Hanukkah Special: CBS Sunday Morning Reports on Origin of Sufganiyot (Chanukah Donuts)

Which came first.....latkes or sufganiyot? CBS Sunday Morning reported on the origins of these Chanukah treats last week.

The annual "Festival of Lights" is marked by traditions, but a more recent tradition is the consumption of filled or topped doughnuts, or "sufganiyot." At Adir Michaeli's New York City bakery, correspondent Serena Altschul finds out how they're mixing things up for the holiday, creating sweet, sugary delights.

We light the 8th candle tonight, so enjoy these treats while you can.

Wishing all of our readers a happy Chanukah!

Israel Defense Forces' Ultimate Mystery Donut Challenge for the Last Night of Hanukkah

Tonight we light the eighth and last Hanukkah candle. By now we've all had our fill of latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (filled donuts).

Israeli bakeries compete each year in creating the best and most elaborate sufganiyot. This year the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) sponsored an Ultimate Mystery Donut Challenge, enlisting pairs of soldiers to taste donuts with some very untraditional fillings. 

Mayonnaise, anyone? How about ketchup or wasabi? Watch the soldiers' reactions after taking a bite.

Enjoy, laugh, and start the diet tomorrow.

Chag Chanukah sameach!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Israeli Comedian Yuval Hakal Searches for the Perfect Chanukah Donut

While the rest of the Jewish world associates the holiday of Chanukah with latkes (potato or otherwise), in Israel the preferred fried food is Sufganiyot (donuts without the hole but with lots of different creative fillings.)

On Israel21c, the Israel video network, comedian Yuval Haklai takes a whimsical look at Hanukkah in Israel.

He visits a donut bakery in Tel Aviv and checks out the machinery that injects strawberry jam, the most popular filling into the donuts. The bakeries are experimenting with new and unusual fillings, such as wasabi mayonnaise marshmallow, onion jam, and blood diamond.

Then he's off on a visit to Roladin, the "Temple Mount of Sufganiyot" where on our last visit to Israel we found 18 unique flavors. 

An estimated 24 million sufganiyot (donuts) are eaten in Israel every year during the eight day holiday of Hannukah. (Yes, we know that we've spelled it three different ways.)

Enjoy! 

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.