Pitzuchim (Snacks/Seeds)
Pitzuchim are a large family of natural snack foods – black seeds (sunflower), white seeds (pumpkin), watermelon seeds, regular peanuts, coated peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, and several other types of dried fruits, like figs and dates.
Pitzuchim are usually eaten in small, oven-roasted units but also in their natural form, and they are part of the Israeli way of life – found in almost every home, served and eaten in various situations. Their consumption doesn't quite align with conventional Western etiquette.
They're eaten in large quantities, one after another, with a constant cyclical finger movement: bringing it to the mouth, grinding it with teeth, and discarding the shells by tossing them into a small dish, or some kind of waste collector, and so on. And each such motion is accompanied by background noises of cracking sounds with teeth.
Pitzuchim are sold pre-packaged in plastic bags or in bulk.
They have an addictive taste – whoever takes one will immediately take another.
This chain reaction makes pitzuchim suitable for a variety of activities – watching TV, chatting in the living room, reading a newspaper, driving slowly in traffic jams, and sitting on a seat in the stands of a football or basketball stadium during a game.
Pitzuchim are always ready to keep you company, in any situation where your mind is working but your hands are bored. They don't come alone; they bring a significant amount of calories and fats – some harmful and some beneficial. Either way, a single unit doesn't scare the persistent cracker, and only after stuffing their belly with a considerable amount will they feel their love handles pressing, but by then it will be too late.
And a little more... just a little:
Standard linguistic version: Pitzu'akhim.
Slang version: Fitzuchim.
Pitzuchim shop on Friday: A long line of buyers, standing and tasting until it's their turn to choose and pay.
A buyer's monologue: "Give me three hundred grams of this, a hundred of that, and two hundred of this."
Seasons of increased consumption: World Cup and Olympics.
Historical Bits
Pitzuchim were present in the Land of Israel from the early 20th century in a limited selection – mainly black and white seeds, watermelon seeds, and peanuts that came in their shells. They were bought unroasted, brought to Mother's kitchen, where she prepared the roasting at home. There were also pistachios, walnuts, and almonds, but these were especially expensive. Roasted pitzuchim could be obtained in markets or in a limited number of specialized shops.
In the early decades of the state, before there were specialized pitzuchim shops and before there were scales and bags, roasted pitzuchim were sold as street food by peddlers who roamed the streets and sold them in rolled newspaper cones, like these:
The peddlers disappeared in the 1970s, and in their place, specialized shops opened on every main street, bringing the good news of pitzuchim to every home, roasted and warm and accessible and also not so expensive.
The pitzuchim market gained momentum, and the selection expanded to include: roasted almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, and coated peanuts (Kabukim) and "American peanuts" (which actually came not from the United States but from Mexico, where they are called "Japanese peanuts").
Pitzuchim stalls also reached Israel's large retail chains in the 1990s.
The stalls were more successful than expected, and not in a positive sense. Their prominent location in the shopping area meant that Israeli consumers who couldn't resist the temptation would pass by, reach into one of the piles, grab a handful of pitzuchim, and eat them while shopping, without paying for the goods.
When the chain owners realized they were losing money on pitzuchim sales, some of them eliminated the stalls; others moved them from the center of the hall to a side area, closed off and supervised by local vendors.
This is part of "The Israeli Story 1948-2025" project
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