just until the egg is barely done

I had my first Shakshuka at Nopi in London last year, which was a revelation to me, and the few I had in Israel were pretty persuasive reasons to turn in my breakfast baguette and wake up to spiced eggs more often. (Dr. Shakshuka, a place noted for its Shakshuka, was recommended to me by a number of locals and it’s on my list for a future visit, because there are only so many breakfasts you can have in a week.)

Israeli food writer Nomi Abeliovich, who I had breakfast with at the seaside Manta Ray restaurant, told me that Shakshuka is North African and is considered a seasonal dish, sometimes made with potatoes or spinach instead of spicy tomato sauce. But, like many things about this region, there are diverse opinions and some say it’s from Libya. So if someone’s had the very first, original Shakshuka, please step forward.

There’s also a debate and some say it should never have peppers or garlic in it (I’m okay with folks leaving out the peppers), while others top it with strips of halloumi cheese, broiled to a chewy crunch. Which, now that I’ve had, I’m not okay with anyone leaving off.

But no matter what country I’ve eaten Shakshuka in, or where it’s from, it always inspires raptures by the people who love it. (And no one seems not to love it.) A few locals offered me tips for making it, including always keeping single portions of the sauce in the freezer, then reheating it on the stove top with an egg cracked in the middle, simmering just until the egg is barely done.

In hot climates like Israel, it’s not uncommon to have salads for breakfast and if you hit a breakfast buffet, there are likely going to be lots of different kinds of “white cheese”, which is vaguely similar to yogurt, but not as tangy, and richer-tasting (similar to fromage blanc, in France) to spoon alongside everything.

People who wave the flag of “fat is flavor” would be surprised to learn that most of the white cheeses, as well as “cream cheese” type of spreads that I had in Israel, like quark, are very low in fat, yet taste amazing. That’s due to the quality of the milk being so high so instead of loading the products up with fat, letting the sweet, creamy, natural flavor of the milk comes through, loud and clear. So that’s how they can eat all those cheese and still wear those Speedos on the beach.