I’ve discussed pizza stores in Israel in the past. And yes, there are a few that are better than the average Israeli pizza store. But still, if there was one word that I had to use to sum up Israeli pizza, it would probably have to be “unsatisfying”.

No matter how many slices I eat, its missing something.

And I’ve tried variations. I’ve asked for extra cheese, I’ve asked for extra sauce, toppings, etc. It just doesn’t do it.

Another thing I noticed about Israelis is how proud they are of the selection of dairy products in the stores. They’ve got yoghurts and cheeses at 2%, 3%, all the way up to a whopping 32%! Look at that selection!

Ask for Cheddar, Munster, or Swiss, or some other variety, and more than likely they’ll have no idea as to what you are talking about.

Last night, while reheating pizza, my wife made an interesting recommendation. She said, take the 32% “Tal HaEmek” (by Tnuva) with its hint of Swiss, and put it on the pizza.

Five minutes later I am eating the best pizza in Israel. We’re talking texture, taste, satisfaction.

Could it be that simple? Could that have been the problem all along?

Is Israeli Mozzarella (or actually “Pizza” cheese) a light (low fat) cheese in Israel? Is that why it doesn’t look and taste right? Is that why I always walk away with that unsatisfied feeling?

I’m going with “Yes”.

Looking it up on various sources on the internet as well as different “pizza cheeses” and packages sold in the store, it is definitely clear that the fat range is always below 28% and is more often than not, some combination of cheeses with more than half being very low-fat cheeses.

There is no doubt that using this cheese, with a fat content that is somewhat closer to American Pizza Cheese, made all the difference.

Now what to do with this information?