Mid-Shuk Star! ⭐️ Arepas Venezuelan

Zoe Wernick
Feb 11, 2016
3 min read

Avocado, cheese, and a little piece of my heart. Definitely in my top three.

Shuk HaCarmel is a top tourist destination in Tel Aviv, and rightfully so. As a local in the neighborhood I am lucky enough to call it my grocery store, but it is a delight for tourists and locals alike. It is touristy enough that most of the vendors speak English (at least on the main thoroughfare, anyway, if you want to buy cow tongue, sweet meats, or chicken feet you might not be so lucky), and not so touristy that it is completely overrun with cheap knock offs and souvineer knick-knacks.

There are a bevy of culinary delights to try throughout the market, but my top top Gluten Free recommendation isn't Israeli at all - instead it is the Arepas stand which boasts Venezuelan cusine!

Their sign even says "Gluten Free" in English, but I was in for a surprise when I found out that everything they have on the menu is Gluten Free! I even asked to be sure and the guy assured me I was correct - that the flour they use is corn based, so Celiac's should be happy here as no bread products enter their stand.

They offer a few different things, but if you only have one chance to go, get the traditional Arepa with everything! It is 30 shekels, which is a bit pricier than other food from stands in the Shuk, but it is WELL worth the price. The dough itself is made in their stand, kneaded forever (one guy was kneading when I got there and when I left!), and molded into pita-reminiscent-pattys which are used as the base for the Arepa. Then a delicious combination of meat, avocado, some veggies, and CHEESE FOR DAYS is added, and it is set on the grill. (They also have a vegetarian option).

Something to note - it takes about 7 minutes for them to make you your Arepa. Your best bet is to try to snag a barstool around the back side of their stand. Your Arepa will be stuffed full and it's a bit difficult to walk around the crowded Shuk with it, and also, the stools are a great place to observe the action of the Shuk go by. Plus you'll have a great soundtrack with good vibes to help you take a short break from the chaos of the middle isle, and you can chat with the interesting and flirty young guys who run the stand.

So, back to the main event. You're Arepa is ready! Oh, and yes, that brown thing over the top is a layer of crispy

cheese.

You're welcome.

Don't forget to ask for the spicy sauce (awesome flavor!) and the chimmichuri!

For us Gluten Free Folk, the star of the show is the Arepa dough itself. Fluffy, light, sweet, yet salty, and so definitely not a "gluten free" product in the sense that it is not trying to be like something else without the gluten. You know, like the way GF pita bread is great to have, but will never have the quality of a fluffy home baked gluten-full pita! This dough is exactly as it is meant to be, and it is amazing. The ratio of cheese doesn't hurt either.

So, I've done a decent amount of travel, and..... this is definitely in my top three favorite Global Gluten Free meals! Big words - I know - but it's the truth! Arepas is a MUST try for the Gluten Free in Tel Aviv! It is a blessing and a curse that I live 5 minutes walk from them! Must....exercise......restraint.......!

Also, if you're coming on a Birthright trip you WILL come through Shuk HaCarmel, and it's always overwhelming for those on Taglit, but make a beeline for the center of the Shuk and get yourself an Arepa without delay. If you don't have time to see the rest of the Shuk on your short hour of a visit, don't dispair! You will have another chance to wander a similar Shuk in Jerusalem, but no Arepas there!!

Arepas - Shuk HaCarmel, Tel Aviv

https://www.facebook.com/arepastlv/?fref=ts

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