes fruits, vegetables, salads, different kinds of bread, pastries, dairy foods, eggs, and fish. You will never find meat in an Israeli breakfast.
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How Israeli Breakfast Started
In the early days of Israel, people living on a kibbutz ate their meals together in a big dining hall. They would often have a small snack very early in the morning. Then, they would work in the fields for several hours. After working, they would come back to the dining hall for a big, filling meal. This meal was served mid-morning, much like a brunch.
By the 1950s, hotels in Israel started offering this "Israeli breakfast" to their guests. It was very similar to the meals served on the kibbutz. Even though some hotel groups tried to make the breakfast smaller to save money, people loved the big, hearty buffet. So, the tradition of a large Israeli breakfast continued.
What You'll Find on an Israeli Breakfast Plate
At hotels in Israel, the Israeli breakfast is usually a self-service buffet. This means you can choose what you want from many different dishes. In smaller restaurants, you might get a simpler menu served to your table.
One important thing about Israeli breakfast is that it never includes meats like ham or bacon. These meats are common in breakfasts in many other countries. This is because of Kashrut, which are Jewish food laws. These laws say that meat and dairy foods should not be eaten together in the same meal. Also, pork is not allowed. The Israeli breakfast is a dairy meal, so it offers many different kinds of cheeses.
Fish is considered "pareve", which means it can be eaten with either meat or dairy. So, fish like herring is often served. You might also see other smoked or pickled fish, such as sprats, sardines, and salmon.
Egg Dishes and More
Egg dishes are almost always part of an Israeli breakfast. They might be cooked ahead of time or made fresh when you order. A very popular egg dish is shakshouka. This dish came to Israel from Tunisian Jews. It has eggs poached (gently cooked) in a tasty tomato sauce.
You can also find other Middle Eastern foods. These include Israeli salad, hummus (a chickpea dip), tehina (sesame paste), halloumi cheese, ful medames (fava bean stew), baba ghanoush (eggplant dip), and strained yogurt called labaneh.
Fresh vegetables are very common. You'll often see tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, radishes, onions, and shredded carrots. Olives are also usually available. There are many different kinds of salads to choose from.
To drink, you'll find Coffee, tea, and juices. Fresh fruits, various kinds of bread, and delicious pastries complete this big meal.
Images for kids
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A breakfast buffet at a hotel in Haifa, Israel
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An Israeli breakfast
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An Israeli breakfast with eggs, Israeli salad, bread and various accompaniments
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