In the JNF Kitchen: From Israeli ice cream shop Buza, fresh fruit sorbet

Ice cream shop Buza in Israel's Western Galilee has graced us with this delightful recipe for prickly pear or strawberry sorbet -- the flavor is up to you! 

Buza, the Arabic word for ice cream, is co-owned and operated by Alaa Sweetat, a local Muslim, and Adam Ziv, a Jew from Kibbutz Sasa. Their ice cream is Italian-inspired and produced from the finest ingredients, 100 percent natural. Their main store is located in the center of Maalot-Tarshicha, a Jewish-Arab town in the culturally diverse Western Galilee. Friends Sweetat and Ziv are models for co-existence. What brings people together if not ice cream?!

Off the beaten path in the Western Galilee, Israel's Napa Valley, in photos

Photo: Grant Legan

Meeting the clans behind the Western Galilee's family-owned businesses and experiencing their homey hospitality is a treat. Pictured at Hefer Ranch, a site for camping, horseback riding, and outdoor team-building activities, are Eyal Hefer and wife Edna (left and third from left), their son Or, and Rachaeli, who works the horse stables.     

As part of our #JNF #SummerLovin series featuring lesser-known Israeli seasonal gems, we visit the beautiful Western Galilee in July.   

By Lauren Katz 

If you haven’t visited the Western Galilee, add it to the top of your list. If you have been there, well, you know it’s worth a second (or eighth) visit. Located in the north of Israel, the culturally diverse area has an incredible amount to offer -- from picturesque wineries to richly historic cities like Akko and breathtaking views in almost every direction. The warmth and openness of the people working and living throughout the region immediately make you feel welcome. 

Below are just a handful of the highlights. For lots more, visit the site for Western Galilee Now, a nonprofit organization that aims to connect visitors with the amazing opportunities in the area. Its website features a detailed map of what to see, as well as an updated list of events. And be sure to take a virtual trip to some of the region's treasures in our photo gallery at the bottom of this post (hover over any image to spend more time on it). 

14 of the most unique ice cream flavors in Israel. Hummus anyone?

Photo: Anne Taillandier

Adam Ziv (left) and Alaa Sawitat, co-owners of Buza, in their Ma'alot Tarshiha shop. 

As part of our #JNF #SummerLovin series, we take you to an ice cream shop with a sweet backstory and some of the more unusual flavors you'll come across in Israel -- or anywhere. Have a lick! 

By Rachel Glago 

It’s official. We've found some of the most uniquely delicious ice cream in Israel, and it's in Ma'alot-Tarshiha, up north in the country's scenic Western Galilee. 

Friends Adam Ziv and Alaa Sawitat, a Jewish kibbutz resident and an Arab Muslim, co-founded Buza, the insanely delicious ice cream shop with spectacular flavors, whether they're in a cup, a cone, a mini-cone, or on a stick. Filled with gorgeous, vibrantly colored Moroccan-style tiles, Buza has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and is the perfect place to be on a hot Israeli summer day.