From Cheap Protein to Luxury, Why Eggs and Shakshuka Are No Longer Affordable

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Have you heard about Foodie Disorder before?

For those reading my stories for the first time, please meet my Foodie Disorder. It is not a harmful disorder; on the contrary, it’s a beneficial and productive one.

Foodie Disorder is the irresistible drive to learn about food and experience it as more than just fuel for our bodies but as an art, a science, and a delicious journey. People with this condition cook, dine, and daydream about meals with passion and purpose. They explore ingredients and the history of the produce they eat.

This manifests as a curiosity to read about what I eat, where it grows, and its journey from the growers to my plate. I also have an irresistible need to cook, a love for eating out, an endless curiosity to explore new flavors from different cultures or cuisines, and an obsession with taking pictures of everything I eat and posting them on Instagram and Facebook stories. Yes, I document everything I eat daily.

In my journey to infinity, I explore the cultural signature dishes of various Jewish ethnicities, their history and memories, and how they connect us as Israelis today. The current memory lane we’re walking on is the Shakshuka. This is the third story in this installment, so fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.

Exploring a culture’s signature dishes is a journey through memory lane, which can also be an emotional experience but definitely a delicious one, especially when eating Shakshuka.

Let’s Refresh Our Memory on What Shakshuka Is

Shakshuka is a North African dish of eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic. It is commonly spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Shakshuka spread from North Africa to the Middle East and became a popular, easy-to-make dish. It is a perfect choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Over the years, various versions of Shakshuka developed, extending its versatility to include alternatives to tomatoes like spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini and adaptations for different dietary needs, such as vegan Shakshuka for those who do not eat eggs or meat-based Shakshuka with merguez sausage.

Originally, Shakshuka was considered a quick and simple dish, made from leftover sauce from the previous day with the addition of eggs and eaten with bread. In modern times, we prepare the tomato base fresh, even if we use very ripe tomatoes. However, some still use leftovers of matbucha or marduma salads as the base and add eggs.

For those reading this for the first time, please calm down. These are not curses. They are the names of traditional tomato-based salads that are cooked for hours and eaten with bread. Using them as a base for Shakshuka adds even more depth to the dish, infusing the flavors of Israel's diverse ethnic backgrounds. It’s the best shortcut for making Shakshuka when you are hungry and need to fix something fast.

The Price of Eggs and the Reality of Inflation

Shakshuka is considered an affordable dish because it is made from simple ingredients, originally from sauce leftovers, with the addition of eggs. However, if you live in San Francisco like I do, in the past two weeks, egg prices have soared to an all-time high, jumping from $4 to $13.

So now I have to be very careful with the eggs I purchase. A few days ago, I bought a carton at Target for $13.59, and it seems that caviar has become a cheaper choice than chicken eggs. I wonder what Marie Antoinette would say today? If you can’t afford eggs, eat caviar.

My original plan for this episode was to make unique versions of Shakshuka and take pictures, but now that I have to think carefully about every egg I break, I understand more about necessity and how rising food prices affect those struggling to make ends meet. Prices are soaring, and this is only the beginning.

This inflation reminded me of my father’s childhood memories. When the Portal family arrived from Morocco, they lived in the Ma’abara, a refugee camp for new Jewish immigrants, and later moved into public housing. The family got a tiny 750-square-foot apartment that had to accommodate nine or ten family members at a time.

During those times, they were very poor. My grandfather couldn't find a job; the kids were young, and every day was a new survival challenge to find a way to feed nine people with very limited resources.

Most of you reading this are not in that situation. Those who are struggling are not here or on other platforms reading for pleasure because their worries overwhelm everything in every aspect of life. Their mind is focused on how to put food on the table for their families. It’s a harsh reality I wish no one would ever have to face.

What Happens When the Cheapest Protein Becomes Unaffordable?

This third episode about Shakshuka was supposed to be completely different. In my notes, I had planned to write about my memories, but I couldn't ignore the soaring egg prices and their effect on low-income families.

For some families, eggs are the only protein they can afford to eat, and now, even that is no longer an option. Compared to meat and fish, eggs provide a high-quality, complete protein at a lower cost per serving. So how would these families manage, and what can they afford now?

Part of my Foodie Disorder is knowing what other cheap protein alternatives can help them get through these times. But I don’t know how many of them know that lentils, beans, chicken, or some cheeses can be an alternative source of protein when they can’t afford eggs. For the sharp-eyed observers who noticed that chicken is on the list of protein alternatives, it's a version of the chicken and the egg problem. Chicken prices did not go up; only egg prices did.

In my imagination, one aspect of Foodie Disorder is to educate low-income families about the nutritional value of their food and what alternatives exist when certain ingredients become unavailable or too expensive.

The only challenge is that these low-income families are not on Substack, Medium, or any other reading platform. They are so preoccupied with survival that they don’t even know these platforms exist, even though there is so much free content that could be valuable to them, not just in food but in many areas of life.

We live in a world where information is more accessible than ever, right in the palm of our hands. Even homeless people on the streets of San Francisco have smartphones, and some even have newer models than I do.

The point is that even the homeless know how to use a smartphone, which is practically a computer. But no one guides them on what to look for, where they can find quality free content, or how they can gain useful knowledge to help them survive and rebuild their lives.

A Detour Worth Taking

I started with Shakshuka, but egg prices took me off the track I planned for today. But I think it’s an important detour because sometimes, we need to pause and think.

Even if you can afford eggs at $13 or even $50, it is still a drastic increase in a short time. We are all busy with our lives, so most of us just absorb the hit, like, or comment on a post that complains about it, but that’s it.

Technically, we don’t do anything about it. And life goes on. Until you become one of those who reach the limit and cannot afford essential food items. But even if you write a heartbreaking post about it, similar to what you did, people will like your post, and their lives will go on.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for the next episode, where I’ll share my memories and special versions of Shakshuka. Until next time, I’ve included some more photos of Shakshukas I made.

If you can’t wait and want to see them now, Google “Liat Portal Foodie Disorder” and switch to the images view to explore the different types of Shakshuka I’ve made.

See you soon, and bon appétit!

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Liat

In this journey, I weave together episodes from my life with the rich tapestry of Israeli culture through music, food, arts, entrepreneurship, and more. I write over the weekends and evenings and publish these episodes as they unfold, almost like a live performance.

Each episode is part of a set focused on a specific topic, though sometimes I release standalone episodes. A set is released over several days to make it easier for you to read during your busy workday. If one episode catches your attention, make sure to read the entire set to get the whole picture. Although these episodes are released in sets, you can read the entire newsletter from the beginning, as it flows smoothly, like music to your ears? - ?or, in this case, your eyes.

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