Shkedei marak

Shkedei marak, also known as mandlakh in Yiddish or "soup mandels" in the United States, is a beloved Israeli food item consisting of mini croutons intended to be added to soup. These tiny yellow squares are made from flour and palm oil, rendering them parve, meaning they can be enjoyed with both meat and dairy soups. Despite their name suggesting almonds, they contain no almonds at all.

The term mandlach is the plural diminutive of mandel, which means "almond" in both German and Yiddish. In Hebrew, shkedei is the plural form of shaked, meaning "almond" and marak translates to "soup."

Ashkenazi Jews traditionally served homemade crispy-fried dough squares called mandlach with chicken soup. This custom laid the groundwork for the commercial version of shkedei marak we see today.

Originally, Osem was the sole manufacturer of shkedei marak in Israel. However, other Israeli food companies like Vita and Knorr have since entered the market. Davidovich Bakery & Sons, located near Haifa, produce and package these soup almonds under various brand names. Over time, manufacturers have experimented with different shapes such as stars, rings, and fish for shkedei marak.

While they are commonly used to enhance soups, shkedei marak have also become a popular snack on their own.