Back to School Lunch: Israeli Style

Guest blog by Shifra Gottlieb

Up until 2016 when the Deputy Health Minister in Israel, Yaakov Litzman, banned the distribution of "shoko," chocolate milk, at Israeli schools, this was the GO TO lunch for Israeli children.

When I look back and remember my childhood in Israel, the familiar taste of chocolate milk in a bag and a bread roll comes to mind.

No matter where you grew up in Israel, how old you are today or where life has taken you since then, there is something about the combination of these two that will always remind us of a beautiful, simple and more innocent time.

The chocolate milk in a bag and a bread roll were an integral part of the Israeli culture back then. This was true whether it was served at the “Kitana" (Israeli summer camp), a packed lunch for school or just eaten in front of the TV.

The rolls which were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside came in a variety of shapes - elongated or round with different toppings such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds or no topping at all. The beauty of the rolls was that they always had an amazing aroma that seemed like they had just come out of the oven.

And how can we forget that chocolate milk in the little bag (it tastes better than in a bottle). We used to shake it so that the cocoa on the bottom would mix with the milk. The funny thing was that no matter what corner we tried to open, the milk would squirt out in the wrong direction.

Surely a chocolate milk bag and a roll will always bring us back in time to enjoy a pleasant nostalgic moment.

I think I will go out and buy myself some... Bye.