As Hanukkah season is almost upon us, we thought it might be the time to guide you in the right direction of the best donuts (known as sufganyot in Hebrew) in Israel.
Of course, you can find donuts in almost any bakery in Israel at this time of year, but most will simply serve up the standard donuts filled with that sickly sweet jam filling so common to Israeli donuts. We went on the hunt for real donuts, filled with something a little je ne sais quoi, and came up with these three leading lights…
Roladin
What can we say that hasn’t been said about Roladin donuts? They are the King of Donuts come Hanukkah time, and are renowned for their lavish toppings. This year they’ve outdone themselves with some cocktail inspired concoctions with chasers on the side (that you squirt into the donuts), including the saucy little Vodka Double Espresso. Prices range from 4.5 to 9 shekels per donut. They have branches throughout the country (most are Kosher), check their website for details (only in Hebrew unfortunately).
www.roladin.co.il
Mr Donuts
A fairly recent addition to the donut scene in Israel, we’ve chosen them for two reasons: they are available in many locations (including many gas stations throughout the country – check their website for details), and they are also less calorie filled thanks to an innovative cooking method (they claim their average donut is between 180-240 calories). They also claim an “Original American Formula” is behind their tastiness, but who knows, or really cares…
www.donuts.co.il
Ben Ami
A more refined location for your donut fix, this chain of small, neighborhood cafes is a great choice to meet your calorie quota. The donuts are not as exotic as our other two recommendations, but definitely one to add to the list. All cafes are Kosher.
www.benami.co.il
****************
Honorable mentions should also go to Neeman’s, who have been around for donkeys years (see their website), and Kurtosh (see their website). Both have branches throughout the country.
And a specially honorable mention goes to the gluten-free donuts over at Aditta’s (only in Tel Aviv).