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Pastry
offered at public gatherings and family celebrations.
Something to celebrate
When it comes to celebrations, Israel’s calendar is filled
with national holidays and Jewish festivals, many of
which have a special type of dessert associated with
them. The start of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year),
usually in September, is heralded with honey cake. To
augur a sweet year, not only do celebrants dig into the
honey cake, but they also dip apples into honey, as well
as their ritual pieces of challah.
October finds the
country dotted with
succas to honor the
holiday of Succot,
or the Feast of
Tabernacles. Here, fruit
plays a big role in the
celebration, with fresh
fruit hung from succa
ceilings and served on
large platters. In fact,
more than forty types
of fruit are grown in
Israel. The citrus fruits
grown here include
oranges, grapefruit,
tangerines and the
pomelit, a hybrid
of grapefruit and
pomelo, developed
in Israel. Other fruits
grown locally include
bananas, apples,
cherries, plums, grapes,
dates, strawberries,
pomegranates, persimmon,
loquats, and
of course, the prickly
pear or sabra, from
which native Israelis
(Sabras) derive their
name. Why? Because
like the fruit, they’re
tough on the outside but sweet on the inside. On
average, Israelis consume an annual 350 pounds (160
kilos) of fruit per person, be it in its raw form or baked
into a delicious dessert.
In the realm of delicious desserts, Israeli bakeries
and patisseries pull out all the stops in December
when Chanukah comes around. The Festival of Lights
becomes a festival of delights as the miracle of the
oil of antiquity spills over to the modern-day miracle
of sufganiyot (doughnuts) but without the hole in
The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel
Spring-Summer 2011
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the middle. Bakeries vie to offer the tastiest and most
original varieties of these round, deep-fried delights.
The chilly air is infused with the warm aroma of freshly
baked sufganiyot, which are filled with everything
from the traditional strawberry jelly to chocolate cream,
vanilla cream, butterscotch, Bavarian cream, dulce de
leche, amaretto or cappuccino. In keeping with global
health trends, many bakeries also offer mini versions,
with more healthful fillings and toppings.
In March, Purim brings with it another tradition and another
special dessert. Not as diverse or indulgent as sufganiyot
but just as plentiful, hamantaschen (Haman’s pockets), or
ozneihaman (Haman’s
ears), are cookie
dough triangles filled
with poppy seed or
prune puree.
In the spring, Passover
presents a challenging
foray into the world
of cakes and pastries,
as according to Jewish
religion it is forbidden
to eat any form of
wheat or grain during
the eight-day holiday.
Thus, using matza
meal and potato
starch, bakeries and
patisseries work their
magic to conjure up
pastries, cakes, and
cookies that stick
to the strictures and
please the palate.
In years gone by,
sponge cake, coconut
macaroons and nutbased
cookies were
the all-too familiar
Passover fare, but
today’s bakers and
pastry chefs have
turned the corner and
produce a plethora of
cakes and pastries that are rich and flavorful.
Among the Sephardic community, the evening that
Passover ends is celebrated by Mimouna, a tradition
where people open their homes to their neighbors and
serve a feast of pastries, fruit and confections. The first
item of leaven to be eaten that night is a mofletta, a thin
crepe that is drizzled with honey, syrup or jam.
In June, cheesecake is the order of the day. On the
holiday of Shavuot, it is traditional to eat only dairy,
so any dessert made with milk, butter, cream and/or