Since religion is very important to many IsraeUs and Palestinians, travel- ers to the area must always be sensitive to religious practices and regulations. FOOD & DRINK_ Some IsraeUs' diets are affected by kashrut , the Jewish dietary laws, which require rabbinical approval for aU food consumed. Observant Jews will not eat or shop in a place that carries non-kosher goods ; to respect kosher cUentele, the big supermarket chains in Israel carry only kosher products, and many restaurants and most hotels serve only kosher food. Nevertheless, observance of kashrut is hardly the norm in Israel-many restaurants, particularly in Haifa and Tel Aviv, are avidly now-kosher. The typical Israeli eats a large breakfast, a big mid-day dinner, and a light, late supper. Because of the poor quality and high cost of beef and lamb, Israelis rely largely on chicken, dairy, and vegetable products. Popular items in the IsraeU diet include hummus ; "salad," a finely chopped mix of tomatoes and cucumbers, garnished with oil and vinegar; gvina levana, soft white cheese; schnitzel, breaded and fried chicken breast; chips ; and a variety of sweet dairy snacks. ISRAELI CRUNCH Israel has two "indigenous" snack foods that gen- erally inspire intense love-hate reactions from tourists. One is called bamba, crispy peanut buttery puffs eaten as a pseudo-protein by Israeli kids. The other is bissli, a more complex taste to acquire as it comes in a variety of flavors ranging from falafel to pizza, as well as a variety of pasta-style shapes. Shun the bissli imposter Shosh if a storekeeper tries to pan it off as the real thing, identifiable by the bee mascot on its package. Try eating them in front of a television to get an authentically Israeli couch potato experience. The variety of ethnic cuisines in Israel is impressive; restaurants run the gamut from Chinese to French to Moroccan to American to Yemenite. Many restaurants serve typical Middle Eastern food. Restaurants serving Eastern European Jewish food are few and very expensive. Falafel, Israel's most popular street food, are deep-fried ground chick-pea balls served in pita bread with vegetables and tahina sauce. Other common pita-fillers are hummus and shawarma . Falafel, hummus, and shawarma stands always have a colorful selection of salads and toppings such as harif, a red-hot sauce. Burekas are available at pastry and some fast-food shops. On summer days, vendors sell sabras . The inside is edible, though the seeds give some indigestion. [Sabra is also a term for a native Israeli; both the fruit and the people are said to be thorny on the Preparing your own food is cheap, especially in summer, when fresh fruits and veg- etables are available in every outdoor shuk . You can buy groceries inex- pensively at local shuks, at a makolet , or in supermarkets. Two Israeli beers are the decent, deep-amber Goldstar and the lesser Maccabee lager. Goldstar is a common draft beer; Maccabee comes in bottles only.