Last updated November 23rd 2015

We are back with a new Secret Tel Aviv ‘Olim Business of the Week’ – every week we try to speak with an awesome Olim Business, to learn more about the founders and the business, how they got started, and what tips they can offer any other Olim looking to start up their own business…

… and this week we are with Inbal Baum from the super-tasty Delicious Israel! Delicious Israel offers culinary tours of Tel Aviv and Israel – you can book her tours through the Secret Tel Aviv Tours section on our website!

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Hey Inbal, thanks for taking part! To whet the appetite, can you tell us a little about what made you make aliyah?

As my parents are both Israeli, I grew up very connected to the country. My earliest and most joyous memories from my childhood are family trips to Israel where, naturally, my savta (grandma) would be stuffing our faces with food. Growing up, I equated Israel with love, family, and good food. So it really was only a matter of timing, which took being miserable working as an attorney in New York to finally follow my heart. Although the first few years of my transition were really challenging, once I started Delicious Israel, my experience with the country shifted. Getting to view Israel through the eyes of my tourist clients and to spend my days with my vendor friends in the markets, I am reminded each and every day why I love this country.

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So after being in Israel for a few years, you set up Delicious Israel?

Once I left my job as a lawyer, I made a commitment to do what I love. It took time for me to really grasp what that was, which for me is hosting and getting to connect visitors with the locals and provide a sensory-oriented experience that will become a strong memory of their time in Israel. I am blessed – I do what I love and make a living from it. Having always been involved with Israel advocacy, I feel like I am doing my part to make Israel a place that makes sense for me to live and have a family.


What is it that makes Delicious Israel so special?

Delicious Israel has become the source of culinary expertise, both for visitors and people looking to learn about Israeli cuisine. I am so proud to receive daily emails from Singapore, San Francisco, or Belgium from interested people wanting to know where are the hot spots for upcoming visits, or requesting a shakshuka recipe from my favorite backstreet stop in the Yemenite Quarter.

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There are a lot of budding entrepreneurs in Secret Tel Aviv but often we don’t know where to start. What tips have you got for Olim wanting to set up their own business?

Find a mentor (preferably an Israeli) for support (emotional, administrative, etc). Collaborate – if there are people who are already doing what you are doing, you may or may not need to reinvent the wheel.


The question I’ve been most looking forward to… what are some of your favourite Secret places in Tel Aviv…

My favorite malabi is at the corner of Levinsky and Nahalat Binyamin from a juice vendor. He puts fresh pomegranate and shaved roasted coconut on top. And he is the sweetest man ever. Speaking of Levinsky, in case you haven’t had Benny’s Gazoz, be sure to check it out!

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p.s. if you live here, be sure to check out our Shuk + Cook cooking experiences and Shabbat with Friends dinners. For your visiting friends and family, leave them in our capable hands while you are at work/school!

Thanks a lot Inbal!

Delicious Israel offers culinary tours of Tel Aviv and Israel – you can book her tours through the Secret Tel Aviv Tours section on our website!