"best sufganiyah in town". The Ministry of Defense buys upwards of 400,000 sufganiyot for its soldiers each Hanukkah. As the troops overwhelmingly prefer jelly-filled doughnuts, the Defense Ministry purchases 80% with jelly filling and 20% with chocolate filling. In other Jewish communities Sufganiyot are a relatively recent introduction to the United States, where latkes are the traditional Hanukkah food. According to Gil Marks, latke was still the dominant choice in American Jewish homes in 2012. Rabbi Levi Shemtov in 2019 said "Latkes used to dominate in the U.S., while doughnuts dominated in Israel. Now, I think both are equally popular in the U.S." The sufganiyah was introduced by American Jews who had visited or studied in Israel, and by Israeli Jews who had settled in the U.S. While sufganiyot were not commercially available in the United States before the 1970s, today bakeries in many Jewish communities sell sufganiyot, as do non-kosher bakeries. The doughnut chains Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme purvey sufganiyot in their kosher-certified outlets. Sufganiyot are also sold in kosher shops in Europe. Smaller Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine organize special "community bakes" to prepare sufganiyot for school and kindergarten parties. Savory varieties Savory sufganiyot also exist. In 2018, The Jerusalem Post reported on a new trend of savory sufganiyot in Manhattan eateries, in which the dough is filled with chicken schnitzel, lamb bacon, liver, or pastrami. Other savory varieties include: Panzerotti in Italy, filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Lachmazikas in Spain, filled with everything from lamb and mushrooms to whitefish, ricotta, peppers, and herbs. Sambusa-inspired savory sufganiyot, filled with lentils and peas, are popular among Iraqi Jews in Israel. Gallery See also Bimuelos – Fritters served on Hanukkah by Sephardi Jews Bombolone Culture of Israel Fritas de prasa Israeli cuisine Latkes List of doughnut varieties Sfenj Zalabiyeh Explanatory notes References External links Making non-traditional sufganiyot : a demonstration video with Phyllis Glazer Sufganiyot – The Best The best Hanukkah sufganiyot in Israel Doughnuts Hanukkah foods Hanukkah traditions Israeli desserts Jewish baked goods Jewish cuisine Hebrew words and phrases