Hanukkah is approaching in huge strides, and the bakeries and confectioneries are busy with final finishes for their special collections, each with its own special and complex toppings.
The demand is of course at its peak, both for the original product and its exaggerated versions, and of course for the vegan and gluten-free substitutes as well.
Along with all this, we have recently witnessed a particularly intriguing comeback of the donut - the juicy American competitor of the donut and sponge, which, among all the completely Israeli doughs, has found a respectable place for itself.
There are two reasons why this phenomenon is interesting and a bit unusual in the landscape.
First, it happens not only in dedicated independent businesses that specialize only in donuts, but also in the big food chains, writers and convenience stores.
Second, this is not a point increase towards Hanukkah, but an impressive increase that is measured throughout the year.
"One can assume that one of the main reasons why donuts have become a trend again is our desire for Israelis to consume things from abroad," says Eyal Revach, a pastry chef and content creator. Basic in other countries like donuts, so why not bring the style from here to here?
"Another aspect that I think is influential is the matter of fun and color," continues Profit. "This is exactly why the failure of the donuts in Israel in the past is irrelevant; all this aspect was not a factor compared to the current period, where you are constantly looking for the new and the different in desserts, and an old product that makes a comeback is considered new."
Eyal Revach, Photo: Nir Salkman
Dunkin 'donuts? A thing of the past
The most prominent and topical example of the return of the donut is actually two new products that have been on the market very recently - donuts with Milka and Oreo flavors, two sweet brands that are especially loved by the picky Israeli audience.
These are not donuts prepared in a restaurant or a spot-on dessert of any kind, but a kosher product produced abroad and marketed in all retail chains, food chains and convenience stores, in a single package or package.
The donuts are imported to Israel by Reut Vaknin and Mor Atias, the couple behind the company "Now Brand", which manufactures and imports many food products from around the world.
If you think that in our donut-loving country it is unnecessary to invest in importing donuts, pay attention to the data: Vaknin and Atias say that in 2020 about 3.5 million donuts were sold in Israel, most of them through their company by the way;
And this year, even before it ended, there was a 30 percent increase in sales, before Hanukkah and before the official launch of the new pair of products.
Donuts Milka and Oreo, Photo: Press
To some of you it may seem basic, but it's not obvious, especially considering the scorching failure of Dunkin 'Donuts in Israel in the past, and the fact that the Israeli audience did not fully connect to the product, compared to the sponge or donut, desserts that are "ours".
However, the two, who are responsible for importing many products that you all know, are confident in the success of the products, and as you have seen they are also backed by data that pretty much guarantees this success.
Spain, Germany, Israel
As part of our journey to explore the donut's comeback with the hole, we joined Reut and Moore in the German city of Berman, where the factory of the German food giant Baker & Baker, which produces these two products in a particularly complex process, is on a production line converted specifically for the Israeli public.
How complex?
Note this: in order for as many homes and businesses in Israel to reach as possible, the donuts must, as mentioned, be kosher.
This is not a simple procedure as they are baked in the German factory, but Oreo's cookie crumbs come from a factory in Spain, so these are two kosher supervisors who had to be sent specifically to oversee the whole process, in both places.
Not easy - but totally worth it.
Baker & Baker Factory in Bremen, Germany, Photo: PR
"We have created six production lines for us in the German factory that are intended exclusively for the Israeli market," says Vaknin.
"We clean them according to the strict standards required for a kosher production line, make the separation according to the requirements, and of course there is also a supervisor on our behalf. In addition, we also sent a supervisor to the Oreo plant in Spain to oversee the preparation of the crumbs there."
Moore Atias and Reut Vaknin, Photo: Imgart
The Baker & Baker plant we visited produces 78,000 donuts per hour, 1,872,000 a day, and works, except for the kosher lines of course, 24 hours a day.
Baking time for one unit is four and a half hours, which includes the entire process - puffing, frying and baking.
The donuts are then packaged and frozen, and so they are also shipped to the country and other countries.
Indeed, the donuts are eaten thawed, and before you shy away, we are told that their thawed and heated taste is exactly the same as the fresh taste due to the quality of the raw ingredients, so you can leave them in the fridge and eat them two or three days later, and feel comfortable with it.
"Israel is a fashionable and trendy destination"
The tour of the factory, which was fascinating in itself, also included a zoom conversation with John Lindsay, CEO of the company that is considered one of the largest bakery manufacturers in the world, and donuts in particular. Donuts are growing significantly across Europe, "says Lindsay." This is happening in parallel with the increase in demand for vegan or gluten-free products.
We also produce these, of course, but the demand for donuts is still amazing and surprising every year. "
The large quantities of donuts sold in Israel, certainly in relation to the number of residents here, make Moore and Reut's "Neubrand" company a significant customer for the giant company.
"Israel is a fashionable and trendy country," Lindsay continues.
On the two new products that are expected to capture quite a significant market share here in Israel, he said: "We launched them for the first time in 2019 in individual packages, shortly before the corona virus broke out and made products that come closed and individually packaged much more sought after. for example.
It is filled with cream and coated with cookies, more contemporary and more delicious and delicious. "
At the end of the article we kept, of course, the most important issue: Are the donuts here to stay or is this another passing trend?
The general direction seems to be entirely to stay.
"The donut is very close in taste to a lot of desserts and other pastries that Israelis like," Vaknin concludes. What is the next thing we are going to bring and we are sure it will be a hit. "
The writer was a guest at NeoBrand