Here’s something we can all agree on: Chocolate is delicious. But what if you are lactose intolerant?
Chana Koenig did something about it, since she felt her lactose-intolerant nephew also deserved to enjoy the luscious taste of milk chocolate. So, in 2023, she founded Cacao HaGalil, a gourmet chocolate boutique at the entrance to Kibbutz Evron, with products based on goat’s milk. For people with dairy sensitivities, goat’s milk is often easier to digest.
Koenig grew up in Woodmere, New York, and graduated from Central-Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Queens. She later graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and was certified as a pastry chef. After working for four years at Jacques Torres Chocolate, widely regarded as one of New York City’s premier chocolate destinations, she made aliyah in 2019 at the age of 29.
During the recent ceasefire with Lebanon, the Magazine sat down with Koenig at a table outside her chocolate shop, a five-minute drive from the Nahariya train station.
Are all your chocolates made from goat milk?
No. That was true in 2023, when I first opened. Today, some chocolates are made from goat’s milk and are dairy, but most are made from Belgian chocolate. My dark Belgian chocolates are vegan and parve. I don’t use preservatives in any product.
Are your chocolates certified kosher?
Yes. They are certified mehadrin by the Nahariya Rabbinate.
Can people allergic to milk products consume goat milk? Is anyone else in Israel selling chocolate made with goat’s milk?
I don’t know anyone else selling goat milk chocolates in Israel. I actually make my own goat milk powder.
There’s a difference between being “allergic,” “sensitive,” and “intolerant.” Before eating products made from goat’s milk, people should understand their own sensitivities.
Which is your most popular item?
Dark chocolate with sea salt.
What is your personal favorite?
Dark chocolate with sea salt, and dark chocolate cashews.
Do you deliver?
Yes. Everywhere in the country.
What has been your largest order?
An order for 20,000 chocolate bars, all made in my shop. The hardest part was packaging everything within two months. For this, I’m grateful to my Anglo community in Nahariya, where I live. Fifteen to 20 volunteers came to help until the order was complete.
Tell me about your Anglo community in Nahariya.
We are about 350 English speakers who meet regularly at the Nahariya Community Center for lectures, board games, and dance classes. I don’t work on Sundays, and I often go there to play mahjong.
What influenced you to make aliyah and settle in Nahariya?
I grew up in a very Zionistic home, and I always wanted to move to Israel. I planned to make aliyah when I was 19, but it didn’t work out. For different reasons, I pushed it off for 17 years.
In 2019, my brother and sister-in-law were living in Safed, about 50 km. from Nahariya. I don’t like large cities, but I love the North, and we are a close family, so I decided on Nahariya. My parents moved here shortly after I did.
What advice do you have for new olim who want to open a business here?
Be very patient. There are a lot of business laws to learn. Take every piece of advice you can, and find out what government assistance is available. I had help from three government advisers on Zoom for six months.
Was Nefesh B’Nefesh helpful to you?
Yes, and I thanked them in a Facebook post, saying: “Nefesh B’Nefesh helped me actually get here, which was wonderful. I couldn’t have done it without them.” Since then, whenever I write to them, they’ve been very responsive.
Do you have help from others?
My mom is my manager. My father helps with packaging. In the summer, my nieces assist with workshops. We are a family-run business. I couldn’t do it without them.
How did you get started in the business?
I began by making chocolates at home. When Kibbutz Evron started offering shops for rent, this wooden structure felt perfect. The size is right since we make all our chocolates here, and the cool temperature is ideal for chocolate.
Any advice for storing chocolate?
Except in summer, keep chocolate at room temperature. Refrigerators can dull the flavor. When driving on hot days, it’s a good idea to place the chocolate on the car floor near the air conditioning.
How have recent wars affected life in Nahariya? Your work?
We’ve had several missile attacks in Nahariya, which have been frightening. But this past Independence Day, during a ceasefire, our city felt alive and almost normal. I credit our mayor, Ronen Marelly, for his leadership.
The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel delayed our opening until December 2023. Workshops couldn’t begin until the summer of 2025, and even then, only for small groups. The nearest bomb shelter has limited space, and with an attack from Hezbollah, we have only 30 seconds to reach safety.
Tell me about your workshops.
I lead workshops in English and Hebrew for people ages four to 120. Participants learn to make a variety of goodies, including chocolate bars, pralines, and hot chocolate bombs. Everyone goes home with a bag full of chocolate.
For more information, visit
www.cacaohagalil.co.il.
Chana Koenig
From Woodmere, New York, to Nahariya, 2019
