[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — If you have never had a Krembo, you are missing out on a taste delight. It is one of Israel's most famous and delicious snacks/desserts, only available in the winter, from October to February. I do not know why it is only available then. My guess is that it would melt into nothingness in Israel's heat the rest of the year. It is often described as a chocolate-covered marshmallow biscuit. But marshmallow is heavier and chewy. Krembo is more of a sweet fluffy cream that melts in your mouth like whipped cream, but not the same consistency. It is thicker and has more substance. It is sort of like biting into a cloud. The cream sits on top of a biscuit, and the entire Krembo is dipped into chocolate that forms a thin shell-like coating, similar to the chocolate coating on ice cream bars and frozen bananas. Krembos are actually exported to the U.S., but usually only kosher or Jewish markets sell them. It is difficult to describe a Krembo because it is so unique. What a treat!
Time for Breakfast
Another sweet Israeli dessert is a Milky, which is sort of a chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top, served in a container like yogurt. It supposedly is the most “successful dairy dessert” in Israel. It also comes in several versions such as aerated, with sprinkles on top, and a combination vanilla and chocolate cream. Although a dessert, it is found in the dairy section of the market along side yogurts. Often it is considered more than a snack, but a breakfast food. What a way to start the day! Milky is also available in the U.S. at kosher markets.
Another Israeli snack beloved by the people here are Bamba, sort of like “cheez doodles,” but made from peanut butter-flavored puffed corn instead of cheese. It is so popular in Israel that it makes up one-quarter of all the snacks sold here. And like Krembo, it can melt in your mouth. Another popular snack is Bissli which is also hard to describe. Shaped like various pasta noodles, it also comes in many flavors. There are grill-, barbecue-, onion-, pizza-, falafel-, taco-, smoky- and hamburger flavored Bissli and shapes such as wheels, hoops, small hollow tubes and corkscrews. All are crunchy, but can also melt in your mouth. Again, both are available at kosher or Israeli markets in the U.S.
What About ‘Israeli’ Foods?
Something that melts in your mouth is not an Israeli prerequisite. Most people are familiar with the Mediterranean dish couscous. But Israel has its own couscous called “Pititim,” which is really a pasta shaped like tiny round ball bearings. It came about at the request of Israel's first Prime Minister, Ben Gurion, and is also known as “Israeli couscous” and “Ben Gurion's rice” because it was invented to be a substitute for rice that was scarce at the time. It is actually made from wheat, and it tastes nothing like couscous. Also it is available in the U.S., and can be found in the kosher or Jewish section of most regular U.S. markets. I regularly served it as a side dish when I was still in the states.
Israel has several other foods that are thought of as Israeli, like falafel, shwarma, hummus, and tahina, but although adopted and adapted by Israelis, they are not uniquely Israeli. Mediterranean countries and surrounding Arab nations also love these dishes. Even “Israeli salad” is not an Israeli dish! Since so many Israelis today come from just about every country in the world, many brought with them recipes and food from their country of origin.
Some interesting “Israeli” foods brought from other areas are: amba, a tangy mango pickle brought to Israel by Iraqi and Indian Jews, often served in a pita with shwarma; jachnun, a thick rolled dough that bakes all night, brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews and often served on Shabbat morning; malawah, a fried pancake-like puff pastry bread also brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews; matbucha, a cooked dish of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and chili brought by Jews from Morocco, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia; mufletta, a crepe-like dough served with butter and honey or jam brought from Moroccan Jews, and it is eaten the day after the Passover holiday ends; and there is ful (pronounced like “fool”), which is a fava bean dish brought to Israel by Egyptian and Ethiopian Jews.
Traditional noodle kugels, known to so many Jews in the states, were brought to the U.S. and Israel from German Jews (usually medium to wide noodles baked with a mixture of beaten eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla; my cousin in Connecticut makes the best), and from Polish Jews (medium to wide noodles baked with beaten eggs, cinnamon, raisins, pineapple and sugar; my grandmother's version has yet to be surpassed). Yet Israel has its own savory Israeli version called “Jerusalem kugel” (thin or vermicelli-type noodles baked with beaten eggs, sugar and black pepper). And not to forget potato kugel, often served on Shabbat.
Of course, I love most Israeli food, especially the 100-plus kinds of eggplant dishes. There isn't an Israeli table that does not have some kind of eggplant dish on it. Many people who think they do not like eggplant fall in love with some of these versions of eggplant dishes because they have no idea that they are eating eggplant!
Are you as hungry as I am at this point?
L'hitraot. Shachar
