This post is about our visit to the Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, one of the most famous food markets in Israel and a must-visit destination for foodies.
One of the two main alleys of the Machane Yehuda
The Machane Yehuda is one of Jerusalem’s most authentic markets. It’s the best place to literally get a taste of Middle Eastern flavors and Middle Eastern life. It’s a very local market full of color, life, sounds, and, of course, tastes.
This spice shop has a sign that says it was established in 1906.
Many of the shops have been around for at least a hundred years, if not more. This is Jerusalem, after all, one of the oldest cities in the world.
An Orthodox Jew possibly buying that night’s meal…
I visited late in the afternoon, but the market was still alive with shopkeepers trying to sell off as much of their fresh foods as possible, and with locals buying ingredients for dinner — plus tourists like me snapping away at all the exotic and interesting foods on offer.
Here’s the store where Orthodox Jews get their clothing…
This market is literally eye candy for the adventurous foodie. And for Orthodox Jews, it’s seventh heaven as everything sold here is kosher. I even found some stalls selling the clothing worn by Orthodox Jews — including the white inner vests and the black caps.
This old man offered me some pistachio nuts out of the blue…
Most people were very friendly, and I kept getting offered all kinds of food including nuts and fruits, and even cooked meals like little plates of rice topped with nuts and raisings.
“HAVE SOME…”
I got offered some local delicacies made out of cheese…
This was the man selling nuts and all kinds of mixed rice dishes…
I was quite full from lunch and determined to keep to some kind of diet during my trip. But I couldn’t very well refuse all these offers coming at me as I walked through the market’s “street.”
Israel had the best watermelons I’ve ever tasted…
This was always my favorite vendor everywhere in Jerusalem: the pomegranate juice vendor. Pomegranates are fabulously pricey all over the world, but they’re plentiful enough in the Middle East, and full of antioxidants. A glass of pomegranate juice costs about 10 shekels.
A shop selling all kinds of herbal teas for health and wellness…
Israelis bake fantastic bread…
And what Middle Eastern market would be complete without the store selling water pipes?
Or the store selling all kinds of olives?
Or the store selling all kinds of dried fruits and nuts?
This man’s store sign said he had the best falafel in Jerusalem. However I saw a couple of places with signs like this, so I decided not to buy any.
