One of the most unforgettable trips in my life happened in January 2009. At that time, I went to four countries consecutively; Egypt, Palestine, Israel, and Jordan. I was in a tour so the chance to really explore interesting places in those countries was somewhat limited as the duration of the trip was only twelve days. However, there were still some memories that I will never forget from the journey. One of which was when I visited Sea of Galilee in Tiberias, Israel and ate Tilapia, a fish that was better known as “St. Peter’s fish”. Tilapia was the local specialty as according to the history, it was the kind of fish that Jesus shared with thousands of people in the past. What made it memorable was I could reminisce the feeling of the people 2000 years ago when they had the same kind of fish and in the same place. It was such a delightful feeling. Moreover, the taste of the fish was so different from the fish that I usually eat in my country, Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the seasoning is often quite strong and we can easily taste the spices in our mouth. The touch of onion and chilly are usually “bold” and for non-local people, it could somehow taste a bit too hot for their tongue. It was not the same with “St. Peter’s fish” that I tried. The taste was very light and it was complemented with no leavened breads and some kind of sour pickle. I could not really taste the spices but it made the fish unique in my mouth. Never in my life had I tasted anything so light that I could easily savor the original flavor of the fish. The texture of the fish was very juicy and it was really fresh that there was no stinky smell that usually comes out from a fish that is kept for too long. The leavened breads and the pickle gave a distinctive taste to the fish. It was a very remarkable eating experience as everything was served in local style. The taste was just right and in the right portion. I would love to visit the place again anytime soon.
