Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 30 august 2019
Old stone buildings and trendy cafes: The port city of Jaffa

By TALI ARBEL made were maqluba, a
JAFFA, Israel (AP) — Just mound of rice or bulgur and
south of Tel Aviv's glass tow- vegetables inverted onto a
ers and concrete houses plate; meatballs cooked in
are the white stone build- a sauce of tahini and yo-
ings of Jaffa, the ancient gurt; the parsley-and-bul-
port town. gur salad, tabbouleh; and
Jaffa has existed for thou- the Arabic dessert knafe.
sands of years, but today Her version had thin shreds
it is one unified city with Tel of pastry and nuts cooked
Aviv, which was founded in in butter, sugar and lemon.
1909. Both Jews and Arabs Seri also introduced us to
live in Jaffa, and that's re- what she called the "Arabic
flected in the flavors of the Parmesan": yogurt that had
neighborhood. been dried in the sun to a
Visitors will find a luxury ho- rock-hard lump. She grated
tel, the Setai, built out of a the block into a powder
Crusader fortress that was whose sharp, savory tang
later a prison and police did indeed recall Parme-
station. Trendy cafes, gal- san cheese and added it
leries, bars and boutiques to a salad of fried eggplant
line narrow streets, inter- and thin-chopped celery.
secting with Jaffa's well- Prices for her lessons vary
known Arab hummus spots per person according to
and bakeries, along with group size.
mosques, churches and One of Jaffa's most popu-
synagogues. lar spots for tourists is the
In and around Jaffa's fa- old port. Vessels have set
mous flea market, Shuk sail here since ancient
Hapishpeshim, are streets times; it's even mentioned
dotted with cafes. On one in the Biblical story of Jo-
of my visits, I sat in an alley nah, referred to as "Joppa,"
and munched on Shaffa where Jonah embarked
Bar's shakshuka, poached In this Sunday, July 28, 2019 photo, a child plays next to a 100-year-old orange tree hanging on the journey that led to
eggs baked in tomato above the ground in the old city of Jaffa, Israel. his fateful encounter with
sauce, while chickens Associated Press a big fish — or, in some ver-
clucked on the roof of a sions of the story, a whale.
building down the street. popular Israeli street food. coins. On Friday mornings breads from Georgia (the The port is still used by local
Cafe Puaa has comfy, chic (Try a regular sabich too, at and summer Tuesdays, a country, not the U.S. state). fishermen but it also offers
but mismatched furniture, Sabich Hasharon, a small pop-up market of crafts Milk, a coffee shop with lim- seafood restaurants, shops
and will sell you the plates storefront in Tel Aviv that and jewelry gets added to ited seating, has expensive and entertainment.
you eat off (nearly every- specializes in them.) the mix. In the afternoon, a coffee and pretty pastries. There's plenty to eat and
thing is for sale). Its menu is The market itself, surround- party erupts in the outdoor Those interested in learn- to buy in Jaffa. But one of
packed with the vegetable ed by Yefet, Beit Eshel and bars. ing how to cook Arab food the best things to do there
dishes that Israeli cuisine is Yehuda Margoza streets, is But don't forget hummus. In can also take a class with is simply wander and take
known for. After settling into a paradise for those itching Jaffa, you can't eat enough a local. Myasser Seri has in the contrasts. Doors set
a couch in the alley in front to debate trash versus trea- hummus, the chickpea pu- for years been hosting tu- in old stone walls are cat-
of the restaurant, I had a sure. Across several alleys, ree that's a bedrock meal torials in her small kitchen. nip for Instagrammers; turn
deconstructed sabich, a vendors spread wares on in Israel. She can put together a the corner, and there's a
breakfast sandwich of fried the ground and stack them There's Ali Caravan's fa- multi-course meal for your block of modern apart-
eggplant and hard-boiled in stalls. There are antiques, mous spot on HaDolphin group to cook, or you can ment buildings. Galleries
egg of Iraqi origin that's a furniture, clothing, trinkets, Street, worth waiting on suggest dishes you'd like to abound, but the streets
line for. Another crowded try. Among the dishes we create their own art.q
hummus disher is Ha'Asli on
Yefet Street, cacophonous
with families, workers and
tourists, all seeking the plat-
ters of hummus, labne, ke-
bab and salads delivered
to tables minutes after or-
dering. You can watch the
bakers at work at Abula-
fia, a popular bakery that
stacks breads and other
treasures in blue tile-lined
glass cases by the sidewalk.
Jaffa's food offerings also
stretch beyond the Medi-
In this Sunday, July 28, 2019 photo, people dance in Akbar, a terranean. Inside Tash and
bar located in the flea market in Jaffa, Israel. Israel's port city of Tasha's romantic, stone- In this Sunday, July 21, 2019 photo, people enjoy the day in the
Jaffa is an ancient place. walled interior are deli- port of Jaffa, Israel. Israel's port city of Jaffa is an ancient place.
Associated Press cious dips, dumplings and Associated Press