Chocolate-covered marshmallow wafer
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A chocolate-covered marshmallow wafer is a confection known under different names in different countries.
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[edit] History
The forerunner of the marshmallow wafer was created about 200 years ago in Denmark, where it is a most popular sweet. The wafer was subsequently manufactured in various Northern European countries under names like Nigger in the United Kingdom, Negerkuss (negro kiss) in Germany and many other countries, or some variant thereof.
[edit] Israel
Creambo or Krembo (Hebrew: קרמבו) is the name in Israel. Usually wrapped in thin aluminum foil, it consists of a round biscuit base covered with a dollop of egg-foam and coated in chocolate. The egg-foam may be any number of flavors, the most popular being vanilla, followed by mocha. The word Krembo is a combination of the Hebrew words krem (cream) and bo (in it). The average Krembo weighs 25 grams (0.882 ounces) and has 115 calories.[1]
In Israel, Krembos are not produced all year long. They are only made from October to February ("Krembo season"). Despite its short season, some 50 million Krembos are sold each year—an average of 9 per person.[1]
According to a study funded by Strauss, Israel's leading Krembo producer, 69% of Israelis prefer to eat the Krembo from the top down (starting with the cream), and only 10% start with the biscuit at the bottom; the rest had no preference.[1]
Local traditions have grown up around the Krembo: In Rehovot, Israel Krembos stuffed in a pita are a popular school snack.
Israeli expatriates who long for the taste of this sticky confection can now indulge even while living abroad. Krembos are exported to the United States and Canada and sold mostly in kosher shops and import stores [2].
The sweet was introduced to Israel in 1966 by the Whitman Company, which coined the name Krembo. In 1967 they came out with a mocha flavor. In 1979 the Whitman Company was acquired by the Strauss-Elite (mostly owned by Unilever's Heartbrand). Now Strauss controls 54% of the Krembo market in Israel.[1]
[edit] Krembo according to Halacha
Under Jewish law, there is some significance to the order in which one eats a Krembo. The blessing over the biscuit is boreh miney mezonot, whereas the blessing over the cream and chocolate is shehakol nihiyya bidvaro. According to halacha, when eating a dish of mixed components, one need pronounce only the blessing over the main components, thus for a chocolate croissant one would say the blessing over the dough, and skip the blessing over the chocolate. But in the case of the Krembo, there is no consensus as to which is the "main" component: the biscuit, or the cream and chocolate. This is a notoriously divisive question even among unobservant Jews. Some go as far as to divide the Krembo into its different components and bless each one separately.[citation needed]
[edit] Variations of Krembo
In the first quarter of 2007, Nestle introduced the first ever ice cream variation of Krembo called Lakbo (Hebrew: לקבו). The process for creating such a confection took more than a year and they hope to achieve sales of ₪5 million a year[3]..
[edit] Krembo in popular culture
In the Hebrew translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore's favorite sweet is a Krembo, instead of a sherbet lemon.
Alon 'Krembo' Sagiv is a fictional character in the Israeli cult film Mivtza Savta. As a child growing up on a kibbutz, he once stole an entire case of Krembos and locked himself in his room. With the entire kibbutz waiting for him outside he had to dispose of the evidence, so he ate the entire case, earning his much loathed nickname.
[edit] Denmark
In its birthplace, Denmark, it is rather misguidedly known as a flødebolle (cream bun). It is also sometimes known as a negerbolle (negro bun) or negerkys (negro kiss), though these latter names are becoming less common, most likely due to higher social awareness of racial issues[citation needed]. Denmark also has a variation of the Krembo, which is slightly shorter in the height, but about twice as big in the width. Due to its shape it is known as a bøf (hamburger).
[edit] Scotland
The sweet also exists in Scotland where it is known as a Tunnock's teacake[citation needed].
They are often served as an afternoon snack, which is called an afternoon tea in Britain.
The product consists of a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a half-dome of a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk or plain chocolate and wrapped in a distinctive red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety, with blue and gold wrapping for the plain.
The name tea cake is somewhat confusing as generally a teacake is taken to mean a sweet bread roll with dried fruit added to the mix, which is usually served toasted and buttered. A Tunnock's Tea Cake bears no relation to this product.
[edit] Germany
They were first introduced in industrial numbers in 1920, although the first mention of them in Germany dates back to 1829. They were first only known under the names Mohrenkopf ("Moor's Head") or Negerkuss ("Negro's Kiss"), but most companies changed the official product-name to the more neutral Schokokuss ("Chocolate Kiss"), Schaumkuss ("Foam Kiss") or to brand-specific names. The most famous example for this is Dickmann's. In vernacular the sweet is still commonly referred to as Negerkuss. The sweets are sold all year long. Every year approximately one billion are sold[citation needed]. This makes an average of about one dozen per person per year. They are available in supermarkets, many bakeries and some schools. Sometimes they are sold pressed between two halves of a bun.[citation needed]
[edit] Other countries
In Flanders, it is called Negerinnentet (negress titties). However companies changed the official names most to more neutral terms. In Austria, they are called Schwedenbomben (Swedish bombs). It is also similar to the South American candy, Alfajor, and the American Mallomar. In Finland a similar candy is manufactured by Brunberg Oy. Its name was changed in 2001 from Neekerinsuukko, Negro's kiss, to Brunbergin suukko (Brunberg's kiss). Released by Ghandour in Lebanon, Krembo were originally called ras el abd (slave's head), but have since been changed to Tarboush (Fez)[citation needed].
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "10 Things you don't know about a Krembo", Yedioth Ahronoth, 2003-11-07. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. (in Hebrew)
- ^ "פיתוח ישראלי חדש: קרמבו גלידה", Yediot Aharonot, 2007-02-07. Retrieved on February 7, 2007. (in Hebrew)
- ^ Sapir Peretz. "גלידה של חורף", Globes, 2006-10-24. Retrieved on January 22, 2007. (in Hebrew)
