Fish in Jerusalem

Appears in

Published 2012

About

Jerusalem is not a city of fish. Situated on the verge of the Judean desert, and with no substantial water source nearby, fish dishes were never a culinary focal point. As a kid, Sami can only remember one fish shop in the whole of the old city; as opposed to dozens of butchers.

Still, 20th-century immigration and technology brought fish onto the tables of many Jerusalemites, particularly Jewish immigrants who brought with them old traditions and cooking methods. In Machne Yehuda market and in some supermarkets, fish tanks, full of live carp, were a highlight. The person in charge would lift one out with a small net, hit it on the head, clean it and wrap it in newspaper. For a city child, it was a mesmerizing experience, as close as one gets to an African safari.

Part of

Fish