Shakshuka Festival

Maybe you’re a veteran shakshuka lover and are looking to sample some new variations or perhaps you have no idea what this oddly named dish could possibly be but simply must find out. You might even be one of those rare few who have had shakshuka a few times, but weren’t impressed.

In any event, none of that really matters because from December 14 to January 14, 2015,  Tel Aviv’s Shakshuka Festival, a tribute to the egg and tomato-based Middle East staple, will undoubtedly introduce you to a side of this tasty dish that you’ve never seen before.

For an entire month, restaurants and cafes around the country, especially in Tel Aviv, will feature their own creative shakshuka variations at special prices (39-59 NIS).

The classic shakshuka is a simple peasant dish, similar to a ratatouille, typically made up of a tomato sauce with garlic, onions and peppers, but modern Israeli cuisine has taught us that the possibilities for this dish are actually endless.

Expect to see delicious takes on the original like shakshuka with mushrooms and asparagus, shakshuka with spinach and ricotta, shakshuka with beets and goat yoghurt, Druze Shakshuka with labane and hyssop, and many more variations that you won’t see every day, but the restaurants are trotting out for this special festival.

Here are the restaurants in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area that will be participating: Etnachta, Jeremiah, Ahad Ha’am, Café Shine, Campanello, Anina, Tolaat Sfarim (Bookworm), Café Yaffo, Abrage, Coffee House, Roy Chocolate, Café Zelik, Café Tatti, Gutaleh, Habait Beolesh, Bleeker Bakery, Port Café, Central Boutique.