In Hebrew, a baby’s first word is אַבָּא (daddy). The second is אִמָּא (mommy). And the third is בַּמְבָּה (Bamba). Well, at least according to the slogan of the most popular snack in Israel – בַּמְבָּה.
“אַבָּא, אִמָּא בַּמְבָּה” is just one slogan of the Israeli peanut snack that makes up 25% of the Israeli snack market. Developed and manufactured in Israel since 1964, Bamba became a hit among soldiers during the Six Days War and a favorite of children and parents alike since then.
Several companies tried to produce similar products and compete with Bamba’s success, but בַּמְבָּה is so popular that its name became a generic name for all these peanut snacks. בַּמְבָּה is so popular that its trademark a toddler dressed with a blue dipper – the בַּמְבָּה baby – is a common costume in Israel. The בַּמְבָּה baby has even been chosen as a mascot by the Olympic Committee of Israel to the 2012 Olympic Games in London (but was withdrawn later). And even when the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit returned to Israel after five years in Hamas captivity, a large bowl of בַּמְבָּה was waiting for him.
There are two ways to eat your בַּמְבָּה. The first is to open the package and dig in, eat it fresh and crunchy. The second is to open the package and to leave it aside for a few hours, even a day, and then eat it dry. Sounds weird I know, but you must try it and I promise you it will still be delicious.
Check out this Youtube video about the producing process of the Bamba. It’s a little bit long but it’s a good listening comprehension practice. Created for kids, the video uses simple Hebrew and includes English subtitles. Enjoy and learn how the famous Israeli snack is manufactured.
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