THE NUMBER TWO SNACK IN ISRAEL ACCORDING TO JANGLO

2. KREMBO, Strauss/Unilever

This chocolate-covered, marshmallow cream-topped cookie treat is referred to as Israel’s national winter snack. The name means “cream in it” in Hebrew. Some 50 million Krembos roll off the manufacturing lines in Israel between October and February (the treat melts in hot temperatures).

Each Krembo is hand-wrapped in crinkly foil. This portable s’mores treat comes in vanilla and mocha flavors, with vanilla being the more popular by far. And the treat is so well loved that it has made cultural appearances in Israeli films, television shows and songs. In the Hebrew version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Dumbledore’s favorite treat is a Krembo instead of a sherbet lemon.

There are YouTube videos of how it should be eaten. Strauss, the country’s leading Krembo producer, published a study that shows 69% of Israelis prefer to eat the treat from the top down.

You can buy individual Krembos or packs of 10 at grocery and convenience stores. Upscale restaurants and ice cream parlors often offer a fancy version of the Krembo on their winter dessert menus.