If you’re looking to try some of Israel’s amazing & now legendary cuisine, a foodie tour HAS to be on your list! We’ve got a bit of something for everyone – from a very trendy and mind-blowingly tasty vegan food tour, to a unique walking tour of some of Tel Aviv’s market highlights, to a “shuk & cook” experience that ends up with you cooking the perfect Israeli meal – yep, Israel’s cuisine is set to hit your taste-buds for six!
We’ve picked SIX of the very best food tours & workshops for your enjoyment, tours that will provide you with a unique insight into the cuisine in Israel – don’t forget to come hungry!
Shuk & Cook Tour
Starting at Tel Aviv’s famous and bustling Carmel Market, you’ll get to buy (and taste!) some of the ingredients you’ll need from many of the spice and fruit stalls, learning all about the ins and outs of seasoning and flavors.
Once you’ve done your shopping, it’s off to our kitchen studio (a quick 12-15 minute walk away), where we’ll unload our groceries and prepare a meal to remember, with a menu based on Israeli cuisine’s diverse ethnic influences (including shakshuka and tehina). Of course, you’ll also receive a copy of the recipes to take home with you! Total time for this tour is around 4.5 hours.
This shuk and cook tour, a unique mix of shopping and cooking, will make your Israeli culinary experience truly unforgettable!
Vegan Food Tour
With the world still going ga-ga for vegan food, here’s the perfect opportunity to try some of Tel Aviv’s amazing vegan food, recognized as some of the best in the world! This is a unique food tour for any food lover (not just those of you who are vegan-friendly), taking you for a tasting of a wide variety of amazing food, while learning about the philosophy and history of veganism (without the lecture!).
Come hungry, as you’ll be stopping at 4 restaurants and eating a lot of great Israeli vegan food! This food tour lasts about 3 hours – in the summer come with a hat and sunscreen!
Levinski Market Tour
The Levinski Market in south Tel Aviv has fast become the place to go for delicious traditional delicacies in an area best known for its Turkish, Greek and Iranian immigrant heritage, going way back to the 1920s. Because of its mix-match of cultures, you can find a huge variety of small old-school shops with fresh spices, unique sauces, dried fruits, hand-roasted coffees and deli goodies. And you’ll also get to meet the old-school shopowners at their third- and fourth-generation shops, as well as young, cool and trendy foodie spots bringing a new vibe to this hipster-infused neighborhood. The Levinski market food tour lasts around 2 hours.
Jerusalem Market Tour
Yep, tasting the wonders of Israel’s markets isn’t just a Tel Aviv thing – you’ll also find some amazing delicacies in Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market! You’ll definitely want to come hungry for this one, as there’s a whole range of market delights to sample… this “shuk” is home to a ton of specialty shops, thriving fruit and veg stores, clothes, bustling bars and restaurants, plus spices and smells galore! Prices start from 140 shekels per person. Note there is also a private tour option (for a minimum of 2 people) that finishes with a cooking session, much like the shuk & cook tour option above where you cook up something deliciously Israeli with the market produce you purchased!
Hummus Workshop
If you’ve already fallen in love with the wonders of hummus, then a hummus workshop is the perfect souvenir to take home with you – you’ll be able to impress friends and family back home with a yummy hummus dinner! And the best thing about making your own hummus is that it’s cheap, easy to make, healthy and vegan!
We took part in the workshop ourselves, and can confirm the hummus you create is delish – though that might have also been influenced by the free shots of local liqueur arak! You’ll also get to learn how to create a quick and easy Israeli salad to wrap up your unique Israeli cooking experience! Note that this workshop is currently only available in Jerusalem.
Shakshuka Workshop
Many of you will fall in love with this egg and spicy tomato dish while in Israel – and what better way to remember your culinary adventures in Israel than with a shakshuka workshop that you can take home with you – at least in spirit!
This tasty dish, originally from North Africa, is now a must-try dish in Israel. It’s healthy, delicious, and you can have it at any time of the day! So bring your friends along (or go solo) and join this open group workshop (held weekly at the Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv) – together with a shot or two of arak you’ll be bonding with your fellow chefs in no time! We actually did this with the kids (OK, they didn’t try the arak shots!) and probably made the best shakshuka we’ve ever tasted! Even better, this workshop starts at only 55 shekels per person!