These Crispy, Golden-Brown Latkes Are The Only Recipe You Need For Your Hanukkah Celebration (2024)

FAQs

What is the significance of latkes during Hanukkah? ›

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Before the potato, latkes were made with grains like rye, cheese, and vegetables like turnips, carrots, and even beans. Safe to say, though, that with the addition of this new world tuber the latke has found a friend forever. Cassola pancakes, a Sephardic cheese fritter thought to resemble latkes of the Medieval days.

Symbolic Foods in Judaism

On Chanukah, we eat latkes. On Purim, we eat hamantaschen. On Shavuot, we eat dairy foods like crepes and cheesecake. And on Rosh Hashanah, we eat apples and honey.

During the Jewish holiday, eating crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes represents perseverance, and a little bit of magic. But miraculously it lasted eight days. Centuries after the fact, Jews were told to celebrate by eating foods cooked in oil.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.

After the Spanish expelled the Jews from Sicily in 1492, the exiles introduced their ricotta cheese pancakes, which were called cassola in Rome, to the Jews of northern Italy. Consequently, cheese pancakes, because they combined the two traditional types of foods–fried and dairy–became a natural Hanukkah dish.”

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

By the way, you don't have to be Jewish or actually celebrate Hanukkah to love latkes. These crispy little potato pancakes make a wonderful appetizer or a great side dish all year long.

Challah, the traditional, sweet, plaited bread, is eaten by many families each Friday night, to celebrate the Sabbath. Most of the year, it's a long loaf, but for Rosh Hashanah, it's shaped into a round that represents the never-ending circle of life. The loaf is sometimes studded with raisins for extra sweetness.

Apples & Honey

Probably the most popular Rosh Hashanah treat, apples and honey are historically symbolic foods. After all, Israel is known as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8).

What are you not allowed to do on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Traditionally, no work is permitted during Rosh Hashanah as it is a day the Bible calls "Holy Convocation." The ten-day period ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement a day set aside to atone for the sins of the past year.

Latkes Are a Hanukkah Staple

The tradition traces back to 14th century Italy. According to "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food," Italian Rabbi Kalonymus ben Kalonymus introduced Italian potato pancakes into Jewish tradition by including them in a poem about Hanukkah in the early 1300s.

Tradition says so. Latkes are usually served at dinnertime along with a meaty main, like brisket. Mixing milk and meat at the same meal is a no-no for those who keep kosher, so sour cream would be out as a latke condiment leaving the underdog apple sauce victorious.