Jachnun is a pastry that has been made popular by Israel’s Yemenite Jews and now eaten across the country. It’s cooked low and slow in the oven overnight giving it a slightly sweet flavor. It is traditionally served on the sabbath (Shabbat) morning, which in Israel is Saturdays. Not technically a bread or pastry, it’s somewhere in between. If you have never had it, it is a must-try – flaky, fragrant, and fun to eat. It’s typically served with roasted eggs (cooked alongside in the oven), making for a tasty and traditional dish. When in Israel, sampling this local favorite is a must! Taste your way through our guide of the best Israel has to offer in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa!
origins of Jachnun
Jachnun is one of those dishes that everyone loves to eat but few will actually make themselves. The sticks of rolled dough are Yemenite Jewish food. The dish is one of many slow-cooked foods that come about to observe the Jewish sabbath – prepared the day before and baked all night long for a hot dish to eat on the sabbath day, when lighting fires is prohibited.
The dish was originally baked under the coals in families’ outdoor taboons (clay oven). You can find it at roadside stands, restaurants, and markets. Nowadays you even can buy it ready-frozen at the supermarket. The dough is made of flour, white sugar and water, rolled out thinly, coated liberally with margarine, and then rolled up.
best in Tel Aviv
Aviva’s Jachnun
9 Florentin, Tel Aviv: Fridays and Saturdays, at Guy’s kiosk
Hummus Kaspi
172 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv: Sunday to Thursday, 09:00-18:00, Fri 9:00-15:00
Hapoelet
7 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv: Saturdays, 08:30-15:00
The Saluf Bakery
The Tikva Market, 1 HaTikva, Tel Aviv: Sunday to Friday, 09:00 to late
Jachnun Mul Hayam
22 Hayarkon, Tel Aviv: Open all week
Buba Jachnun Bar
23 Beit Yosef Street, Tel Aviv: Saturdays from 08:30
Best in Jerusalem
Jachnun Bar
28 Hillel, Jerusalem: Sunday to Saturday, 12:00 – 24:00
Azura
4 Ha-Eshkol Street, Jerusalem: Sunday to Friday, 09:00 – 16:00
Beer Bazaar
Etz Hayyim St, Jerusalem: Open 7 days a week, 11:00 – 02:00
Tmol Shilshom
5 Yo’el Moshe Salomon Street, Jerusalem: Open 7 days a week, 08:30 – 11:30
Best In haifa
Jachnun
Kakal Street 31, Kiryat Tiv’on: Open 7 days a week, 09:00 – 17:00
Jachnun From Mom’s Kitchen
9 Derech Hashalom, Nesher, Haifa: Open 7 days a week, 10:00 – 23:00
Opera
63 Hanassi Weizmann Boulevard, Haifa: Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 – 22:00, Friday, 08:00 – 15:00.
