Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

WHITE ZION, PASSPORT CONTROL 

I spent a lot of time on both Israel-based novels researching food because some interviewees used Arabic names for herbs, spices, and fruits and vegetables and I needed the Hebrew names or vice versa.

While researching mallow, also named malva, I read that in Jewish culture, mallow was considered a very important plant and that its name means bread in both Hebrew and Arabic. I also learned that when Jerusalem was closed off on all side by Arab armies in 1948, and the inhabitants were threatened with starvation, this crop saved them. So, on Israeli Independence Day, many people celebrate by making a dish of mallow leaves.

NO ENTRY 
Regarding No Entry, one of the most interesting things I learned that I did not know before was about Wooly Mammoth tusks. Wooly Mammoth ivory is legal and that's bad news for elephants and those trying to protect them. For 20,000 years Wooly Mammoth tusks lay frozen in Sibera and elsewhere-- out of reach. They are no longer frozen. Now poachers can claim that illegal elephant ivory is really legal Wooly Mammoth ivory and unless you're an expert, you cannot tell the difference. 

Interested in hearing more? Join me at the Book Shuk: