I’ve seen a lot of news coverage from Israel. Never seen a grocery store. I guess they have the typical giant sized Western type store? Or Not?
Is all the grocery store meat and dairy kosher? Can I buy pork sausage? How about tv dinners (microwave meal)? Would there be anything with pork? How about kosher rules? you can’t eat … with … Would that apply to tv dinners and even restaurant food choices?
Well, I found out their grocery store chain is Tiv Ta’am supermarkets.
looks like a typical Western store.
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/34592316.jpg
I always wanted to spend time in Israel. Rent a house and live there for a few months. Especially in areas with a lot of American immigrants. I’m not Jewish but that shouldn’t matter.
The grocery stores there are very similar to US stores. And yes, you can get pork.
One difference that really bugged me over there was that the cashiers do NOT, as a rule, bag your groceries for you.
sparky! what was it like living there? Did it feel pretty safe? I’m assuming many areas are quiet and much like the US. I’ve heard a lot of US citizens live there or even immigrated there.
Obviously there are dangerous areas best avoided. That’s true in any country.
I was there for 3 months and found it very safe and thoroughly enjoyed the people I met and worked with.
Take what you see on American news with a grain of salt.
So, it’s just like ALDI then.
I’m fine with that, and I do a far better job of bagging then they do.
It’s like this -
Most of the major supermarket chains are kosher. This make sense on a business level, as there are enough Israelis who keep kosher to one degree or another who prefer to shop at a store where they don’t have to check labels. The one major non-kosher chain, as mentioned above, is Tiv Ta’am, which opened in the 90’s to serve the massive wave of Russian immigration, and has become popular among Israelis in genetal. Besides pork, they also sell various imported delicacies that may not be non-kosher, but don’t find it worth their while to secure kosher certification. I keep kosher myself and I shop at one, mainly because it’s across the street from my house, and has imported American kettle-fried potato chips.
As for independent stores, it depends on the neighborhood and potential clientele. There are quite a few non-kosher places here in “blue state” Tel Aviv, but I’m guessing there are much fewer in “red state” Jerusalem. In general, though, Israelis just don’t eat as much pork. They might order bacon cheeseburgers at a restaurant, but they’ll rarely pack a ham sandwich for work. It’s just not part of our day-to-day diets.
Interesting. I wasn’t sure how many immigrants keep kosher. That would naturally impact what foods are sold. Its pointless for a store to carry food that is rarely purchased. Especially meats that have to be sold within a short time.
I definitely want to visit Israel someday. Maybe get some contact work as a computer analyst and stay for a few months.