Hanukkah’s Fried Food Tradition Gets Light Makeover

It’s the fattiest -- and for some, the tastiest -- of Jewish holidays. For time immemorial, Jews around the world have celebrated Hanukkah by eating jelly doughnuts and pancakes fried in oil to commemorate a miracle: a small flask of oil lasted long enough to light Jerusalem’s holiest temple for eight days in an uprising against the Greek more than 2,000 years ago. Lately, some followers have started worrying about what the frying is doing to their arteries and waistlines. In Israel, where it’s not unusual to gobble down several daily doughnuts during the feast also known as the Festival of Lights, some bakeries are tweaking ancient traditions and selling Hanukkah treats that boast less fat, as well as some vegan and gluten-free alternatives. Bread Story, a bakery on Tel Aviv’s trendy Dizengoff Street, has ditched frying altogether. Instead, manager Nir Zur says strawberry, chocolate, caramel, and pistachio doughnuts are baked in the oven, allowing him to advertise one-third fewer calories. Two blocks away on Bograshov Street’s Le Moulin shop, manager Yitzik Amiel says his own baked Sufganiyot -- Hebrew for doughnut -- are selling out almost every night. “For people on a diet, or health conscious, I think it’s a good compromise,” said Zur, who figures he’s been selling about 150 doughnuts a day this year, more than last year. “Some people are looking to enjoy the Hanukkah holidays without getting completely bloated.” Limit Quantity For now, these alternatives are only finding favor with a health-conscious minority. Metuka Food and Accommodation Ltd., a Tel Aviv-based bakery, which this year began offering two vegan doughnuts, says demand for those products has yet to catch up with that for its classic creamy, deep-fried treats. At the Rolladin cafe on Tel Aviv’s Allenby street, there is another option for people looking to restrict fat: a small-sized doughnut. Noa Hope, a local nutritionist, also advises patients to limit quantity, not quality. “There are excellent levivot from carrots or broccoli that you can bake in the oven,” she said. “But a Sufganiyah in the oven? Give me a break. This is a once-a-year event.” To contact the reporter on this story: David Wainer in Tel Aviv at dwainer3@bloomberg.net