Iza Pziza dairy boutique, visitor center and much more

בס"ד

At Moshav Tal Shahar, near Beit Shemesh, the dairy boutique of Iza Pziza in Zaban farm is located. Under one roof, you can enjoy various attractions for the whole family, from a visitor center and goat pen to a cheese workshop and other delights.

It all started in 2005 when Dror Zaban decided to open his home to 25 young goats. With great care, the herd soon grew to 100 friendly and curious goats searching for human closeness.

A year later, Alon Zaban, Dror's brother, returned with his family to Israel after a few years in Finland and joined his brother in caring for the herd until they eventually remained under his full supervision.

Iza Pziza visitor center is located in a beautiful rural location. We came to review the place and started our visit with a small demonstration of cheese-making guided by the lovely Merav. She explained and demonstrated the Circassian cheese-making process with excellent knowledge and patience. You can make wonderful cheese with just a few simple ingredients - milk, yogurt, vinegar, and salt.

As I mentioned earlier, we only got a sample of the workshop, but in the regular workshops, you can make your own cheese and season it to your liking. It was an educational and interesting experience, and taking home a cheese you made on your own is very satisfying.

Then we continued to the goat pen, where we learned much about them. Goats are tranquil animals, but they do have a great appetite. They eat around the clock and even get a good afternoon nap. Because they are found in a safe environment, you can see a goat or two chilling around on their back.

Like many animals in the wild, so does goats have a leader. However, in Iza Pziza ("reckless goat"), two goats managed to depose the leading goat - Nehama, and now they are fighting for the throne. 

Look How she smiles to the camera

Apparently, a doe has a beard too

A coop is located near the pen for the well-being of the goats. The chickens help reduce the use of pest control substances by eating any parasites and fleas that may be there.

We entered the pregnant goats' pen, and one of the goats enjoyed munching my bag repeatedly. Merav answered our questions pleasantly throughout the entire tour, and overall the tour was fascinating and fun.

At the end of the tour, we went to the visitor center and saw the cheese room through a display window. Entry is prohibited due to sterile reasons. Two are responsible for the cheese making - Alon, the head cheese maker, and Oren.

Afterward, we sat near one of the rustic tables inside the visitor center, enjoying a wonderful view, and tasting a beautiful cheese platter with olives, dips, and dulce de leche yogurt, all manufactured on-site.

We tasted the Brie with chestnut charcoal, which is good for the digestion system, Camembert, "Aviv" cheese, aged feta-style cheese, and "Roni" cheese, a Manchego-style cheese with chili. Everything was so good, and the dips - pesto, goat labaneh cheese, goat dulce de leche, and the farm olives, were simply great.

For dessert, we had yogurt with goat dulce de leche which was just perfect! And, of course, the cheese we made in the workshop was so beautiful and delicious. I highly recommend it!

Besides visiting the goats and feeding and petting them, you can enjoy a variety of tours and courses whether you want to learn how to make a simple cheese or master and specialize in cheese making. 

You can buy products on-site and have a picnic in the area. Whether on the benches in the outside area or bring a blanket to sit on the grass.

Every Friday, you can also enjoy a celebration of activities with music, hoops, freshly made hummus, and a mobile workshop for the whole family with the lovely Liat Tzuberi, owner of "Simply Nature". At the end of the workshop, you get to keep your creations, and you can also buy one of Liat's creations.

Iza Pziza

Location: Search "Iza Pziza" on Waze.

Kosher: Kosher Lemehadrin

Parking: Plenty of free parking on site

Opening Hours: Sun-Thu: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM for shopping and sitting, Fri: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM.

Guided tours (in English and Hebrew), workshops, and courses must be coordinated in advance.

For more details: 08-6102876 or on their website here.