Small plates built on vegetables, tahini, and herbs

Israeli meals often begin (or never stop) with mezze: a table of bright salads, pickles, and dips designed for sharing. Think chopped Israeli salad, hummus, tahini, labneh, and a rotation of cooked vegetable salads—eggplant, carrots, beets—plus pickled cucumbers and spicy condiments. This “salad-first” tradition is both everyday and festive, reflecting the region’s produce-forward, Mediterranean rhythm.