Not just for shechianu anymore.
Some people like it ground up in chulent. Others use it to condition their hair. Starbucks even sells it in Frappuccino form.
It is Bukser (carob, St. John’s bread). And it's one of the most popular pieces of produce out there these days.
Last year, the marketplace welcomed over 450 new bukser based products -- everything from salad dressing to shaving cream. And the bukser parade shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Just this month, the candy company Pashkez released a bukser-flavored jelly bean.
"Our marketing people in Williamsburgh brought it to us first," says Moishe Hartenfreund, vice chairman of Pashkez. "I was a little bit like, 'Well, I don't know about this.' And I tried it and I loved it so I said, 'Let's go with it.'"
Hartenfreund thinks bukser just might be the perfect addition to a candy line that includes flavors like caramel corn and cafe latte.
"Bukser's just become a very trendy flavor," says Kelly. "And, of course, you know, we're very trendy."
The bukser may be at the peak of popularity in the United States. But it's been an integral part of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. In fact, the bukser was one of the very first fruits cultivated by humans.
In fact, R’ Shimon bar Yochai and his son lived off of bukser for years while hiding in the cave.
It may have taken thousands of years to catch on in the United States, but the bukser has definitely made its way into mainstream America.
Consumers can now buy bukser lollipops, bukser body butter and bukser dish soap. They can throw back shots of BUKU bukser Liqueur, a 34-proof mix of natural bukser juice, vodka and tequila. And for a quick afternoon snack, they can enjoy Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Bukser HealthTops, low-fat muffin tops that feature the flavor of the fruit.
