It is a chocolate coated dome of whipped meringue/marshmallow on a biscuit base. It has been a favorite Israeli confection since the establishment of the state. 

50 Million Krembos are consumed each year in Israel – that is 9 per person!!!   Krembo means:  Cream inside – even though it is non-dairy!

The Krembo came to Israel via the European Ashkenazi Jews escaping from persecution.   They brought a bit of home with them to Israel with the recipe of Krembo.   It was first mass produced in Israel by the manufacturer, Whitman Company which was eventually acquired by Strauss in 1960 and still produces the Krembo you see in Israeli supermarkets today.  It has somewhat of a cult following since it really is part of the Israeli culture.   Most Israelis have nostalgic memories of eating krembo at childhood birthday parties and lunchbox desserts.  There are stories heard from IDF (Israeli army) soldiers competing for how many krembos you can eat at once!   Krembo was also created to be the “winter ice cream” in Israel since it is the winter alternative to ice cream on a hot day.  To this day, Krembo is only produced in the winter months.  

In recent years, it has been trendy for Israeli pastry chefs in 5 star restaurants and boutique bakeries to sell a  “gourmet” version of Krembo.   Our bakery in San Mateo, California has joined this trend and is spreading the Israeli word about the wonderful taste of Krembo.