How Eli Zabar made America more gourmet

Eli Zabar is the youngest son of the Jewish grocery family behind the famed New York food emporium, Zabar’s. Fifty years ago, he left the family business to open his own shop, where he would pursue the “best”: the best breads, cheeses, jams. He was inspired by the markets of Europe and quickly realised that to get the quality he wanted in America, he would have to do a lot of it himself. Eli is now 81 years old, and over the decades, has watched the food scene catch up. Today, Lilah chases him around one of his markets on the Upper East Side, where they make a sandwich, explore what quality food means and reflect on how food culture has changed.

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Lilah’s profile of Eli’s EAT restaurant is here: https://on.ft.com/4eKrSSj

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The show is ending in early January. But we want to know your cultural questions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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