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Israeli street food – the magnificent and humble boureka

The square shape of the bourekas tells us that they are filled with a potato filling One does not have to spend a long time in Israel to get your first introduction to a boureka. These savory stuffed pastries are everywhere You'll find them for breakfast in hotel dining halls, in countless bakeries and coffee shops, on picnics and even at restaurants that only serve bourekas. They are often eaten in Israeli homes as part of a 'light' or diary meal in the evenings. (Most households in Israel usually serve the large cooked meal at lunchtime.) More often than not, bourekas are also an integral part of the wonderful Friday or Shabbat brunch table. To be really honest however, you basically eat a boureka whenever you encounter one. They are that irresistible. If you stop to grab a quick coffee at a coffee shop, the comforting smell of the bourekas will convince you to upgrade to a 'café ve'ma afe' (coffee + pastry). Wandering through street markets, the sight of fres
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The Soreq cave near Beit Shemesh, Israel


An Unexpected Surprise near Beit Shemesh by Marina Shemesh

I have been living for more than ten years in Israel and thought that I know this little country pretty much inside out. A recent trip to the southern part of the country showed me however that there are quite a few places still left to explore. I shall write about my experiences in the south in some coming blog posts but today I want to tell you about a place I never knew even existed - the Soreq stalactite cave just outside Beit Shemesh in the Judean hills.



Stalactites and Stalagmites in the Soreq cave 



The Stalactite cave of Beit Shemesh
The sealed cave was found in 1968 when quarry workers dynamited a mountain. They discovered some pretty amazing stalactites and stalagmites and called in the nature people. After a few years (more like 10 years) of figuring out what to do, the cave was finally opened to the public.

The Soreq cave is a bit on  the small side if you compare it to other similar caves in the world. It is however quite special in its own way because it contains 1. an amazingly large variety of stalactites and stalagmites and 2. they are REALLY old.

These two are known as "Unrequited Love" because they have stopped growing and  will never meet.  In the background you can see stalactites that are called spaghetti stalactites because they are hollow inside.
Some of the older stalactites and stalagmites in the Soreq cave.

Apparently quite a bunch of geologists managed to publish not too few scientific papers about the various rock formations found in the cave. Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it? A small place, with lots of things going on and many people writing/talking about it. Doesn't this description also fits the country, Israel itself? :)

I kind of like the metaphor - in Israel, even the caves provide writing material!














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