I have grown up with Israeli food in my family, so eating traditional dishes here feels like home. The flavors are warm and inviting and seem reminiscient of homecooking to me. I like that Israeli food is not that fussy. It is often served casually, but it is no less delicious for how humbly it is sometimes presented.
Food here is prepared with lots of olive oil. Olives are a huge agricultural industry here in Israel, and so olive oil shows up everywhere in the preparation of food. It's used as a marinade, a salad dressing, a base for dips and sauces, the base for sauteed vegetables and meats and other creative uses, too.
Lots of things are prepared on grills over open flames— meats, vegetables and there is even a cheese called halloumi that can be brushed with olive oil and grilled. It doesn't melt, but it gets nice char lines like you're used to seeing on steaks.
Israeli food is definitely connected to the environment— it is the result of a mixing pot of cultures and cuisine that has been preserved for many generations. It uses lots of fresh produce and typically only what is in season, which relates directly to the environment. Food here is also a huge matter of culture. Families gather around meals for almost any occasion, so people are very attached to their favorite recipes.
