Gonen (Goni) Avidor had a dream: to renovate an old train car he found, preserving as much of its original design as possible. In his research, he discovered that the wagon, built in 1957, was previously used to transport citrus. Avidor and his wife, Adi, parked it in front of their family’s myrtle field in Moshav Kidmat Tzvi in the Golan Heights. This marked the founding of the local bakery, Samsam, named after the Circassian-Syrian village that was once nearby. The bakery is a true family affair. Adi’s sister Noam Sharon is responsible for the pastries. 

Local food advocate Yasmin Shenhav notes: “A core value of the bakery is using local and seasonal ingredients, sourced from nearby farmers. Here, you can find offerings like a polenta cake, chard and chili pastry, citrus sponge cake with candied apricots, thyme and hazelnuts, or a warm basbousa cake served with orange coulis (in winter) or cherries (in summer), oregano, and olive oil.”

Outdoor seating area, Photo: Noam Prisman

Shir Ben Muvchar, owner of Market Eat, adds: “On the shelves of the beautiful train car, you’ll find cookies, cakes, and challah (on Fridays), as well as interesting pantry items from producers in the Galilee and the Golan. These include honey, wine, jams, drinks, avocado oil, and olive oil.”