Gazoz

September 2, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, Business, Food, General, History and Culture, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Pop Culture 

The drink and the album

Following a summer partially spent in the States, including a month-long stint in Georgia, the land of free drink refills — we’re talking iced tea, lemonade, soda, and not just the endless cup of coffee — imagine my surprise to see on a local Jerusalem menu the word “refills” next to a very specific

The beverage in question was “gazoz”, which is really a retro drink these days, made of seltzer and various flavored syrups. It was gone for many years from the Israeli kitchen and restaurant menu, although home carbonation systems — and then just store-bought bottles of seltzer/soda water — carried on the tradition. But the last few years have brought gazoz back to the beverage list, and it’s a happy thing. Sure, you can have your limonana and iced coffees on a hot day, but the simplicity of soda water with a spritz of lemon, peach, pineapple, passionfruit, etc. syrup is easily refreshing too. And, clearly, quite cheap if a local restaurant is willing to offer free refills.

Interestingly, I always thought that the word gazoz was based on one of the European languages for gas, or carbonation. But a little Googling brought me to this Forward article, whose author found that the Turkish “Gazöz” means fizzy lemonade. “The Turks must have borrowed this word, along with the soft drink it designated, from the Italians — and since Palestine was under Turkish control until 1917, it is highly likely that Turkish rather than Italian was the immediate source of Hebrew gazoz. French, it almost certainly wasn’t.”

And like many popular Israeli terms, the word gazoz was popular for a while, so much so that a classic Israeli rock band borrowed the term; Gazoz was only around from 1978-1979 and released just two albums, including the now classic: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9pfc7.”

Tags: , , , ,

Eilat – not just a third-rate Las Vegas

September 1, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Environment, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, Travel 

Eilat – can there be anyplace more kitschy? A little tacky Las Vegas sans the gambling right within our friendly country confines.

But after spending a couple end of summer 100 degree days there, for maybe the 10th time, I can loudly proclaim that Eilat is a whole lot more than one gaudy hotel after another, a boardwalk that rivals any US beach front for mass culture tackiness, and a huge neon advertisement for conspicuous consumption.

Eilat is simply one of the nicest spots in Israel. The Undersea Observatory is a world-class delight, the Coral Beach one of the most magnetic, alluring sites in the country, the Dolphin Beach is incredible, the Bird Observatory is an international attraction for fans of the two-winged creatures, and the list goes on and on.

You don’t need to wallow in decadence in Eilat – you can use it as a jumping off point for some of the most amazing natural wonders Israel – or any country – has to offer. So next time you guffaw at someone for saying they’re headed to Eilat, just remember the blue water, the tropical fish of every color, and the tranquility of sitting and staring out on to a smooth-as-glass Red Sea.

Tags: , , , ,

Buffalo Birthdays

September 1, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Food, Life 

Buffalo Steak House

Buffalo Steak House is the kind of restaurant you go to for a special occasion or when relatives have flown into town (and are treating). With a menu almost entirely given over, as its name implies, to various cuts of beef (with the occasional chicken dish thrown in for those trying to keep their red meat intake down), it was the perfect place to celebrate the Blum family’s collective birthdays.

This is birthday season around our house – Amir and Jody in August, Merav and me in September. With Buffalo’s prices ($20-$30 a plate), we opted to pool our gastronomic resources.

For at least one of our family members, it was also the first time eating steak. Nearly 17-year-old Merav only jumped out of a prolonged vegetarian lifestyle a year ago. Twelve-year-old Aviv had some steak background, but not a lot – it was not that far in the past that he didn’t get more adventurous than chicken stars and burgers.

On the advice of our English-speaking waiter (who immediately pegged us as non-native born – do we look that American still after 16 years in the country?), the relative newbies went for the Entrecote. Amir – whose steak experience is more extensive – chose a very rare filet. I broke the steak chain and ordered three spicy and entirely delicious sausages cooked in a batter of beer, honey and mustard with fried onions on top.

Jody – who’s on a diet that eschews meat in the evening – ordered a salad, which was quite good in a non-carnivorous way.

The sweet potato chips with a mustard dipping sauce made for an excellent appetizer.

I can in good conscious recommend Buffalo; it’s certainly as tasty as the Meat and Wine Company in Herzeliya – and a lot closer for Jerusalemites like us. The bill for the five of us topped $150 with tip. For a once a year shared celebration, we can eat that.

Tags:

Page 9 of 9« First...56789

 

© 2012 ISRAELITY | Sitemap