The canonical version and where to order it.
A ring of chewy bread studded with sesame seeds, split and filled with hard cheese or za'atar, baked around the clock at the Jaffa counter that predates the State of Israel by nearly seventy years.
Ka'ak, a sesame-crusted ring bread, is recorded as early as the 10th-century Baghdad cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh and again in a 13th-century Syrian manuscript that gives three separate recipes, and ring-shaped, sesame-covered versions remain common across the Levant today. In Jaffa, the Abulafia family opened its bakery in 1879, baking ka'ak alongside pita and sambousak from a counter that has run ever since and become one of the city's standing symbols of Jewish and Arab coexistence. Abouelafia on Yefet Street still bakes the sesame-studded ka'ak fresh through the day and night, best ordered warm and cheese-filled straight from the oven.
1 editor pick for Jaffa ka'ak in Tel Aviv, ranked by editorial score. All Tel Aviv signature dishes · Jaffa ka'ak across every city.
Abouelafia on Yefet Street has baked ka'ak, pita and sambousak in Jaffa since 1879, a round-the-clock counter that predates the state of Israel.
TipOrder the cheese-filled sesame ka'ak straight from the oven; it barely survives the walk outside.
Jaffa ka'ak makes more sense with someone from Tel Aviv explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 5h 30m
Walk 4,000 years of history in one 5.5-hour route: ancient Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, the Bauhaus White City and Carmel Market, with tastings and a licensed guide in English ...
Guided tour · 6 hours
Discover the art, history, culture, and food of Tel Aviv and Jaffa on a guided tour. See Neve Tzedek's fascinating buildings, taste local foods at the Carmel Market, a...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Savor the diverse flavors of this primarily Arabic neighborhood of Tel Aviv featuring authentic street food, hidden gems and local delicacies, as you tour the Old City...