Restaurant Santa Katarina, located right next to the Great Synagogue in Tel-Aviv, is one of the new hotspots in town. Known for its Italian pizzas, focaccias and delicious pastries baked in a large stone oven brought over from Italy, Santa Katarina has cracked the code to create the perfectly textured basbousa. The traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake is made from cooked semolina or farina. Often soaked in simple syrup, Santa Katarina’s version is soaked in mastic. The resin obtained from the mastic tree, known as "Arabic gum" or "Yemen gum,” gives off a refreshing, slightly pine or cedar-like flavor to put this dessert over the top.

Daniel Rozenblum

Contributor