Gelt It – Elevate Your Hanukkah

Gelt, literally “money” in Yiddish, often shows up around games of dreidel during Hanukkah. Though routinely given to children, there is also a tradition of giving gelt to teachers as a way to say thank you. Though not the largest part of Hanukkah, the tradition of gelt is incredibly nostalgic for many American Jews

Often an afterthought (who hasn’t found themselves running to the closest drugstore to buy those tiny bags at the last minute!) gelt has had a glow up over the last few years. We decided to test a few varieties and found a clear winner in the Elevated Nostalgia category. See’s Candy makes a classic gelt that testers described as “so nostalgic.” One tester even remarked, “I kept eating them!” a true testament to a good gelt. The See’s Candies gelt also stood out for coming in two different coin sizes. Another tester added that it, “tastes like the one I grew up with. The gelt purchased from nuts.com comes in great quantities, but along with not being certified kosher, wasn’t particularly popular with our tasters who described it as chalky and crumbly.

Another popular gelt was the dark chocolate one from Lake Champlain Chocolates. “This one is for the grownups’ table,” one tester noted. The gelt from No Whey, a dairy-free brand, didn’t score as well with our testers and didn’t have individually wrapped coins. It lacked the taste profile of its dairy counterparts and while a good option for those who can’t have dairy, it wasn’t in competition with the chocolate that contained dairy.

Another option people enjoyed for the visuals was the Maccabee Chocolate purchased through ModernTribe, “these are pretty,” one taster exclaimed. The gelt foil comes in a range of bright colors that people enjoyed, though the taste was “typical gelt.” Overall, there are a wide range of options for gelt if you are planning ahead. All of these were ordered online, but the Lake Champlain gelt can be found in-store at Whole Foods and smaller specialty stores, like Stock, have some higher-end gelt options. And if you don’t want to break the bank, just buy the good gelt for the grown-up’s table!

The clear winner: www.sees.com/hanukkah-gifts/hanukkah-gelt/200896.html

Dark chocolate option: www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/gelt-dark-chocolate-coins/

Dairy-free: nowheychocolate.com/seasonal/chanukah-chocolate/chocolate-gelt-coins/

The prettiest: moderntribe.com/products/premium-quality-belgian-dark-chocolate-gelt-nut-free

Not Kosher: nuts.com/chocolatessweets/premium-chocolates/classics/gold-coin/1lb.html

SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@jewishallianceri.org) is the digital marketing specialist for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.