The gorgeous beaches of Haifa and Tel Aviv may be found on the west coast. To the south, you will be lost in the huge Negev Desert, which occupies more than half of the country’s surface. The Dead Sea is located in the east and has the lowest elevation (1,400 feet below sea level) and the saltiest water (34 percent salinity, 10 times saltier than the ocean), allowing you to float freely. To the north, the verdant hills and valleys of the Galilee area, where a billion migrating birds spend the winter, would astound you. Israel’s cuisine is fresh, flavorful, and nutritious. This Land of Milk and Honey grows a wide range of organic produce, which is supplied as fresh ingredients in restaurants and homes around the country, thanks to the Mediterranean environment and innovative farming practices. Breakfast in Israel is often served with fresh fruit juice, eggs, salad, cheese, tea, or coffee. They generally serve falafel (deep-fried chickpea balls), hummus (puréed chickpea paste), pita bread (Israeli “national bread”), and shwarma for dinner and lunch (grilled lamb or other meat). And, being a crossroads nation, Israel provides an incredible variety of cuisines, from Jewish to Palestinian to Turkish, and even Thai or Mexican in Tel Aviv’s streets.