Weekend Traditions: Hummus and Jachnun

I love traditions! Most of my personal traditions come from holidays or religion, and have a lot to do with family… which makes it difficult for me since I’ve lived away from my family for more than 12 years now.

Of course, I still celebrate old traditions, but not having a family of my own (yet) leads to some lonely ones. Lately though, the weekends have led to the beginnings of new (and I might add yummy) traditions: Hummus and Jachnun. 

Every Friday afternoon we head down to Yafo for hummus at Roni Ful. The small, family-run restaurant is ALWAYS packed on Fridays, which tells you a lot right there. I am pretty predictable, ordering a half-hummus ful every time, because it never disappoints. The thing with hummus is… well you can get hummus anytime, anywhere in this country, but being a regular at your favorite hummus restaurant… there’s just something comfortable about it.

Saturdays are our Jachnun days. Dating a Yemeni guy and eating Jachnun go hand in hand, and despite the million calories which accompany each bite, I have grown to really like Jachnun. If you’ve never heard of it before, don’t feel bad… I hadn’t before I moved to Israel either.

Jachnun is a Yemenite pastry, served on Shabbat. It is made from dough, thinly rolled into a pastry. Soaked in butter or shortening, it is slowly cooked overnight to observe the laws of “no cooking” on Shabbat. We eat it with a hard-boiled egg, grated tomato sauce, and Skhug (a spicy, hot sauce). You can even buy frozen Jachnun at the grocery stores and unthaw it on Shabbat 😉

Moving to a new country can lead to many changes in lifestyles, but when new traditions are born, for me that’s when I know it has truly become a part of my life! I love my new weekend traditions, and I’m embracing what will come along in the future as well. 🙂