Arabs Make the Best Hummus
Nahariya, Israel and the Palestinian Territories

We took a brief trip to the city of Kafr Yasif this afternoon—a northern city a few miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea.

Kafr Yasif is one of the few Arab towns in the Galilee that has been in complete Arab ownership without confiscation of land by Israel. Christians make-up the majority of the population at 57%, while Muslims constitute 40%, and the remaining inhabitants are Druze.

It would seem that the vast majority of excellent hummus restaurants in Israel are owned or operated by Arabs, and the Israelis that I've discussed the subject with are quick to confirm that the best hummus comes from Muslims.

It was for this reason, that our CouchSurfing host decided to take us to his favorite hummus haunt in the chiefly Arab city, as well as to a bakery that produced some delectable Arab sweets.

For my host and his girlfriend, this was pretty much as close to authentic Arab foodstuffs as they're going to get, and I think they were a bit disappointed that I'd already indulged in all these yummy treats in places like Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. This was generally Tatiana's first time eating many of these sweets though (which pleased everyone), and I could certainly confirm that they tasted just like the good stuff found on the other side of the troubled borders.

Dina, our host's girlfriend, had created these baked goodies before we arrived (filled with a core of Turkish delight—super yum!):

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