Israeli salad

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Israeli salad(Hebrew:סָלָט יְרָקוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִי,romanized:salat yerakot yisra'eli, literal translation "Israeli vegetable salad") is a choppedsaladof finely dicedtomato,onion,cucumber, andbellorchilipeppers.It has been described as the "most well-known national dish ofIsrael",and is a standard accompaniment to most Israeli meals.Salads following similar recipes, with different names, are widespread and popular throughout theEastern Mediterranean.
It was adopted byJewish immigrantsto the Levant in the late 19th century, who found the locally grown Kirby cucumbers and tomatoes in popularlocal salad. It was popularized in thekibbutzim, where the Jewish farmers had local fresh produce at hand.
The nameIsraeli Saladis used mainly outside of Israel.Within Israel, it is commonly referred to assalat katzutz(Hebrew:סָלָט קָצוּץ, "chopped salad"), as well assalat aravi(Hebrew:סָלָט עֲרָבִי, "Arab salad"), orsalat yerakot(Hebrew:סָלָט יְרָקוֹת, "vegetable salad").
In an interview with theBBC, Israeli culinary journalist Gil Hovav said that the Israeli salad is in fact a Palestinian Arab salad.The idea that what is known in New York delis as "Israeli salad" stems from a Palestinian rural salad is agreed on byJoseph Massad, a Palestinian professor of Arab Politics atColumbia University, as an example of the appropriation of Palestinian and Syrian foods such ashummus,falafel, andtabboulehby Israel as "national dishes".
Israeli salad is made of chopped raw tomato, onion and cucumber, and can also includepepper,carrot,scallion,leafy greensandparsley. The salad is dressed with either freshlemon juiceorolive oil, or both.Za'atarandyogurtare very common dressings at breakfast whilesumacandtahiniare common the rest of the day. Generally, the cucumbers are not peeled. The ability to chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into the "finest, most perfect dice" is considered a mark of status among manykibbutzcooks.Traditional recipes do not include lettuce.
In Israeli restaurants and cafes, Israeli salad is served as an independent side dish, as an accompaniment to main dishes, or stuffed in a pita withfalafelorshawarma. It was a major part of the traditionalIsraeli breakfastat home before Western-style breakfast cereals became popular, and today it remains a standard feature at buffet breakfasts at Israeli hotels, as well as in many homes.
Although cucumbers have an ancient history in the Middle East, tomatoes, native to South America, were not cultivated in theSyria regionuntil possibly as late as the 19th century, during theOttoman Empire.In the 1940,Kibbutz Beit Alfapioneered a variety of cucumber named after the Kibbutz, which became the standard Israeli cucumber used in this salad.
Food historianGil Marksdescribes how Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century first encountered the cucumber and tomato salad in then-Ottoman Palestine, and traces its presence there back to the Turkishçoban salatası(shepherd's salad).Since the cucumbers and tomatoes were familiar vegetables to both European and Middle Eastern immigrants, they were quickly incorporated into their common diet. The Kibbutz breakfast incorporated a variety of salad and fresh vegetables. Adopted and popularized by thekibbutzimacross the land, this salad latter migrated to all areas of the Israeli cuisine.Variations on the basic recipe have been made by the different Jewish communities that immigrated to the country. For example,Jews from Indiaprepare it with the addition of finely choppedgingerand greenchili peppers,North African Jewsmay addpreserved lemonpeel andcayenne pepper, andBukharan Jewschop the vegetables extremely finely and use vinegar, without oil, in the dressing.
Israeli ArabsorPalestiniansmay call their traditional cucumber and tomato saladsalatat al-banduraorsalatat banadura("tomato salad"),orsalata na'meh.Other similar salads found in the Middle East, include thePersiansalad shiraziسالاد شيرازي (which includes mint, diced onions, and peeled cucumbers),and the Turkishçoban salatası; among others found throughout the eastern Mediterranean area in Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt.The Indian subcontinent cuisine also includes a variant of this salad, called "kachumber".