עברית
Flora Flourishing Cheese, Kibbutz Lotem
Photo: Haim Yosef
An artisanal dairy located in Kibbutz Lotem in the Galilee, specializing in the production of cheeses from sheep and goat milk. The dairy produces classic cheeses with French and Italian influences ― lactic cheeses, mold cheeses, rind-washed cheeses, hard cheeses, and soft cheeses.
Owner: Michal Benishti | Cheesemaker: Azi Miterni
Operating Hours: Thursday & Friday 9 am – 3 pm
Special for the Holidays: Launching a new cheese ― sheep’s brie cheese soaked in local brandy and coated in almond paste. We are bringing back a long-time favorite ― our goat’s cream cheese ― coated with candied orange peels.
Kosher Rabbinate Tzohar
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
Since at the dairy we both produce and host, there are two times that are the most beautiful of the day at the dairy. The first is the production time when the production hall is filled with milk from the cheese, in cheese molds that drip water and become Flora cheeses. In addition, there is a beauty in hosting, which is usually on Fridays when our hosting space is filled with guests who sit down for a meal with us and then everything feels complete and happy.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
They are all important to us, but if I had to choose, I think I would choose our Caprino cheese. Hard aged goat’s milk cheese. This cheese is completely clean with no spices or additives and is, in my opinion, the epitome of making cheese and letting the raw material and the art of the cheesemaker tell their story. It is a cheese that develops complex and umami flavors and is hard but melts like butter in the mouth. It always sells out first at the markets we participate in. It is loved by everyone and at the same time it has its own uniqueness.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
When you visit us, you see the cheese veterinarian. At a second glance, you see all the stainless steel pots and molds in the production hall in the back. Then you realize that we make the cheeses ourselves. Another minute passes and then you also realize that there is a menu to eat at the dairy that is purely cheese-based, which is surprising, unique, and intriguing. This wholeness of a place that produces itself and hosts closely with a gastronomic vision with a story of flavors and complexity is not something people expect.
Shavuot for you is…
As someone who has been living in the world of food for many years, long before I founded Flora, I know that Shavuot is a harvest festival, a festival of all the produce of the land, not just milk. It turned out that milk took a place of honor on this holiday and it is our opportunity to reach new people who are not familiar with our cheeses, which is always fun and gratifying to spread something that I believe in wholeheartedly.
Something funny or strange that happened to you with cheese that you still laugh about.
Two months before Purim, we made a blue cheese “Triple Cream”. This means that we made a cheese that we added cream to, and then pierced the cheese after about a month so that it would begin to perform anaerobic activity and the blue veins that characterize blue cheese would begin to form.
Right on Purim, we opened the cheese for a taste. It had a delightful and distinct blue flavor, but it was without the blue veins at all, so we called it a cheese in disguise.
Alto Dairy, Cafe & Deli, Kibbutz Shomrat
The Alto Dairy in Kibbutz Shomrat is a family love story for the craft of cheesemaking and creation. The cheeses are made from fine Galilean goat milk using traditional methods.
Owners: A family dairy owned by the Mazan family: Ariel (father) ― goat cheese production, Yonat (mother) ― general management, cafe operations, Avital (son) ― cheese production and delicatessen operations, Elial (daughter) ― baking sourdough breads and all cafe products, Yali (son) ― ice cream production, customer service, supplier, and cafe care.
Operating Hours: Until the eve of the holiday, Sunday to Wednesday 8:30 am – 5 pm. On the holiday eve open 8 am – 4 pm. The kitchen closes at 12:30 pm. Closed on holidays.
Special for the Holidays: Light kfir goat drink
Kosher Rabbinate of Mate Asher
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
The best time at Alto is the early morning, before the customers arrive. Since we, the family members who work at the dairy, arrive early in the morning, and everyone drinks their coffee at their workstation. Someone is at the cheese station, someone is in the bakery, someone is in the office, and someone is in the kitchen.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
Our goat kfir. It all started with the gibbon needing to restore its intestinal bacteria, and thus developed a probiotic and delicious product.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
People are surprised that we are a family who all work in the business together.
Shavuot for you is…
A crazy celebration of hard work.
Something funny or strange that happened to you with cheese that you still laugh about.
Our son, who is also the cheesemaker of Alto, had his headphones fall into the cheese, and ever since we’ve been laughing about the fact that there is a cheese that listened to a podcast.
The Dugma Farm in Amka is more than just a farm ― it is a living and exciting family story, offering a unique experience of agriculture, art, and love for people and animals.
Owners: A family business of the Dugma family: Yael (mother) ― Manager of the Dugma Dairy Visitor Center, Azriel (father) ― Cheesemaker, Avihai and Eyal (sons) ― farm managers.
Operating Hours: Sunday to Wednesday before the holiday 8 am – 6 pm, Shavuot Eve 8 am – 3 pm. Closed on holidays.
Kosher Mehadrin Rabbinate of Mate Asher
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
Our best time is between 11 am – 2 pm. This is the time when people from all over the region have already woken up and come to our store to shop. People come to us from all over the Galilee ― Karmiel, Akko, and Nahariya ― it makes us feel good to see everyone come to the store to buy our cheeses.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
Without hesitation, it is our Labaneh cheese, which is our flagship product. Customers say that our Labaneh is smooth, balanced in acidity, has a velvety texture, and is delicious. When the cheesemaker Azriel went to school, he chose to learn to make cheese and labaneh. At the beginning, he used to go around the villages in the Western Galilee to get feedback and everyone here in the Galilee, without exception, was very enthusiastic.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
The thing we hear the most from customers: Wow, we didn’t expect a place like this. We provide a comprehensive experience that combines a visit to the dairy, visitor center, and store.
Shavuot for you is…
Full of work!! I (Yael) have a birthday before Shavuot and I have been planning a trip for the whole family for a long time. I had to postpone the trip time and time again, because Shavuot at the dairy is a celebration.
Something funny or strange that happened to you with cheese that you still laugh about.
One day Azriel wanted to test how tasty our white cheese was and did a taste test for the cats. They went straight to our white cheese and ate it all the way through, and they didn’t touch the competitors’ ones. We filmed it, and to this day we watch the video and burst out laughing.
Is there a cow or goat that you are particularly attached to? Does it have a special story?
We have a goat in particular, and as soon as visitors arrive she asks to come out of her stall and demands attention from them. She wants to be petted, goes to the children, and really wants to play with them. She especially loves babies, because she knows that in their strollers she will always find food.
A cheese factory, delicatessen, and cafe based on fresh local produce. At the cheese factory, Oshi makes handmade sheep cheeses, using a traditional method and without preservatives — fresh, lactic, ripe, smoked, and aged cheeses. The cafe offers a menu built around the cheeses and based on local produce.
Owners: A family business of the Vitriol family: Oshi (mother) — dairy farmer, Yoav (father) — helps Oshi with production, marketing, and everything else, Milli (daughter) — a discharged soldier, helps and works in everything, Yali (daughter) — in the 10th grade — a family business, everyone helps with everything!
Operating Hours: Thursday 9 am – 2 pm, Friday & Saturday 10 am – 3 pm
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
The best time is around five or six in the morning. That’s when I’m alone, no phones, no distractions. Just me, the milk, and cheeses. It’s a wonderful moment of quiet communion.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
The Milli Cheese ― named after our eldest daughter. It’s a Camembert cheese, sometimes made from sheep’s milk and sometimes from goat’s milk. It has a blue vein, a perfect texture, and in my opinion, it’s a winning cheese. I fall in love with it every time.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
The colorful and happy design of the cafe ― the terrace, plants, and energy. Our idea was that everyone who comes would enjoy not only the cheeses but also the atmosphere. And that they would leave with a smile every time.
Shavuot for you is…
When the Cheese Festival and the Kibbutz Festival come together. On the kibbutz, we have a celebration in the dining room ― a ceremony, a dance by the kibbutz children, the babies born that year are presented… It’s a unique atmosphere that is difficult to replicate.
Goats With The Wind Dairy, Boacha Yodfat
A boutique dairy of organic goat cheeses, sourced from Amnon and Dalia’s goat farm on Mount ha-S’av, near the Boacha Yodfat complex.
Owners: A family business that includes Amnon, Dalia, and Penuel Zeldstein.
Operating Hours: 9:30 am – 4 pm on all holiday days, in the store located in the Boacha Yodfat complex.
Special for the Holidays: On the terrace of Goats With The Wind in Boacha Yodfat, facing the magnificent view, platters with a selection of goat cheeses and more will be served, as well as a surprising yogurt soup, rice leaves stuffed with ricotta. In addition, the new cheese ― Isabella with blue primrose flowers will be presented.
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
For us, every hour is good, as long as it’s not cleaning time… The most magical time for us is when we arrange the cheeses in the display refrigerator, then you see the versatility of the selection and the colorfulness of the cheeses.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
Isabella ― the beautiful goat. It’s a seemingly a Babybel cheese roll, but it goes through stages of ripening. Recently, we started adding blue daisies from Germany to it, which makes it a very beautiful cheese. Its uniqueness is also that it can arrive at all kinds of stages of ripening ― some people like it fresh and others half-ripened, or completely ripe. It even has a stage where it becomes a hard cheese like Parmesan, and then it’s called ― Isabella pasta because it’s grated over pasta.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
The reactions fall into two categories: one type that responds to the special smell of goat milk, which is very dominant. Either you like it or you don’t. The second thing that surprises people is our cheese refrigerator, which is full and overflowing with a variety of colorful and beautiful cheeses.
Shavuot for you is…
The Beaujolais of cheeses.
Something funny or strange that happened to you with cheese that you still laugh about.
When we started producing Isabella cheese ― the beautiful goat, a kindergarten class came to visit us, I made them taste the cheese, and one of the girls asked if we only make this cheese from beautiful goats.
Is there a cow or goat that you are particularly attached to? Does it have a special story?
We raise a special type of goat that the Bedouins call: the blue goats. These are goats from the Hindu tribe that have a special color, between gray and blue and we call them: the Hindi.
Owners: Naomi Stein ― Master Cheesemaker & Richard Stein ― Operations Manager
Operating Hours: Sunday to Thursday 9 am – 3 pm. Closed on holidays.
Kosher Rabbinate Misgav Regional Council
The Question Corner:
What is the best time of day at your dairy ― and why?
The best time is when the rind is cut and then the magic happens. We take fresh milk from the barn, add powder and liquid and wait 40 minutes and then the milk turns into cheese. This is the beginning of a wonderful process. It is truly meditative work.
One cheese that you make that you would like all of Israel to taste at least once ― and what is its story?
Hei (ה) ― A cheese that won a gold medal at the World Championship in Tours, France. This is the first cheese we made on the farm. A recipe that I also worked on to create the flavors and texture that are traditional in France in the Camembert style with the delicacy that Israelis love. Combining France and Israel in terms of flavors, it was a challenge to achieve this texture. It is a goat’s milk cheese with a white rind that has a milky heart in the center and creaminess under the rind that develops over time.
What is it that people don’t expect when they first visit you?
Part of our vision is to produce the best cheeses but also to build education and a love for cheese. The farm is really a school in this respect. People are surprised that they can watch the entire process ― from milking to ripening and are surprised by the professional experience they receive beyond tasting the cheeses.
Shavuot for you is…
Oh wow. Because my name is Naomi, I have a biblical connection to the Hebrew Bible and I feel connected to this holiday, which is very special. Shavuot is a very sacred moment for me, both religiously and as a family, sitting with the cheeses that I have put my heart into. A holiday that gives us the desire to do things as well as possible because it is a responsibility to be at the center of the table on this holiday.
Something funny or strange that happened to you with cheese that you still laugh about.
One of the first dates with my husband, I invited him to a cheese platter and a glass of wine. I was so proud of the cheeses that I chose to serve him ― each one has more character than the other. After a while, unfortunately, he was barely able to enjoy them, because they were strong flavors that he was unfamiliar with. I asked him what cheeses he was used to eating and he answered me ― cottage cheese and yellow cheese. To think now that we have a cheese farm and he talks about cheeses with more passion than me, is funny.
Is there a cow or goat that you are particularly attached to? Does it have a special story?
When I was milking, there was always one goat that would stand backwards in the line of goats. We called her “Loco” (crazy) because it was a nightmare to turn her around.
