If any group of people have raised stand-up dining to an art form it is the Israelis. It is not so much that people are in too much of a rush to sit down as that it is that wherever one wanders, a feast of Middle-Eastern treats are being hawked from street-side stands, moveable carts and eateries so simple that fancy is something left entirely to the imagination. The two most popular foods for stand-up dining are felafel and shawarma. Felafel, deep-fried balls of chickpeas and seasonings, may be of dubious nutritional value but when well made they are delicious and fun to eat. Shawarma, which is made from small, thin pieces of lamb (not all that different than Turkish donner-kebab) , beef or turkey meat that are built up on a skewer in cylindrical form to a height of about two feet (50 centimeters) and then cooked on vertically rotating grills, is no less a pleasure.

The felafel or shawarma are then placed in a pita bread (nearly everythng considered edible in Israel eventually makes its way into a pita) and seasoned with tchina, humous, a variety of salads and seasonings. One of the "tricks" to master is managing to put as much as is possible into the pita and then to avoid having the contents of your sandwich drip on your clothing. This sounds easy enough until one realizes that the number of condiments available includes such diverse treats as sauerkraut, red cabbage, marinated sweet and hot peppers, an assortment of olives, pickles made out of cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and carrots and at least five different preparations of eggplant. Some purists will put only tchina and one salad on their felafel or shawarma. Others have mastered the feat of loading their sandwiches with ten or more different salads. Some even ask for chips (French fried potatoes) be piled on top of their sandwiches.

Even though fine samples of both of these treats can be found in almost every neighborhood, some of the very best felafel and shawarma in the country can be found in and around the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv's Betsalel market and in the Yemeni Quarter (which adjoins the Carmel market) of Tel Aviv. Especially good felafel is also available along Derech Ha'atzma'ut and Rehov Herzl in Haifa and near the Central Bus Stations of Beersheva, Tiberias and Acre.

Felafel and shawarma are only the beginning of the story. Boiled, seasoned chick peas, hot grilled corn, and a variety of Middle-Eastern breads are also available at street-side stands. Some say the best of these treats are to be found in Jaffa but all agree that the offerings in Nazareth, Jerusalem and Beersheva are not far behind. Abulafia, a well loved bakery in Jaffa, for example, makes 25 different kinds of bread, 11 kinds of rolls, many of which are destined to be consumed either standing at the counter or while strolling. Be sure to try your pita bread sprinkled over with olive oil and za'atar - the Biblical hyssop - which is an exquisite herb.

A bit higher up on the fast-food ladder are shipudim - skewers of meat that have been cooked over small charcoal braziers. It surprises very few to find bits of beef, chicken, turkey and lamb meat and liver on skewers, but it astonishes many when they learn that only in Israel do we also grill goose liver - the famous foie gras and then sell it at remarkably reasonable prices. Most of the places that serve such snacks are so simple that they have tables but rarely tablecloths. Knives and forks are always available at such places, but there is a good chance that the waiter will have to be reminded to bring them to the table. None of these factors should be taken as drawbacks, for these meat-laden skewers are culinary delights that would be the envy of many fine European and American chefs. The very best place in the country to seek out these delights is in the area known as the HaTikva Quarter of Tel Aviv. On Rehov Etsel alone there are at least twenty such places, any one of which serves marvelous foods. Personally, I always seek out the simplest of these places because the food there is invariably best and the prices lowest.

Because Israel is a Mediterranean nation, fish has also become an integral part of informal dining. In addition to fine and sophisticated fish and seafood restaurants, many eateries in the port area of Jaffa, as well as in Caesaria, Atlit and Akko (Acre) specialize in what might be thought of as "just plain fish". Fried or grilled and garnished with lemon halves, there may be no better way to enjoy the sea. Despite the simplicity of such places, however, fish are not inexpensive. They are, however, well worth the investment.

© Daniel Rogov