Taco Craze Sweeps Israel as New Stands and Chefs Embrace Mexican Street Food
The taco has rapidly become a culinary sensation across Israel, driven by a wave of new taco stands and restaurants offering innovative takes on this Mexican street food staple. Chef Ran Tamir, co-owner of the "B'Bar" near Tel Aviv's Carmel Market, accidentally sparked this trend when he introduced a lamb belly taco with unique toppings that quickly outsold his other popular dishes. Encouraged by the overwhelming response, he and his sister Shir opened "Lolita Taco," serving four distinct taco varieties that blend non-traditional flavors, alongside successful burritos priced between 24 and 36 shekels.
This taco boom is part of a broader national trend, with new taquerias opening from Haifa to Beersheba. Ziv Erlich, owner of the pioneering Mexican bar "Mescal" in Tel Aviv's Florentin neighborhood, credits social media and increased culinary curiosity for the surge in popularity. He notes that authentic Mexican cuisine is gaining a foothold in Israel beyond the initial novelty phase, with more chefs and entrepreneurs investing in the cuisine.
One notable development was the January acquisition of the small Tel Aviv taqueria "Taqueria" by the Nono Group for over 30 million shekels, signaling investor confidence in the market. Veteran restaurateur David Tor plans to open "Santos Tacos" on Rothschild Boulevard, featuring a shawarma-style meat preparation adapted from Lebanese immigrants in Mexico, highlighting the fusion and evolution of the taco concept in Israel.
Authentic Mexican families like the Obsiovitchs, who immigrated from Mexico eight years ago, have also contributed by opening "Los Tacos" in Ra'anana, offering handmade corn tortillas and traditional recipes imported directly from Mexico. Their success underscores Israelis' growing appetite for genuine Mexican flavors.
Despite the taco's street food dominance, high-end Mexican cuisine remains rare in Israel due to limited cultural ties, ingredient availability, and culinary expertise. Chef Avi Konforti, who opened the influential "Chimichanga" in 1996, emphasizes that while the taco is now mainstream, authentic regional Mexican cooking requires specialized knowledge and remains a niche.
Importers like Itamar Davidov of Tres Pesos have seen tortilla sales double or triple recently, fueled by the proliferation of taquerias and even American soldiers at Ben-Gurion Airport seeking familiar tastes. The taco's rise reflects a global trend of Mexican cuisine's elevation from immigrant food to a celebrated culinary genre, recognized by UNESCO and Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide.
