tel aviv highlight: Shuk HaCarmel

if you’ve been to tel aviv you’ve probably been to Shuk HaCarmel, the outdoor market filled with vibrant foods, jewelry stands, and trinkets. this shuk was about a 35 minute walk from my apartment and i spent my day off there the other week. it’s safe to say i’ll definitely be going back soon… i loved every single second of it!!!

where do i begin?! there’s so much to explore here. there are so many stands like the one pictured above filled with fresh + local fruits. i can’t rave enough about the oranges here… the juice is one of my favorite things to get at local cafes. the pomegranates were so beautiful at this stand too, i had to snap a pic. it’s so amazing that locals that live nearby can get most of their groceries here for such a cheap price but great quality.

one of my favorite things about the shuk is the aroma. there are so many different stands selling completely different products, but passing by the exotic, pure spices is always so cool to me. the different colors, flavors, and textures of all the spices are beautiful and beyond fresh. my favorite are the deep red spices towards the back which i think are different types of paprika.

in all seriousness, this falafel was life changing. this was easily the best food i’ve had during my trip so far but it could also be the best thing i’ve eaten….ever. fluffy pita, freshly fried bright green falafel, hummus, tahini, tomatoes, israeli pickles, eggplant, and lemon sauce. i’m drooling just writing about it. this was exactly the kind of food i wanted to experience at the shuk: extremely authentic at a hole in the wall stand. it completely surpassed all of my expectations.

i’m trying not to be basic on this trip so that i can experience the most but i obviously had to stop at the candy stand. this stand is pure happiness. they have most of the prime candies here & i had to get the peach rings in honor of my sister (sammi if you’re reading this i miss you!) it was so much fun. the last stop on our journey through the market and we ended on a pretty sweet note :)

i really recommend spending some time at this shuk if you’re in tel aviv. it’s a big part of israeli culture and it sort of feels like an eclectic, chaotic, fun oasis. i’m so excited to revisit the famous shuk in jerusalem, the machane yehuda shuk, this friday and see what goodies i find there. i’ll be back to update soon :)

yalla ♥️,

sydney