The Culinary Journey of Schnitzel Across Cultures

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Learning about new cultures is fascinating. When I’m curious about a new culture, nation, or country, my journey often begins with exploring its music and food traditions. I’m eager to hear the stories passed through generations and understand people's lives through their food traditions. Food reflects a nation's culture, revealing its history, values, and aspirations. It conveys a culture's unique identity and shares the nutritional secrets that helped its people survive.

When people ask me about Israel and what it's like, talking about our food would probably be one of the two topics I would talk about. If you follow my stories closely, you should know what the second topic is. Israel is a melting pot of Jewish communities from around the world, and this diversity is reflected in our vibrant food culture. From signature street foods to fine dining dishes, every meal tells a story of tradition, innovation, and community that traveled the world for centuries before reaching the land of Israel.

Are you curious to know what the most Israeli food is? Well, it's not hummus, falafel, or Bourekas. In my opinion, the star of Israeli cuisine is schnitzel. Schnitzel has earned a respected place in the Israeli kitchen and has become a consensus favorite. Based on my Instagram feed, which might be subjective, schnitzel is the most popular dish that Israelis eat. Furthermore, schnitzels on Fridays have become a tradition many families have adopted.

What is Schnitzel?

In its most popular version today, schnitzel is a flattened chicken breast covered with bread crumbs and fried in deep oil. The original description of schnitzel, as described in sources like Wikipedia, is a thin, breaded, and fried cutlet of meat with a surprisingly complex history that transcends national borders. Schnitzel can be made of various types of meat, but in its origin, it is made of veal; it can also be made from pork, chicken, mutton, beef, or turkey, and it even has vegetarian and vegan options.

The word "schnitzel" comes from the German verb "schnitzen," meaning "to cut," referencing the preparation of the meat. Although the root of the word schnitzel is German, this dish gained popularity in Vienna, and its origins can be traced back to Austria in the late Middle Ages. The meat used to make schnitzel is usually thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer. It is then dipped in eggs and covered with bread crumbs before being fried in deep oil.

The traditional Wiener schnitzel is made from veal and was traditionally served in Austria covered in a mushroom or mustard-based sauce, with butterhead lettuce tossed with a sweetened vinaigrette dressing, and optionally with chopped chives or onions, potato salad, cucumber salad, or parsley potatoes. However, in recent times, baked potatoes, French fries, and rice have become more common side dishes to serve along with schnitzel.

Schnitzel is one of the best-known specialties of Viennese cuisine and one of the national dishes of Austria. It has also become a national dish in Israel. The popularity of schnitzel has skyrocketed among various Jewish ethnic groups. Israeli food culture has adopted schnitzel in many forms and sizes, with innovative additions to bread crumbs like Bissly or Cornflakes crumbs, various seasonings, and sesame seeds.

The typical American might think that any version of fried chicken breast is schnitzel, but it's not. To clarify, chicken parmesan without cheese and tomato sauce is not schnitzel, no matter how you try to make it work. Schnitzel is schnitzel. Period.

Due to kosher dietary laws, the Israeli version of schnitzel is made with chicken. However, Israelis haven't forgotten our vegetarian and vegan communities and have created various alternatives to the traditional chicken breast, offering special versions of schnitzel. Corn, broccoli, and tofu schnitzel have become the most popular non-meat options.

Today, schnitzels can also be made in the oven or air fryer for those who want to eat healthily and reduce oil consumption. But no healthy choice can replace the taste of a fried schnitzel that just came out of the hot oil, fresh and crispy. Freshly fried schnitzel tastes like heaven.

In Israel, schnitzel was first introduced by European Jews who immigrated to Israel during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Due to food shortages at that time, the high cost of meat, and kosher laws forbidding pork, the local version was made of chicken breast, which was less expensive. To this day, Israeli schnitzel is made of chicken. Kosher laws also forbid using milk, butter, or similar dairy products with meat, so kosher schnitzel is prepared with cooking oil and not with butter or lard.

Israelis love schnitzel, and the most popular way to eat it is in a sandwich. Whether it’s pita bread or a baguette, we eat it alongside hummus, French fries, and Israeli vegetable salad. However, when we don’t eat it in a sandwich, we eat it alongside rice, mashed potatoes, French fries, pasta with tomato sauce, or Israeli salad. However, the most surprising traditions are the rituals some Jewish ethnicities have developed around the schnitzel. Curious about them? Stay tuned for the next episode, in which we discover more secrets about the schnitzel tradition in Israel.

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With all my love and gratitude,

Liat

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Liat