Asif Day – Local Food
Content Curator: Michal Levit
Culinary Production: Linoy Revivo
Baladi
Beyond the Jaffa Orange: About Citrus Fruit and Locality
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Citrus fruits have become a symbol of localness, although their origin is generally in Southeast Asia. So what actually makes a fruit local? How do we make a grapefruit less bitter or create a seedless mandarin – and why? During a lecture held as part of “Asif Day – Localness” at Asif’s experimental kitchen accompanied by the tasting of citrus fruits that have not yet been marketed, we received answers from the Volcani Center’s fruit researchers to all these questions and more.
Asif Day — Shared Location
The afternoon session at “Asif Day – Locality” looked into representations of the local food culture in the media. The first panel focused on the food documentary genre in Israel, and in the second part of the session we discussed the ways in which the local food culture is presented on Tiktok and other social media networks with a short attention span.
Yom Asif – Local Food in Crisis
Local Food in Crisis was a series of panels and lectures during Yom Asif, in which we explored what “local” means in time of crisis and how it relates to identity politics. We also heard about the dark side of “new sustainability” and from leading food tech companies about whether it’s possible to create something that’s both local and industrial.
Bible to Table
During Yom Asif – Locality, biblical food researcher Dr. Tova Dickstein and food writer and cook Maya Darin led us on a fascinating culinary journey that began thousands of years ago.
Comparative Olive Oil Tasting from Four Regional Terroirs
Available at Cafe Asif
Tasting the Olive Land: The Terroir of Olive Oil
In recent years we have learned to distinguish between olive varieties such as Souri, Barnea, or Koroneiki and Leccino – but did you know that just like wine, olives also taste of their ‘terroir’? Olive oil expert, Ehud Soriano, on the importance of geology and the influence of the Israeli terroir on the taste and quality of the most local oil in Israeli cuisine.
A New World for ‘Black Coffee?’ From Coffee Starter to ‘MasterChef’
How Turkish coffee went from ritual beverage in Arab society to instant Israeli coffee — and what’s behind its recent renaissance.
Where to Find Baladi Produce
From north to south, this guide will lead you to stalls, shops, and markets where baladi goods are sold.
Spicy Kara (Bottle Squash) & Tomato Shakshuka
The following recipe is simple, quick and suitable for the summer, when kara and zucchini are in season.
Dried Fig and Nut Snack From Jish (Ma’akud)
Ma’akud is a general term for preserving fruit by cooking it with sugar into a jam enriched with spices, nuts, and seeds.
Charred Tomatoes Over Rice
Michal favors field tomatoes for this recipe, but any ripe tomato will do. And if you don’t have access to a grill, the tomatoes can be charred over a gas flame.
Eggplant and Sumac Fatteh
This following recipe comes from Suzanne Matar, a talented chef from I’billin, who makes her version of fatteh using Baladi eggplants.
Smoked Dates Roll
In this riff on the classic date roulade from Asif’s culinary director Chef Ayelet Latovitch, Barhi dates are smoked with herbs.
Almond Zhug
The following recipe calls for ‘Umm al Fahm’ or ‘Hassan’ almonds, a delicious, large local variety that is high in fat, but you can also use green almonds.
Ancient World Wine, New Wine Culture
The local wine world has embarked on a journey to retrace its roots, and the research is already bearing fruit.