7 Best Israeli Snacks Every Visitor Must Try: A Local’s Guide

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One of my favorite things when traveling is to try local snacks. There is no greater joy than heading into a minimarket and perusing the trays of local chocolate flavors or locally produced soft drinks.

For countless reasons, Israel is one of the most unique countries in the world. From ancient archaeological sites to the modern face of the world’s only Jewish country, Israel is unlike anywhere else on the planet. Modern Jerusalem and Tel Aviv may be famous for architecture, bustling markets, the best breakfast trays and some trendy hipster neighborhoods, but as soon as you enter the supermarket, you’ll find a whole new world full of unique Israeli snacks.

It’s no secret that Israel is an expensive place for travelers. While budget-conscious travelers may want to avoid Tel Aviv’s fine dining and stick with Israeli street food, I always recommend getting stuck into the extremely addictive array of Israeli snacks.

Almost all of the snacks in this list can be found in local mini-markets (the מכולת or makolet in Hebrew), supermarkets and gas stations. With that, here is my ultimate guide to Israeli snacks every visitor must try.

1. Bamba

If there is one Israeli snack you must try, it’s the iconic bamba. These puffed peanut snacks are an Israeli institution – with a direct role in shaping Israeli society. Almost every Israeli kid grows up with a bag of bamba in their hand. Recent studies have shown that, due to early exposure to peanuts, Israeli children are 80% less likely to develop peanut allergies compared to other comparable societies.

There’s multiple ways to eat bamba: either just crunch away, or let the puffs sit on your tongue and literally melt. Peanut puffs may be an acquired taste, but I’m not sure you can say you’ve really been to Israel if you haven’t munched through a bag of bamba. Preferably at the beach.

If you’re already an expert in the best Israeli snacks, try your hand at the latest upgrade: bamba stuffed with nougat. I have to say, though, the nougat filled version will literally convert even the most hesitant bamba sceptic.

2. Bissli

If there’s one Israeli snack which can rival bamba for its iconic status, it’s bissli. These flavored glutenous snacks are the Israeli answer to potato chips or corn chips. Bissli come in a number of flavors: barbecue, grill, pizza, falafel and onion.

Each flavor of bissli has its own packaging colors and shape, which haven’t changed in decades. It’s no secret the Middle East is full of strong, uncompromising opinions. Bissli flavor rankings are no different: every Israeli will have an opinion on this. Before declaring your bissli flavor loyalties, it’s best to size up your crowd’s rankings.

3. Krembo

This Israeli snack is traditionally eaten in winter, but you can sometimes find it in mini-markets throughout the year. Krembos consist of a thin biscuit base, topped with a generous pile of marshmallow cream, all coated in a thin layer of dark chocolate. Local legends claim each krembo is individually wrapped because of fragility of the thin chocolate layer.

It’s not uncommon to see Israeli kids lifting up the tall krembo to their face, often leaving a small chocolate mark on the nose. It would be remiss to visit Israel and not get your nose dirty, too.

The big debate surrounding krembos is how to eat your krembo: do you bite the top off first? Or do you attempt to get a little bit of every flavor in one go? It’s the Israeli version of the age-old jam-on-cream or cream-on-jam dilemma in the UK for scones.

4. Milky

You’ll eat well in Israel no matter where you go. But in my opinion, Israel’s dairy products are some of the best in the world. If you’re a cheese and yoghurt kind of person, you’ll want to spend some time looking through the supermarket aisles.

Milky leans more on the fun side of Israel’s dairy offerings. Milky is one of the most iconic Israeli snacks (or breakfast-on-the-go). A rich chocolate pudding topped with the perfect bite-size amount of whipped cream. It’s rich, decadent and the ideal morning indulgence. But don’t worry, it’s also only a few bites and it’s kind of healthy (dairy = calcium, right?).

In recent years, Milky has come to represent the rising cost of living in Israel. In 2014, a media controversy arose – the so-called ‘Milky Protest‘ – over a viral Facebook page which compared Berlin supermarket costs to the price of Milky in Israel.

Akin to Bissli, Milky is also the source of much domestic debate. To mix or not to mix, that is the question.

5. Shoko ba’sakit

Few things scream an Israeli childhood more than shoko ba’sakit. This one is all in the name, which literally translates as: chocolate in a bag. It seems like it was just yesterday that all milk in Israel was served in a bag. You probably won’t believe me, but chocolate milk tastes infinitely better in a bag.

As you head into any Israeli supermarket, make your way to the dairy section where you’ll usually find a small crate on the bottom shelf full of loose-leaf bags of chocolate milk. The complete shoko ba’sakit experience begins with the ritualistic bite of a tiny hole in the bag corner.

It can take years to perfect biting the correct size hole, so if it’s your first time don’t beat yourself up over a less-than-perfect bite. No straws, no glasses; just you and a plastic bag of chocolate-y goodness.

6. Garinim

Garinim, or sunflower seeds, aren’t exactly a uniquely Israeli snack. Much like other Middle Eastern countries, cracking sunflower seeds is a common sight across Israel. Whether it’s an elderly man at the beach or an accompaniment to a beer at one of the hip bars in the Carmel Market, the sound of someone cracking sunflower seeds is part of the Israel experience.

Depending on your Middle East travel credentials, you’ll either love making your way through a salty bag, or you’ll drive yourself crazy attempting to crack them just right.

7. Shuk candy

From Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market to Tel Aviv‘s Carmel Market, you simply won’t be able to escape the mounds of sugary candies on offer. I think Israel’s markets are home to some of the best Israeli street food. But if, like me, you have a serious sugar problem, this ‘snack’ is for you (I use that term generously).

Shuk candy is an umbrella term for all types of gooey, gummy candies: cola bottles, bears, sour worms, various licorices, rainbow strings and pretty much everything you can imagine. Everyone has their go-to shuk gummies (or lollies, as Australians call them) and my bags are usually heavy on the darkly colored wine drops and strawberry dimples.

Due to various Kosher laws surrounding gelatin, shuk candy is generally made in Israel. This means that, unlike the candies you pick up in other countries, shuk candy is generally much more fresh. Now you probably think I’m mad given how many preservatives and generally terrible things are inside candy, but you’ll believe me once you fill up a bag yourself.

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