Abbie Rosner – Galilee Cuisine
Here in the Galilee in Northern Israel, throughout thousands of years of history, the changing seasons have dictated what people eat. Much can be learned about the ancient foodways from historians and biblical scholars. But if you look past the distractions of supermarket bounty and global cuisine, many of these age-old culinary traditions are still being practiced today. My passion it to search out those people who are intimately connected to the fruits of this land, to learn from them, and document their work.
I write about the Galilee’s multicultural culinary scene, and my articles have appeared in Gastronomica, Wine Spectator, and other publications. I am a dedicated forager, and committed to engaging in conversations over foodways as a means to overcome the Jewish-Arab divide.
Galilee Seasonality 
Lisa and Alice
February 28, 2009
Hi Abbie –
Alice and I are here in N. VA and dreaming of fresh olive oil and asparagus.
The website is beautiful – wishing we could be immediately transported your way.
Lisa and Alice
yigal laviv
October 24, 2009
any posibility to include in your mailing-list for new posta?
abbieros
November 9, 2009
Sure – let me know your email and I’ll add you to my mailing list.
Eric Hanson
February 27, 2010
Nice to see your blog. My wife and I just had a druze lunch with Jajill ee nahal, (sp??) they cut this green out back of their set up near the clyclomen forest near galead. We are volunteers at the Baha’i World Centre for another year and have enjoyed exploring northern Israel -definitely hunting out unique food.
abbieros
February 28, 2010
Sounds great – since you are interested, I will let you know about culinary activities I organize, including one coming up a week from today – this time a meal with Bedouin hosts, also highlighting edible wild plants of the season.
Ron
March 10, 2010
Hello,
I am doing a study of the life and ministry of Jesus and thought you may be able to help. Matthew 12:1 says that Jesus and his disciples went through some grainfields and his disciples plucked some heads of grain. From my studies, these grainfields may have been in the Galilee region. I am trying to get a better perspective as to what time of year this may have occured and I thought your expertise of the Galileen seasons may be able to help me. When the passage talks about “heads of grain”, what kind of grain could it be referring to and what month(s) of the year could “grain heads” be ready for plucking? Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide. God Bless.
abbieros
March 10, 2010
Ron,
I’m so pleased to get your question, particularly because of how timely it is. Ever since the beginning of agriculture (and before that, in wild form), wheat has been grown in the Galilee. Other grains like barley and oats were also common, but from the passage you mention, wheat definitely seems to be the grain referred to. During its growing cycle, there is a very short period when the kernels inside the spikelets are full and green, before they fully ripen and become dry. Only during this short time – a few weeks at most – can the kernels be eaten as is, plucked from the ear (head) – without cooking or grinding them. In fact, green wheat was considered a wonderful snack – and still is among the local Galilee Arabs, who pick the green wheat and roast it to produce a grain dish called “farike”. The time for green wheat is around the beginning of April, and I am waiting patiently… By the way, if you see references to “parched corn”, that is actually the roasted grain I explained about (there was no corn here during Biblical times – corn is a mis-translation…)
Ron
March 11, 2010
Thank you so much for responding. I wasn’t sure if I would get a response or not. Your response is very insightful and really helps expand my understanding to the events in the passage. What a blessing it must be to live in the region where Jesus spent so much of his time. You are a blessing Abbie. Thank You.
localbelle
October 10, 2012
Hi Abbie,
I write about local and organic foods on my blog and would love to come and visit you and learn more about the local food in the galilee. I recently moved to Israel (Jerusalem) and I am reaching out to local food bloggers to do a series of informational interviews – very informal and fun 🙂 If youre interested let me know the best way to be in touch.
Thanks!
Belle
debbie lampert
October 17, 2013
I would like to promote your book on our website http://www.eLuna.com.
Please contact me.
Margie Gibson
September 23, 2014
Abbie, I read your book a year or so ago, thanks to your Mom and Sandy. I loved it! And now I came across your post on carob syrup thanks to Nikki Rose from Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries. Could you add me to you mailing list, particularly for your blog posts?
Abbie Rosner
September 24, 2014
Thanks Margie – what a small world! I am in the midst of doing an overhaul of my web presence, and plan to move my blog to a new site in the coming months. At that point I will try and figure out how to get you on the mailing list. Thanks again for your interest and support!
Jess Baum
October 25, 2014
Hi Abbie,
I am currently in Rosh Pinna and have just started reading your book. (Richard Woolf, a local tour guide whom we are staying with gave it to me.) It is wonderful, beautifully-written, and the message of reconciliation through food really speaks to me.
I’d love to meet you! Are you around, do you take tours?
I am from the UK but traveling with my children. I write a blog about living and cooking with my mother-in-law but also am writing about traveling with a young family. You might be interested http://www.themotherinlawskitchen.com
If you are about and fancy meeting up for a coffee please do email me.
Best wishes,
Jess Baum
Abbie Rosner
October 25, 2014
Thanks so much for your mail. I’m not doing tours but I would be very happy to meet you. Why don’t you give me a call and we can arrange a time – 052-372-8452.
Sarah Newman
November 6, 2014
Hi Abbie, I’ve been following your blog for awhile and love it (and I have your book!). I wanted to let you know that I added it to the resources section of my year-long Torah/food blog experience that I launched at Rosh Hashana. neeshnoosh.wordpress.com thank you!
Abbie Rosner
November 9, 2014
Thanks Sarah for your interest in my blog and other writing, and you have a lovely blog yourself! I hope that you have made the transition to my new site – same as before, but with .com at the end…