I found it!’ he said. I could tell that he was really excited… ‘what did you find?’ I asked calmly. ‘It! The Baba!’ he exclaimed. I too became excited- got on a bus and went straight to the Carmel market in Tel Aviv. I started to search through the vendors on a mission to find the elusive nougat.
As a child growing up in Canada I remember the mysterious treat that my aunt would bring during her infrequent visits. The treat was very closely guarded by my mother. We would each get a small piece of a creamy coloured chewy treat that had almonds or pistachios hidden inside. It was covered in white flour gently flavoured with cardamom. All I knew about the treat was that it only came with my aunt. Whenever we asked where the baba came from the answer was either- ‘It’s a secret’ or, ‘Eli’s sister’.
Taking into account the fact that my mother’s family is from Winnipeg- the baba connection was odd- it didn’t seem Canadian- and my aunt only had it after trips to Israel. I understood that it was somehow connected to my uncle Eli- who was born in Iraq and as a young child had moved with his family to Israel. Over the last half century, my uncle has been living in the USA with my aunt.
Now I know the true answer- baba is traditionally made in Iran and Iraq. It is one of the many exquisite and interesting things that can be found in the Carmel market.Always a mosaic of sounds, smells and noises, the Carmel market is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.
The market is full of the flavours and specialties brought to Tel Aviv from countries all over the world. It is a short walk from Tel aviv’s famous “Banana Beach” , and an artist’s market that I will write about on a different day.
