Northern Food Scene

Israel is now receiving its long-deserved credit in the food world as more discover our fresh and intoxicating Israeli cuisine. Israel’s North is a renown treasure trove of food opportunities to discover, from shopping through the market with Israel’s most renowned chefs to foraging ingredients with medicinal capabilities, to visiting up-and-coming local breweries. The opportunities are endless. 

Discover Arab Cuisine and the People Behind It

What makes Northern Israeli cuisine so unique is how it is shaped & influenced by a myriad of  cultures, from Sabras to Druze to Bedouins. The people of Galilee pride themselves on  hosting guests in their homes; it’s an opportunity for tourists to break bread with locals, to uncover traditions, hear stories and learn how to cook authentic Arab cuisine in the comfort and warmth of a families’ homes. Discover homemade pickles, hand-made pitas, and dishes like Makluba, an upside-down rice dish with potatoes covering the bottom of the pot, and Knafe, a dessert made out of noodle-like pastry with cheese.

Uncover the Fruits of Galilean Cuisine

If you ask Israelis about Galilean cuisine and its roots, you will get so many different answers. That’s because there are so many different faces & nuances to it, each culture adding its piece to the cuisine. 

Here, home cooking takes the spotlight, as many cooks focus on local products such as rich, decadent tahini and Suri olives, harvested from their own groves. Meals center around fresh picked greens, wild fennel, purslane, sumac and  za’atar to create a foragers feast! 

Smell pots bubbling on the stove full of home-cooked freekeh. Learn about the influence of the kibbutz and the pride that people take for their food. Listen to stories of the biblical days and learn how the influences of the Bible are shown through food.

Eat, Live and Party in a Kibbutz

A kibbutz is an authentic way to get a real feel for the people and what its like to live in a community that is highly based on agriculture. One kibbutz that we like to take people to visit is Kibbutz Dan, a magical meeting point between the Hula Valley, the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon.  Take a trout tour along the Dan River, at the largest fishery in the Middle East, or go on the Organic Citrus Orchards tour, and learn first hand about Kibbutz Dan’s unique agriculture industry, which advocates for organic/sustainable growing and conservation.  

Perhaps you’ll want to join a true kibbutz dinner in the dinner hall, an experience that has shaped the way many Israelis eat across the country. At Kibbutz Harduf, you are invited to work outside in the fields, feed the chickens, and discover a one-of-a-kind kibbutz experience at the first organic dairy farm in Israel overlooking the Tzipori Stream in the Lower Galilee. This unique farm thrives on ethical food solutions and anthroposophic education.

Shop the Shuk and Dine with Israel’s Best Chefs

Known as one of the most important pioneers in Israeli cuisine, Chef Erez Komorovsky welcome you into his home for a home-cooked meal, including the incredible artisan breads he makes by hand. But, this is only after he takes you on a market tour of Akko to peruse the stalls and choose the ingredients that will be part of your special dinner. Engage with Chef Erez in this life-changing food experience, and come home with recipes and endless inspiration.

Go on a Cheese-Lovers’ Journey

Visit Tzfat on a Friday, as the religious Jewish community welcomes the Shabbat. This holy city is located 3,200 feet above sea level in the mountains of the Upper Galilee.  It boasts a renowned artist quarter, family-owned cheese factories that coined the term “Tsfatit cheese,” and endless synagogues. Tzfat is an area imbued with spirituality and blessed with a Jewish community that is keen on showing you around and connecting with you. Meet the local glassblower, Sheva Chaya, to hear her story and insights as you take part in captivating glass-blowing demonstrations!

Make Connections with Jews, Muslims and Christians over Food

In the Upper Galilee, visit Kibbutz Sasa and discover Buza, an ice cream factory with unusual flavors like arak, lemonade, and red wine sorbet. Hearing the incredible story of Buza, an ice cream shop that came out of a friendship between a Jew, Adam Ziv, and a Muslim, Alaa Sawitat will only make you love it more! Then tour the factory and learn how to make ice cream yourself! As your sugar rush subsides, you’ll meet a Muslim family in Dir El Asad. Kamla, the mother & a female Arab chef, will teach you Arabic welcoming you into her home while you connect over lunch.