Ode to Suduch
Ode to Suduch
The toasted deli delicacy has been around for two decades, but it doesn't get the attention that it deserves.
If you’ve ever walked along the Tel Aviv beach and been stricken with hunger after a swim or intense matkot (paddleball) match, your eyes might have wandered to the nearby food options. In terms of the fast food offerings (especially if you keep kosher), the two main options are pizza or something that you might not have heard of before this post. Suduch offers the warmth and comfort of a grilled cheese, but it substitutes deli meat for cheese. My own intolerance of lactose has led to me to dream of such an invention for years. This isn’t your average panini - a sandwich experience that also features the toasting. Paninis can have meat, but there is something special about the meat being the star of the show. It’s all about the uplifting of the very basic deli meat (you can upgrade to fancier meats) into something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
You might have found yourself in the Israeli Subway equivalent, New Deli, and wondered what would happen if they put your turkey and bologna sandwich into a toaster. Let’s not get sidetracked by the fact that New Deli has raised their prices from ₪25 to ₪33 (a 33% increase) recently, as if there weren’t enough reasons to protest. If you can set aside your principles for a moment, their sandwiches really are delicious. Not once did I consider though that they could be taken to a whole new level.
The origin story of suduch goes back about 25 years to the first Suduch Factory branch that opened on Abba Hillel Street in Ramat Gan. The operation has since grown to 19 branches across Israel with every store operating 24 hours.1 The idea originated with a sausage (or hot dog) toast that brought in the usual spread of dips - garlic mayo, BBQ, ketchup, mustard, etc. There was room for improvement and there was no reason that the Start Up nation mentality could not be applied in the culinary world. It feels strange to refer to a toasted deli meat sandwich as culinary, but that is where we find ourselves.
In fact, the market was ripe for innovation. The most basic of deli meat had great potential to be uplifted. Somehow the simple act of toasting the somewhat boring deli sandwich could bring it the rebirth that it needed. That rebirth was tested when I enjoyed suduch just a few weeks ago. It was in some ways a revelation. I still think about it today and count the days to my next suduch experience.
All of this might be fun, but why am I making such a big deal about suduch?
I think that beyond being a delicious meal for lunch, dinner, or late at night, it represents the spirit of Israel. A simple thing being improved with basic tools and ideas. Why wouldn’t someone put their deli sandwich in a toaster?
On my first bite into the turkey-filled glory covered in garlic mayo and BBQ sauce, I thought, “Holy Moses! This might be the best sandwich I’ve ever had!” I understand if you take that with a grain of salt, as I suffer from compliment inflation. But whose word can you take at face value?
The beloved yet occasionally critical Haaretz newspaper, of course. If they write a glowing review of something, then you know it’s good. This review wasn’t written by Gideon Levy, but you can still appreciate that if it’s positive, it’s actually quite positive.
As part of their “Bust or Smash” section, a Haaretz food writer covers a business that is either still quite successful or a “pale shadow of past glory”. Eitan Leshem writes (in beautiful Hebrew I might add) about how Suduch began 25 years ago when there weren’t nearly as many restaurants in Tel Aviv, and certainly not ones that were open through the night. He goes on to say that none of those places have withstood the test of time, except for one sensation: Suduch. This tasty establishment has not only survived, but thrived with almost 20 branches around Israel.
“The success was immediate and more branches quickly popped up. In the late hours of the night, it was not uncommon to see a line of drinkers waiting in front of the abundant counter of the Suduch near their pub, in order to eventually win a toast-sausage that would close (for a moment) the pit that had opened up inside. Doubt from hunger, doubt from alcoholic depression. In Sudoch, they rode the wave of toast that was also burned during the military service of many, many, who found in two slices of white bread and a little yellow cheese and sausage, the only consolation in a miserable time. When the soldiers were released and became partygoers, they flocked to the ever-expanding chain of the chain that offered them magic - sausage toast. Is it in this promise that there is so much tumultuous passion. You don't need to down too many chasers to go for such a combination.” - Eitan Leshem, Haaretz
He weaves an informed love story towards this beloved treat. Suduch is 1) delicious, 2) relatively cheap at ₪34 (Leshem uses the Hebrew for “heavy (or a burden) on the pocket), and 3) available at all hours of the night2. The holy trio.
The all-night piece has certainly carved out a unique space for Suduch as a drunk food, but also something that is reliable and consistent. Many a night owl have traversed great distances to find something to eat late at night, but to no avail. Enter Suduch at three in the morning. And you’re not even settling for anything edible. It’s actually quite satisfying.
Here is a quick instructional video on how to make Suduch at home. The subtitles are in Hebrew and the ingredients are shown in Hebrew, but the components will be obvious.
I won’t say that suduch will change your life, but I will say that it can oddly be a cultural experience. Not in the way that falafel or shawarma are, but in light of it being a product of ingenuity and it has a fun name.
Plus for only ₪3 shekel, you can add your favorite drink to the mix. The most Israeli option probably being Coke Zero. The national obsession with Cola Zero (as it’s called here) is a story for another week. I’m of the opinion that zero sugar spells zero taste.
Song of the Week
קולולו
Koo-loo-loo
The sound that Israelis make at a celebration, such as a wedding
Jenny is an up and coming artist who is bringing R&B to the Israeli mainstream music scene in a big way. She appeared on The Voice (where she lost to Yuval Dayan in a battle round). She has a smooth sound that definitely fits in well with American R&B. She has concerts coming up in the Tel Aviv area in the coming weeks.
She was just featured in a recent article in the Jerusalem Post.
Slang of the Week
בדוק
Buh-dook
Checked (literally), for sure (slang) - as in, it’s been checked off of the list
Thank you for reading this week’s post and I hope that you enjoyed it. It’s a lot of fun to write them. Please feel free to reach out with any ideas for future posts (you can reply to this email). Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a Chag Pesach Sameach!
“About”. Suduch Factory. https://suduch.co.il
“It’s quite tasty to be toast without toast”. https://www.haaretz.co.il/food/2023-06-06/ty-article/00000188-8a1f-d406-a1f9-ea5f0dda0000