Israel is the destination for food and wine lovers in search of new flavors and fresh inspiration. Drawing upon traditional techniques paired with unexpected local ingredients, Israel’s world-renowned chefs masterfully juxtapose tastes of comfort and the exotic ... regional and rare.

The country has become an incubator for culinary talent, serving as launching pads for renown, international chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Assaf Granit, Eyal Shani, Meir Adoni, and Uri Scheft, just to name a few. The booming wine industry is now also gaining worldwide recognition, competing with Australia and South Africa, thanks to the region’s temperate grape-growing weather and soil.

Toast the flavors of the country on visits to small family-owned boutique wineries in the Jerusalem hills, or larger vineyards in the Golan established long ago by Baron de Rothschild. Taste the best of gourmet Mediterranean kitchens in Tel Aviv’s five-star restaurants, chef’s table dinners, local culinary tours, and private authentic cooking classes.

Before you leave, be sure to stock up on a rainbow offering of your new favorite spices at the shuk: za’atar, harissa and ras el hanout, as a start.