“Nothing to do with Israel” – Popular Terengganu Bakery Clarifies Why Its Bread is Called ‘Roti Israil’

The owner of a bakery is now clarifying that the bread that they sell, ‘Roti Israil’, has nothing to do with Israel, as some have speculated, but is instead named after the founder of the bakery and his grandfather, the late Israil Tafzul Hussain.

According to a report by Sinar Harian, the grandson of the bakery’s founder, 29-year-old Muhammad Farouq Mohd Rafi, shared that the name has been used since 1950 and has been passed down through generations in his family.

Terengganu bakery clarifies that its ‘Roti Israil’ has nothing to do with Israel

“People used to call it that (Roti Israil) because my grandfather’s name is Israil. After a long time, people got used to it, but when outsiders hear it, it sounds strange to them,”

“Some outsiders ask, while some misunderstand when they see the name ‘Roti Israil’, but when we explain it, they’ll understand and support it because it’s my late grandfather’s own name, it has nothing to do with any sensitive issues. When we explain it, they’ll understand that it’s the name of a person, not a country,” he said.

The bakery, which started operating in Batu Buruk before moving to Kampung Bukit Kubang Jambu, has become one of the oldest traditional bakeries in the Kuala Terengganu district.

Mixed-blood descent

Muhammad Farouq continued to share that his late grandfather, who was of mixed Arab-Indian descent, started the baking business on a small scale in 1950 before opening a shop around the 1970s.

The bakery business is now being managed by 6 siblings, including Muhammad Farouq, after their father had suffered from a stroke a few years ago.

“Our father still helps a little, but most of the work is done by us children,”

“Despite the increase in raw material costs, we maintain the price because there are still many regular customers, especially the elderly who are familiar with the taste and authenticity of the bread,” he said.

However, they are receiving new customers who show interest in trying their bread after seeing the bakery going viral online.

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