Our Bissli was the result of a brainstorming session at Hatch during COVID, when we were trying to find a new direction for the restaurant. Someone mentioned that we could make Bissli, and I said, “How do you do that?”

“It’s just fried pasta,” they said.

“No, it’s not,” I shot back. We made a bet, and it turns out that person was right. So I lost the bet.

Bissli is actually fried pasta, and that’s why they are mostly the same shapes as pastas. Our take on it was that we wanted to create the flavors that the Osem R and D labs probably rejected, and because we spice it ourselves, we can go really crazy with the flavors. We’re not limited to the six familiar flavors from our childhood.

It’s important to understand how these flavors are built, in order to make them work. There are two ways to make the flavorings: One is with a pre-made spice mix, like shawarma, and the other one—and I know this is going to be controversial—is with using MSG. Quite frankly, when you’re eating Bissli, you’re eating MSG, and that is why it’s delicious. Lots of people have lots of feelings about MSG, but if we’re being honest, we’re eating MSG all day because many foods contain it; people somehow have an ethical problem with putting it into their food. Honestly, MSG is the heart of the Bissli flavor, and you can use different versions of it. Some people are more comfortable using the mushroom mix, and others will use the chicken soup mix.

You also need some acidity. Vinegar powder is great for that, but it’s nearly impossible to find in Israel, but you can also use citric acid and some regular table salt.

Once you have that, the sky’s the limit. You can put a bunch of different herbs in there, or you can do a cinnamon, baharat and sumac version, or you can do a masala chai.