When I think Israel, my mind immediately conjures up a picture of the desert. And for the most part, the sweltering heat that comes along with sand dunes and camel rides is an accurate weather forecast on a typical Israeli day. But this winter has been a particularly cruel one for Israel- months of gray and windy days, cold rain and sometimes icy hail. And even in this frigid, atypical weather, Stickhouse, Israel’s own Italian gelato popsicle chain, is still packed with customers waiting for their mouthwateringly unique “articim” (popsicles).
The Stickhouse concept originated in Italy, and was brought to the Holy Land through franchising by Israel’s own Shachar Levi- a trained pastry chef and accomplished businessman. Although plenty of popsicle companies already exist in Israel, Stickhouse immediately stood out to Shachar as something special.
The ingredients are all natural and consist only of the follow ingredients: milk, soy milk, cream, yogurt, and fresh fruit. When Shachar compared the ingredients label of another popular popsicle to me, each flavor component seemed to be a synthesized chemical. Shachar ironically asked, “Where’s the cream?!” And sure enough, this ice-cream bar lacked that critical ingredient! Hence, Shachar also felt the need to bring natural flavor back to Israel.
Although Stickhouse is a chain, the flavor options in Israel are unique to the land, and kept secret from the other Stickhouses worldwide. Shachar uses his confectionary talents to replicate popular flavors like chocolate and vanilla, as well as to create tastes that are unique to the Israeli palate, like tahini and pistachio.
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| Shachar Levi- Franchise Owner and Manager |
The recipes are combined at a small workspace in store. Once they are mixed together, the ingredients are transferred to a patented freezing machine where employees need only to stick a popsicle stick in each base before freezing the popsicle mixtures. The entire freezing process takes approximately 15 minutes. Once complete, the popsicles are flash frozen for good measure, and are either transferred to the store-front of placed in the freezer for later use. Although each frozen pop can stay fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months, they usually have to create a new batch every 3-4 days because of how quickly they sell!
In the store, customers can choose to doctor up their popsicles according to their own flavor preference. A variety of melted chocolates are available that turn into a hard shell once the popsicle is removed from the dip. And chopped nuts also make a nice addition. I myself ate a delicious, all natural, cheesecake-popsicle, half-dipped in chocolate. I could hardly resist my urge to reach for a second treat!
What’s next for Stickhouse? Popsicle cakes! Make your next birthday cake hassle free by putting each piece onto a unique popsicle stick! This innovative idea will be coming out in the next few months… but the suspense is killing me!
There are currently over 100 Stickhouses in Israel- proof that our world is shrinking. How else do you explain a traditionally Italian treat served up Israeli style in the heart of the desert?
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| So many delicious flavors to choose from! |
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