Jerusalem Food Guide
Beginner’s guide to food shopping in Jerusalem by 4th year Yeshiva student Harrison Rosengard.
Grocery Stores
SHUFERSAL- Almost always one of the more expensive supermarket options in the city, but the wide aisles and clean layout are the mot familiar for Americans and Europeans. Their produce and meat are of good quality and dependable. While not a cheap choice for daily shopping, sometimes the stores have sales on fresh and frozen meat, nonperishables, and more which make it worth checking out on occasion to see if you get lucky, especially in November. Just be careful because some sales are only for people with memberships.
OSHER AD- The cheapest supermarket option and an experience. The shop is wide and well organized, but it is essential to go during an off hour so that you aren’t shopping alongside a thousand other people. The quality of the meat and produce is fine and the lower prices on the meat are occasionally worth it, especially when buying in bulk to freeze and meal plan. The best place to go for buying large amounts of essentials at a discount or for things like cleaning supplies and nutritional supplements.
RAMI LEVI- Another bargain shopping option like Osher Ad, though typically of lower quality especially in the Talpiot location. It is a matter of preference between it and Osher Ad.
MAKOLETS- There are many smaller grocery stores all over the city which are very good to go to for quick needs and odds and ends. They tend to be a little more expensive than most supermarkets but not prohibitively so. And they tend to be less busy which can be a nice change of pace.
CARREFOUR- Not as common in Jerusalem but a very dependable option. They tend to be less expensive than Shufersal but more expensive than an Osher Ad or Rami Levi. The meat and produce are always quality for a supermarket and there are daily discounts on essentials placed in the entry to the store.
The Shuk
For those who are close enough to go, the Shuk is the cheapest place to get just about anything if you know which store to go to. For those closer to Osher Ad, the prices tend to be roughly similar, but the quality is what differentiates the two.
BUTCHERS
Most butchers are going to be relatively similar in price, and none typically offer any promotions or sales. אטליז רפאל I have found has very high quality meat, good services, and respectable prices.
FISHMONGERS
I will admit that I have less experience in this subject. Those with the money to buy highest quality tend to go to בנצי הדגן but that is not the best option for students. There is a fishmonger on the same side street as אטליז רפאל which is across the way from Fish ‘en Chips which I have found has more palatable prices and good quality fish.
PRODUCE
Finding the best place to buy produce in the Shuk is an art, not a science. It is almost never a good idea to go buy produce in the Closed Shuk. I would only recommend it if you are trying to find something more foreign or out of season. Sometimes herbs and other small greens will be more obtainable there, but not always. The Open Shuk is by far the best place to get your produce. Each stall is going to be a trade off between quality and price, but finding the balance that is best for you is not difficult.
The best thing to do is to walk up and down the Open Shuk and compare mentally the prices and quality displayed for each grocer. You will very quickly be able to tell which have the best selection and which are meant to be more budget friendly. Two things to look out for are prices that seem low because they are priced per half a kilo instead of per kilo like others and low prices cartons of fruit where the ones on top are much higher quality than the bruised and marred ones on the bottom. Not all stands will try to trick customers like that, but it is something to be careful of.
There are those who say that the Iranian Shuk has the best deals on produce. That may be true, but stalls with the lower prices tend to have more limited/seasonal selections or lower quality produce. There are many cleaner and nicer looking stalls in the Iranian Shuk that are at best similar price to those in the Open Shuk and are at worst horribly overpriced. There is one grocer on a side street between the Open and Iranian Shuks with reasonable prices who tends to give out small free goodies like a package of zucchini or nectarines for customers. It is a favorite of many because of the reasonable prices and friendly experience.