The Shuk

One of the great things that I’ve discovered about Jerusalem so far is the existence of the shuk. An outdoor marketplace about twenty minutes from the gates of the old city, the shuk is host to hundreds of vendors selling fruits, vegetables, spices, breads, spreads, and nearly anything else you can possibly imagine. But the best part about this food paradise is not the freshness of the produce, or the impressive variety of food for sale, but the prices. You can buy a substantial amount of fresh fruits and vegetables for around thirty shekels, which is less than ten dollars (I think the current rate is about 3.5 shekels=1 dollar). For example, the other day I bought two pomegranates for two and a half shekels. That’s like 35 US cents per pomegranate! I think that’s an amazing deal, though when I mentioned it to certain family members of mine, they chose to focus on how I might stain my shirt with pomegranate juice, rather than on these incredible savings. There’s just no pleasing some people.

Olives. Lots and lots of delicious olives. And some guy selling them.

I'm not even sure what all of these veggies are.

Bread.

All sorts of nuts.

Dried fruits.

Inside the shuk.

Shopping at the shuk.

Herbs and spices

Aged for a thousand days. I love cheese, but that seems a bit excessive.

I'm not sure if this is wine or olive oil.

Mmmmmm

I took this picture as a reminder that I needed to go back here and buy some coins.

Some shuk street performers. They didn't sound that great, surprisingly.

Just a short post, but look for another one soon!