Bordering Lebanon in the north, Egypt in the south and Syria and Jordan to the West, Israel has a surprisingly diverse and rich food tradition which has been shaped by Jewish refugees arriving from all over the world.
Our hosts Angela May and Bobby Chinn explore the rich culture of cuisine and discovers that there's more to Israel and Palestine than Falafel.
Journeying from the ancient city of Jaffa on the Mediterranean coast, Angela discovers how Israeli food is influenced by the Jews from the Diaspora, immigrants coming from Germany, Poland, Russia and its surrounding countries, and Jews from Spain and the Middle East which have all combined to create the rich texture of what is Israeli cuisine today.
Angela also travels to Jerusalem and in the Jewish quarter, she learns how to make the most famous Jewish dish in the world, the Jewish Penicillin: Chicken Soup.
Travelling northwards along the Mediterranean coast to Acco, Angela learns to cook the traditional Sephardic dish of Moroccan Fish with top chef Uri Buri.
Back in Jerusalem Angela visits the old Mehane Yehuda Market and meets a Yemenite Jew who creates tasty juices from local produce to provide natural cures, all before venturing to the Judean Hills to visit the world's only strictly kosher chef school to learn how to cook Stuffed Eggplants, a traditional dish eaten on the Festival of Succot, harvest festival.
Meanwhile, in the occupied territories of the West Bank, Bobby Chinn discovers a thriving Palestinian food tradition despite many years of strife. Bobby visits the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and Jerusalem and takes day trips to the West Bank date farms and olive groves.
