Until about five years ago, Israeli street food supply was limited, in the last year we have witnessed the emergence and development of street food.
Here to stay. Street food
Photography:
Liron Coral
It is doubtful that, as long as one article, one can tell widely enough about all the changes and changes that have taken place in Israeli street food in the last decade, a three-part documentary, however, would be appropriate.
Until about five years ago, the supply of Israeli street food was limited, and it was not necessarily written in the negative sense of the word. There are plenty of Shawarma, Falafel or Sabih stalls, pizzas and hummus across the country, with everyone's common denominator meeting the main needs of the Israeli diner: time, price and taste, in this order.
In every country we come to, it will be very easy to recognize that the local food culture has evolved from the street. This has happened in Italy, Germany and other countries with a distinct culinary tradition. In Israel, whose culinary tradition is actually a mix of cuisines from around the world, there is no one traditional dish. There are loads of pizzas but also quite a few hummus and skewers, which is before we even got to Asian food.
The meteoric rise of the less standard street stalls, which reached more or less the middle of the decade, did not hurt the status of the "old" street stalls, on the contrary, it attracted more people to the field and caused it to develop and attract more populations. This situation, with lots of sub-culinary scenes evolving at the same time, has caused the trend to grow faster compared to other countries. The big turning point came when many, bolder food stalls, French fries, ramen, specialty sandwiches and even Venezuelan street food opened.
Another factor that has led to this situation is a slight decline in restaurant cucumbers. A combination of some decline or exhaustion on the part of customers and financial difficulty in surviving on the part of chefs and owners. Often, the Israeli customer feels patronized by the restaurants, both in terms of price and attitude, so street food has become a great solution.
These booths, which could certainly be called "the new generation of street food," became a hit among Israeli diners, while there was a sharp rise in the popularity of Israeli markets that have been rebranded thanks to renovations, culinary tours and image change.
The Israeli customer and Israeli chef realized, more or less together, that the concept of street food can be taken, upgraded to higher and better tastes, and still left popular and accessible in terms of prices. Despite chefs like Chaim Cohen (Philadelphia) who were ahead of him, the current trend father is a second deer, who could be said to have reinvented the concept of chefs with the buffet, which succeeds in Israel and around the world, despite its relatively high prices. The chefs watched two successful and saw that well, and came out with their own street food versions, more or less successful. Guy was playing with the "Nonuno," Rushfeld with Captain Curry closed, and that's just on the forefront.
These booths, which could certainly be called "the new generation of street food", became a hit among the Israeli diners, with a marked increase in the popularity of Israeli markets, which have been rebranded thanks to renovations, culinary tours and image change. The Israeli customer and Israeli chefs have realized that the concept of street food can be taken, upgraded to higher and better tastes, and still left popular and accessible in terms of prices.
Follow the buzz
Another factor that cannot be ignored in the past decade is Instagram, which has significantly contributed to the rapid formation of culinary trends, whether through network leaders or through places that choose it as the main marketing tool at the outset. Fast delivery services such as "Volt" and "Give Bite" also contribute to success. Although they bring the street food home, which is a blessing in itself, but in many cases they also recognize a diner a new place he did not know, and will probably come to himself.
Chef Guy Gamzo, chef of "Arya" restaurant, opened about a year ago "Nonuno", perhaps one of the most prominent and successful street food establishments in Israel, where specialty milk rolls with unusual additions are sold. "The street food scene began as food that was more targeted at low socioeconomic populations but slowly the middle class also realized that it was excellent food," says Gamzo. "Beyond that, more and more chefs have started opening places that offer street food and that has gained momentum. In addition, most young chefs who are at the beginning of their day do not have enough money and backs to open a large restaurant, so they open a small place that mainly offers street food."
"The milk rolls were one of many dishes I sold at the Lion and we suddenly became a crazy buzz around them," says Gamzu of his entry into the street food niche. "People came to the restaurant especially for them and I realized there was no choice. They needed to get their own home."
Was this step worthwhile?
"Today, after a year, it can be said that opening a place that only offers street food is indeed a lucrative step in relation to opening a restaurant. Nevertheless, such a place is also important to know to manage correctly because it is still a culinary business and this area is not easy."
To what extent did social networking proliferate in your decision to go for street food?
"Social networking certainly has a big impact today in terms of culinary and especially street food, but for me it's just a bonus, not something I've built up in advance."
In the current situation, street food can be defined as the most popular and even most sought after in Israel. At any given moment, a new trend emerges from which "imitators" emerge, creating new and even more unique trends. However, what is the state of the street food scene in Israel relative to the rest of the world?
"It depends very much on what countries are comparing, but you can say we are in a good place in the middle," Gamzo claims. "If we look at China, for example, we are definitely light years back. Yes, we see a rash of places offering street food, but we certainly have more room to grow and expand."
Arthur Kushner, who stands behind the intriguing burger stand of George de Beau, a burger-only pop-up booth that runs just a week and attracts meat lovers from around the country, explains whether the new booths are paying off on the economic level as well. "The start is always economic, but if the product is not good then the plus at the bank will be together with the buzz. If the product is good, a crowd of repeat customers and new customers will be created all the time and then of course it will pay off in the long run."
Where's street food?
It is difficult to predict at the moment, or at all, in light of developments in recent years, where the Israeli street food world will go in the next decade, but one thing is certain, it is not a trend that will disappear or is to be replaced in the coming years. "Street food has always existed and is here to stay and there is no reason for the area not to expand and continue to expand," Gamzo and Kushnir conclude.
