What is Malabi? I overheard this from a Chinese guide in Jaffa. All tour members rushed to this little shop. The pronunciation of it in Chinese sounded like Mala-Ice Cream. It got my attention! What is it?
I thought I was going after ice-cream…
Malabi, as advertised on the signboard. 10NIS per serving ($3)
The blue one is Malabi. And the red one is Sahleb (a drink with spices).
See this friendly seller… this was in February! He was wearing a t-shirt! Let me tell you the best season to visit Israel is in winter! It’s nice and warm! (in Jaffa*)
So what is Malabi? It’s like pannacotta with jam and crushed nuts on it. And coconut powder. It’s not too sweet. And I genuinely like dairy products in Israel.
Malabi is a dessert of Turkish origin. It is called sutlach in Turkish and sut is milk. Sephardic Jews eat this on weddings as a symbol of the sweetness of marriage. And some families eat this after 25 hours fasting on Yom Kippur.
I don’t like coconut, but I liked the rest of Malabi! Try it!
