Shkedei marak
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | Soup mandel |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Details | |
| Main ingredient(s) | Flour, palm oil |
Shkedei marak (Hebrew: שקדי מרק, literally soup almonds), known as "soup mandel" in the United States,[1] is an Israeli food product consisting of crisp mini croutons used as a soup accompaniment. Shkedei marak are small yellow squares made from flour and palm oil. As a parve product, they can be used in either meat or cream soups. Despite the name, they contain no almonds.
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Etymology[edit]
The word mandlach is the plural diminutive of mandel, which means "almond" in German and Yiddish.
History[edit]
Although today shkedei marak are manufactured, they are based on the homemade crispy-fried squares of dough known as mandlach traditionally served with chicken soup by Ashkenazi Jews.
Marketing[edit]
For many years Osem was the exclusive manufacturer of shkedei marak in Israel, but today the product is also marketed by other Israeli food companies, such as Vita and Knorr.[2] Davidovich Bakery & Sons located near Haifa also produces and packages soup almonds under a variety of brand names.[3] Over the years, food companies have experimented with different shapes for shkedei marak, including stars, rings, and little fish.[4] Today only the original squares survive. In addition to their use in soups, shkedei marak are eaten plain as a snack food.
References[edit]
- ^ Shkedei marak marketed as Soup Mandel in the U.S.
- ^ Shkedei marak: a new Knorr product
- ^ Davidovich Bakery & Sons: company web site
- ^ Fish-shaped mini mandels on Osem web site (type "mandel" in search field)
