Sip, Savor and Celebrate: A Culinary Adventure in Israel

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Culinary Schedule By Day
Culinary Tour Hotels
Scholars and Tour Leader

Meals included in the tour are indicated in parentheses at the end of each day's activities.

SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 5
Welcome Celebration and Georgian-inspired Israeli Cuisine
After a brief welcome celebration at the hotel, you'll have a delicious meal at Nanouchka, one of the most beautifully enchanting Tel Aviv restaurants and the best Georgian restaurant in Israel. Owner Nana Shreir maintains her Georgian culture by employing Georgian women who prepare pastries and other food characteristic of the country that's lovingly referred to as the "Switzerland of Eastern Europe." Overnight at Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv. (D)

Thursday, May 6
Delectable Jerusalem and Appetizing Abu Gosh
The day starts with a short ride to Jerusalem for hummus tasting at Abu-Shukri, the Old City's ultimate hummus restaurant. This fixture is "so spectacular people in Jordan used to send out for it in insulated ice chests."

Your next stop is Machane Yehudah (Yehudah Market) in the heart of Jerusalem for an expert-guided tour. The market, a wonderful fusion of the colors and sounds of Israel's multi-ethnic culture, is filled with fruit and vegetable stands, popular restaurants and chic espresso bars.

Lunch will be at Shmil Ba'Mabadah.Owner Shmil Holland, honoring his ethnic Eastern European background,presents herring, kugel and other classical Eastern European fare in an ultra-modern space that was part of the old Jerusalem train station.

After a delicious meal, you'll visit the Jerusalem neighborhood of Talpiot and the residence of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, a key figure in the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language. Gil Hovav, great-grandson of Ben Yehuda, will regale us with stories about his great-grandfather, the Hebrew language and Zionism.

You will leave Jerusalem for dinner at Hamitbach Shel Rama (Rama's Kitchen) near Abu Gosh. Perched atop the summit of a hill west of Jerusalem, Mitbach Shel Rama has a menu that's a Mediterranean culinary encounter from Provence to local Arab cuisine. Dining outdoors, the meal will include a goat cheese tasting from the nearby dairy of Shai Zeltzer, one of the best in Israel and the world. Overnight at Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv. (B, L, D)

Friday, May 7
Burekas, Marzipan, Meatballs and More
You will begin the day with a guided tour of the Lewinski Market in south Tel Aviv. The market is famous for delectable spices, dried fruit, cheeses, baked goods, and other cooking essentials and is the most beloved market among Israeli chefs. Built on the model of Turkish markets, Lewinski is filled with mouth-watering aromas, mounds of the best burekas in Tel Aviv, the best marzipan in the Middle East, pastries, spices, yogurt drinks, cured fish, and cheese.

Lunch will be at Eden, a popular and authentic Persian restaurant in south Tel Aviv.  Friday's special menu includes the chef's famous secret pomegranate ahsh (large meatballs cooked in a purple pomegranate sauce) served with fried onions. After lunch you return to the hotel for a participatory cooking workshop with Gil Hovav to learn how to make kubana, the festive bread of Yemeni Jews, and its indispensable accompanying sauces, traditionally prepared on Friday afternoon and eaten as part of brunch on Shabbat. On Saturday morning you will enjoy the "fruits" of your labor. After time for rest and relaxation, you'll be treated to a spectacular dinner in Tel Aviv at Raphael, considered one of the best restaurants in Israel. Chef Raphael Cohen, from a Moroccan Sephardic family, serves modern variations of his grandmother's traditional North African cuisine and focuses on local produce inspired by cooking methods from all corners of the world Overnight at Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv. (B, L, D)

Saturday, May 8
Fabulous Flavors of the Negev
After enjoying brunch including your homemade kubana, you travel south to Givat Yeshayahu southwest of Bet Shemesh. Here, amidst the rolling green hills you will visit the Hans Sternbach Wine Estate, named in memory of the father of the founder, Gadi Sternbach. Following a guided tour enjoy a culinary tasting and lunch hosted by Gadi and his wife Shula who welcome visitors to their al fresco home restaurant under a canopy of vines. The winery and lunch spot overlook a magical view of the Judaean Hills. Gadi and Shula are longtime members of the "Slow Food" movement, hence the vineyard is organically fertilized and the grapes are grown nearby. The cuisine consists of local products, wild plants and crops grown in the restaurant's garden.

The day and tour will conclude in Darijat with a short village tour, a visit to the kitchens in which local women will be preparing dinner, and then a chafla, a festive traditional feast featuring a bonfire, dancing and celebratory activities. Located in the northern Negev, Darijat is the only Arab village in the Negev that is not Bedouin; its residents are descendents of fellahin, indigenous rural farmers (as opposed to the nomadic Arab Bedouin settlers). It is home to the only solar-powered mosque in the Middle East. Overnight at the Leonardo Hotel Negev in Beer-Sheva. (B, L, D)

Sunday, May 9
BGU Board of Governors or Departure
Transportation will be provided to BGU's 40th Annual Board of Governors' Meeting or to the airport for those departing. (B)

HOTELS
Carlton Hotel (Tel Aviv)
The Carlton Tel Aviv blends Mediterranean hospitality with European finesse and offers each of its guests a uniquely intimate, warm and welcoming atmosphere. Ideally located by the pristine white sands of the Tel Aviv coastline and in walking distance to the the namal (port), the hotel is recently renovated and features soundproof rooms and well-appointed bathrooms with massaging shower heads. www.carlton.co.il

Leonardo Hotel Negev (Beer Sheva)
Located in the center of Beer-Sheva, close to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the main mall, the Leonardo (previously known as the Golden Tulip) features spacious rooms with modern furnishings. Guests can relax and unwind at the hotel’s new and exclusive business lounge and enjoy the health club, outdoor swimming pool and spa facilities. www.leonardo-hotels.com/Leonardo_Hotel_Negev

SCHOLARS AND TOUR LEADER
BGU Faculty Speakers
Faculty from the BGU Departments of Anthropology, Jewish History, and Health Sciences will join the tour as guest scholars offering talks based on their research about cuisine, diet, and other food-related areas.

Gil Hovav, Tour Leader
Gil Hovav is one of Israel's leading culinary journalists, food critics and television personalities and is also the author of three best-selling novels. Through his illustrious career, Gil has played a major role in the revival of Israeli cuisine and the change Israel has undergone in recent years, from a country of basic traditional foods into a "gourmet nation."

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