When you think of Israeli cuisine, how would you describe it? And how, if at all, has it changed for you since October 7th?

In my eyes, it is hard to say “Israeli cuisine.” In our time as a state, I think that an “Israeli slaughter” has been created; the audacity, the combination of flavors, the fusion of cultures into a single plate, memories from home alongside innovations and ingredients that are not necessarily local. In my opinion, thinking about food has not changed since the seventh of October, but its consumption has; the place we come from is more emotional than before, a search for a comforting dish or even a general experience (if one goes to a restaurant) that is more comforting and enveloping than in the past.

What role does food play in our identity as Israelis? How do you feel it reflects who we are today?

Food has always had a place of honor in Israeli identity. After all, in my eyes, the State of Israel is a melting pot of various cultures and people who migrated here from different countries and wanted to express their culture through food. The culture of hospitality, the Israeli warmth, is what manifests in a magical way through food; through it, we can see ourselves, see that the combination among us and the strong connection in being Israeli is like a microcosm for the blending and connecting of cultures.

If you had to choose one dish that tells our story as Israelis right now—what dish would it be and why?

A pot of meatballs. On one hand, density and compactness that enrich each other in flavors and complexity that unfolds under pressure and flame power. On the other hand, the position of each one entrenched in its place and (sometimes) not allowing the other to come through, all under the same boiling sauce, the same blanket that wraps everyone in the same way—but a different reaction from the same meatball.

Gil Dahan is the chef of Mashya Restaurant. He has a unique culinary philosophy developed over years of working in top kitchens, including Kitchen Market, Weiss, and Tzina.