In case you have Israeli friends, or ever dream of going to the wonderful little country, I have collected a list of my personal favorite Israeli snacks and foods that you can easily find on your international journey. This list in not in any specific order, however, because they are all equally delicious and deserve first place in tastiness. If you are Israeli—or not—I’m sure this list will make you crave some of these items.
Kariot
Have you ever heard of Krave cereal? If so, this cereal logo is sure to look familiar. The difference? The numerous flavors that are within the crunchy pillows (ex. chocolate, vanilla, nougat). Israel was the OG to introduce chocolate or vanilla-filled cereal to the world, and even though other countries tried to produce the same item, you can never beat the original.
Milky
When in Israel, dairy products are the best way to go. One of the top yogurts everyone is eating for breakfast, lunch, or even an after dinner snack is known as Milky. Milky yogurt isn’t just one specific yogurt though, there are many flavors (including chocolate, vanilla, and caramel) and even more kinds of toppings, such as chocolate/vanilla rolls and rainbow chocolate pieces.
Manamim
Maybe it’s an Israeli thing, or maybe not, but we seem to eat A LOT of wafers on a daily basis. These delicious wafers are known as Manamim, chocolate covered wafers that are traditionally eaten beside coffee or tea, or with ice cream. From a young age, my family has eaten these and there has never been a moment without Manamim in the fridge.
Bamba
Ah... Bamba. I remember having this snack in my hands every day in Israel. This Israeli snack was initially created for children, sporting a cartoon baby on the front of the package. Bamba are small corn puff-shaped pieces made of peanut butter, and it floods the supermarkets and convenient stores around Israel.
Bissli
Bissli is created by the same company as Bamba, known as Osem, so you already know it's gonna be good. These snacks are known to be more popular among the older kids rather than the babies and children of Israel. Bissli has many flavors, but you must check out my favorite, the pizza-flavored Bissli.
As it may be seen from the photo, these look very similar to the American snack Bugles and have a very similar taste as well. Although I prefer Apropo, it is very difficult to distinguish it from Bugles, as both are tasty.
Shkedei Marak
The last food item by Osem I will mention is known as Shkedei Marak, which rougly translates to “soup mandels” in English. This snack can be eaten by itself, but is more commonly put into homemade soup to create a crunchy texture and taste. They appear to be small yellow squares and have a taste similar to croutons. Once you start putting these in soups, you will never go back to plain soup.
Pesek Zman
Finally, the chocolates! Let's start with Pesek Zman, which translates to “Time out.” These chocolates are similar to the American KitKat, but with a different wafer inside and multiple cubes to break off rather than two rectangular pieces. It is delicious, and by far my favorite chocolate to get when in Israel.
Mekupelet
Another chocolate—created by the same company as Pesek Zman (known as Elite)—has many variations around the world but all with a slightly different taste. My sister likes to call this chocolate "tree branch" for its structure and appearance. The chocolate bar breaks into pieces easily, and melts in your mouth as soon as it touches your tongue.
Iced Aroma with Cookies
Yes, this isn’t a snack, but it may as well be one. Aroma Espresso Bar, a small cafe serving breakfast and lunch, has a special item on its menu known as Iced Aroma. The best part is that you can add cookies to this coffee shake, creating a smooth ice cream texture, and breaking the scales of deliciousness.
Fortunately for us, Aroma has come to North America, so if you're interested be sure to check out the awesome article. But otherwise, Israel produces foods and snacks for every taste, and you can find almost every snack in any supermarket. Israeli snacks are by far my favorite snacks, so I'm sure you will find something that you enjoy too!