Preparing a list of foods that I would like to bring home from Israel was a bit of a challenge. In Israel, a large number of cultures mix, and I often had the opportunity to taste many delicacies in their native country. However, three foods eventually found their place on the list.
Bisli is an Israeli snack in the shape of pasta, made from flavored wheat flour. In Israel, bisli is very popular, ranking as the second most common type of “crisps”. One small package cost 3 shekels, which is approximately 0.80 EUR.
Bamba is peanut puffs. In Israel, bamba is extremely popular, holding a quarter share of the salty snack market since 1964, which is impressive. It is made from puffed corn with a peanut butter flavor. However, kosher bamba, strawberry-flavored bamba, chocolate-flavored bamba, onion-flavored bamba, and caramel-flavored bamba are also available. One package cost 5 shekels in the supermarket, which is approximately 1.40 EUR.
The last product I wanted to bring from Israel was ptitim. Ptitim is a rice-shaped pasta similar to tarhonia. In Israel, they were invented at the request of Prime Minister Ben Gurion during the 1950s when there was a shortage of rice and a substitute was sought. The food company Osem developed ptitim – roasted pasta made from wheat flour that looked like rice. That’s why ptitim is sometimes called “Ben Gurion’s rice”. However, it can also be referred to as Israeli (or Jerusalem) couscous. A half-kilo package of ptitim can be purchased in a supermarket for 8 shekels, which is approximately 2.20 EUR.
