The f lip side of the chocolate coin

DIBLE GELT, LATKES and fried fish — festival food may seem traditional but kosher food specialists are putting a new spin on our s e a s o n a l treats.

C h o c o - late coins have a fresh image at Kosher Kingdom in Golders Green. They’re available not just in nets but in unusual containers such as candle boxes and treasure chests. There are also chocolate novelty bars, including party-sized assortments with Chanucahthemed wrappings. Dreidls include singing and filled designs, while you can find candles of every style, from hand-crafted to make-your-own kits, singing candles and ones with coloured flames. Menorot include fun shapes such as Noah’s arks and sports-themed, with felt versions for kids. And of course t h e r e are oil menorot too. Themed disposables, from plates and cups to serviettes and cocktail sticks (perfect for spearing those mini latkes or fishballs) are on offer, along with festive-shaped ice cubes and cookie cutters. New in are Chanucah place

mats and there are also

New flavours from Ten Acre w i n d o w d e c o r a - tions and garlands, even Chanucah bibs. Games include hardy wooden puzzles that will be played with long after the eight days.

Kosher Kingdom shoppers can enjoy in-store promotions and tastings, with fresh doughnuts (custard, caramel, chocolate, jam...) and latkes daily during the festival. If you want to make your own latkes, you can buy potatoes that are ready-peeled and cut (and grated, if you wish).

Supervised snack-maker Ten Acre has four additions to its handcooked crisps and popcorn — the crisps now come in “Pastrami in the Rye” and “When the Pepper Crack’d” flavours, while popcorn gains “Lucia Popperley’s Cappuccino” and “Cousin Penelope’s Strawberry and Cream” varieties. The snacks are all gluten-, dairy- and MSG-free, vegan, halal and kosher and the crisps are made using British potatoes.

The company has already won Great Taste 2015 awards for its Ambrose Popperley’s Wasabi, Aunty Winifred’s Sweet and Salty, The Day Sweet and Sour Became Friends and When Hickory Got BBQ’d.

The crisps are also now available in bigger bags, for sharing.

Me Too Foods is launching a seaweed hummus. Seaweed is a good source of potassium and calcium; it’s rich in antioxidants and high in protein, nutritional fibres and magnesium.

Me Too’s original hummus, meanwhile, has won a Café Quality Food Award and the seaweed hummus has been shortlisted for an award.

There’s a new fried fish treat this Chanucah — Eureka Cove’s hake fillets and goujons, dusted with a tasty mixture of Indian turmeric, ground Spanish chillies, paprika, brown sugar and parsley and coated in a light seasoned batter. Hake is a sustainable fish and has been chosen for its “meaty” quality. The goujons contain 83 per cent fish (compared to around 50 to 65 per cent in similar products).

Health-conscious eaters will like the thin coating, which reduces the amount of oil retained during cooking, while the turmeric is said to have anti-inflammatory properties. Eating white fish, which is high in omega 3 fatty acids, has also been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure. The products are stocked at Costco.

And for those who like to pick up their Chanucah goodies along with the main grocery shopping, Morrisons will be stocking an extensive range of kosher lines for the festival, including wines, snacks, cakes, confectionery, candles and matzah products.

Eureka Cove hake goujons