“Our goal is to give the client at least one happy moment a day” – Alon, employee at Paletas
In Israel, summer is the dominant season, when one can find many options of cool and tasty treats, from Gelato, to ice creams, to fresh squeezed juices. So why not combines those treats together? That’s what Paletas is all about: taking fresh organic ingredients, adding the right herbs and spices, with a pinch of love, throwing them together in the deep freeze, and there you go – sheer bliss on a stick.
Is it that simple? “Yes,” says Alon Radnovich, a 2nd year education student and full time Paletas employee. “Our goal is to give the clients at least one happy moment a day. With our variety of flavours, everyone can find his or her Paleta, and find a cool and joyful moment in this hot weather.”
The origins of these handmade Popsicles come from Mexico, which, like Israel, has a hot and humid summer. Popsicles are based on local fruits and vegetables, without preservatives or any chemicals added. “There is no reason for [adding chemicals], when you have such beautiful and fresh produce, straight from the field to our shop.”
Growing up in a Kibbutz next to Eilat, the hottest spot in Israel, Alon knows about the heat, and the craving for a cold relief. Even after moving to Rishon Letzion, a city near Tel Aviv, he did not give up his Kibbutz lifestyle and became a part of the “City Kibbutz” – a group of young men and women keeping the Kibbutz atmosphere in the city setting. In his spare time, Alon volunteers as a youth counsellor for youth at risk and hopes to become a teacher one day.
When he’s asked for the most popular flavour, “Roasted coconut” he answers instantly, “We cannot hold enough in stock.”
