Travel and food are undeniably intertwined. You don’t need to be an avid watcher of Parts Unknown or Somebody Feed Phil to envision sipping hot, fragrant chai in India or indulging in a bite of creamy chocolate in Mexico. Eiman Behmanesh certainly could.

“I realized that travel and ethnic cuisine had become a substantial part of my and my friend’s lives,” he said. “Topics of conversation increasingly revolved around the next travel destination or ethnic dishes, and the idea of exploring a new country and learning about a different culture through food is what excited us most.”

Eiman felt like he could tap into this passion—one which seemed to resonate with many people in his generation—and in turn, Makabi & Sons was born.