Our last day in Israel had its perks. While visiting the highly touristy Machane Yehudah Market, we were guided by Asaf, a Jerusalem native who promised us the best tasting experience we would get on our trip. We started by learning a popular song written by Israel’s most known band, “Hadag Nachash” that was written about Friday nights in the city of Jerusalem. We continued our busy last day with a taste-testing activity throughout the shuk. Starting at Asaf’s favorite a ladle spot in the country, we were greeted by the co-owners of the stand who insisted that the 25 of us would all squeeze in to their kitchen where they make the “best falafel in Israel”! After tasting the falafel right out of the burning oil, I would definitely have to agree that the falafel really did exceed my expectations. Our next stop was a pita place that had a very special technique to make their fluffy pita bread. They rolled out a big round price of dough and stuck it right at the top of the oven. When it bubbled up and got crispy, it was ready to serve with a sprinkle of olive oil, zaatar and sesame seeds. Our next stops included a spice stand, halva shop with over one hundred different flavors, a Georgian restaurant where we tasted a dish called khachapuri, and a gelato stand. We concluded our taste tour with a juice place that made healthy (non-alcoholic) shots in different flavors which boosted our energy for the rest of the long day. We finished by getting about twenty minutes of free time to walk around and explore the sides of the market that we didn’t get to see. Touring Machane Yehudah in this way made the experience so fun and different and made for an incredible last day.