Shawarma or Falafel?

Shawarma or Falafel?

After our extremely hot tour of Beth Shean, and a rather long, windy drive through the desert, (slow down Benni!) we were grateful to stop for food in an air conditioned restaurant near the Qumran Caves.  This particular stop also was a gift shop which features Ahava Skin Care products made out of salts from the Dead Sea.  After a brief jaunt through aisles of lotions, soaps, scrubs, and facials, we wove our way to the back of the gift shop to the restaurant where we chose:  Shawarma or Falafels?  This has been our daily choice for lunch each day in Jordan and in Israel.  This was not our first shawarma, nor our last - but we will never forget these Arab fast food specialties.

Shawarma

Shawarma in Israel is made from chicken that has been marinated and cooked on a rotisserie for a long time at a low temperature.  The meat is then shaved/cut from the bone and stuffed into pita bread along with french fries, a dressing, and a salad consisting of cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce, eggplant, parsley, pickled turnips, pickled gherkins, or cabbage.  It is basically a whole meal stuffed into a pita pocket!  Accompanied by a drink, the shawarma was about $8.00.  Ridiculously expensive, I think!

Falafel

Falafel is the vegetarian alternative sandwich and consists mostly of ground chick peas formed into round balls and deep fried.  The chick peas are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with baking soda, then ground together with various ingredients including onion, parsley, sesame seeds, and spices such as cumin and coriander. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties and then deep fried.  Though falafel is served throughout the middle east, the custom of eating falafel in a pita stuffed with salads began in Israel.  Our falafels often contained french fries. You were given a choice of salad fixings, often served from a salad bar, from which you add your favorite vegetables to your pita stuffed with falafel and fried potatoes. Tahini thinned with lemon juice is the common dressing served with the falafel.  Again, at about $7.50 a sandwich, it is the least pricey choice; but not at all a deal when feeding a family of 8.  

Grapefruit Drink

Since I have allergies that prevented me from partaking of both the falafel and the shawarma, I had to find a creative alternative to give me energy for long days hiking in the hot desert sun.  Our guide introduced me to these delightful grapefruit drinks. Although they contain mostly natural fruit juice, they unfortunately also contain a bit of sugar.  I found them tasty and refreshing - especially after having drunk lukewarm water all day.   Speaking of Luke...warm...

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