coffee culture

It should be expected that I would soon write about one of my favorite things...coffee!!! Coffee is universal. No matter where on the globe you go, you will be able to have a cup of it. Let me tell you something about the coffee in Israel. They have different kinds of coffees that they use. For coffee at home, they tend to go with instant coffee. They don't really do the drip/filter thing that we do here in America. When ordering coffee out it is common to get a latte/cappuccino or to have Turkish coffee. Iced coffee is also popular, but it is more of a frozen drink which is very very sweet. Small bakeries scatter the streets with their delicious deserts sitting in front, beckoning to all passer-by's. Because of this, Israel is a place where one needs a lot of will-power to walk down a street.
They use a lot of breads and chocolates, but pastries soaked in honey are also popular. While in Jerusalem's Old City, we had to stop for a "power-up" and tried some baklava and these other little deserts that I don't know the name for. Basically, they are little balls of dough, about the size of grapes, fried and soaked in honey. Ronen's family that was with us said that those reminded them of when they were children, because that is the kind of deserts that mothers and grandmothers made for them in Romania. It is interesting to compare that to the deserts that I think of as my "comfort food" such as gingerbread men and chocolate chip cookies.
Anyway, while in a new place, I must try as many new things as I can. Paired with a dark, sludge-like cup of Turkish coffee...what a treat it was.