Druze Village

We went on an expedition to Daliat-el-Carmel, a very old Druze village about 20 minutes south of Haifa. The Druze are a non-Muslim Arabic community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. They practice a secretive monotheistic religion with no sacred rituals or special holy days (although Friday is their Sabbath). They are also known for their handicrafts, especially weaving and embroidery, glassware, and baskets.

The main street of Daliat-el-Carmel is like one giant shuk. Shops, stalls, restaurants and cafes line the street, and shoppers are everywhere. The shopkeepers are very polite and welcoming (for the most part), and the stores offer everything from beautiful handmade Druze goods to clothing to Judaica to children's toys. I have never seen so many hamsas for sale in my life, not even in Jerusalem. We were very successful in our gift shopping.

To regain our strength, we went for lunch at Abu Ramzi, a lovely Druze restaurant. As soon as we sat down, we were served olives and pickled vegetables (see Noah's blog about food), as well as Druze pita. This is a large, thin bread, almost like an oversized crepe. The dough is tossed in the air like a pizza and then cooked very quickly on what looks like an upside-down wok. It is served very hot and is delicious.

We also ate fuul: broad, dark beans cooked in lemon and olive oil and served with tehina; roasted eggplant, cut like potato chips and cooked with lemon and garlic; and the Druze version of shakshuka, a popular Israeli dish made of eggs, tomatoes, peppers and onions, served in a sizzling skillet like fajitas. Everything was wonderful.

For more information about the Druze, read this interesting article.