how to say “protein” in Hebrew…
A couple of days ago we did the word for carbs – פַּחְמִימוֹת (pahkh-mee-MOHT).
Today we’re going to look at another item on the Nutrition Facts section of packaged food – protein.
Hebrew’s rendition of protein is חֶלְבּוֹן (khehl-BOHN), which is also the term for egg white. If you look closely at the word – and you know some Hebrew (perhaps after having taken Level 1 at Ulpan La-Inyan) – you’ll see that its root is ח.ל.ב (kh.l.b), which is the same root as חָלָב (khah-LAHV) – milk. As we know, milk has protein.
Likewise, ח.ל.ב is also the root of חֵלֶב (KHEH-lehv), which means animal fat – another great source of protein.
So when you peruse the label of your Israeli-brand Bamba or Bissli or Humus, look for חֶלְבּוֹנִים (khehl-boh-NEEM) – proteins.