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

FAQs

What is the significance of the latkes for 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.

Latkes are pan-fried potato pancakes made from grated potatoes and onion, an egg, and a binder, such as matzo meal or breadcrumbs. Their crispy exterior and a light, creamy inside are all thanks to being pan-fried in a generous amount of fat.

Latkes are potato pancakes that are a traditional food served during the Hanukkah celebration.

Yes, you can eat latkes outside of Hanukkah. When these potato patties were first created, they were not tied to the Jewish high holiday. Latkes are a food derived from Italian pancakes made with ricotta cheese.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.

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.

"Among other rules, eating certain animals, primarily pigs and shellfish, is forbidden; meat must be ritually and humanely slaughtered; and dairy and meat aren't to be eaten at the same meal." Fish and plant foods are "neutral" (parve) and can be eaten with either meat or dairy.

Eat – latkes, of course! Crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes with decadent (that's a euphemism for fattening) toppings. Why latkes? The simple answer is that they're meant to remind Jews of the miracle of the oil associated with Hanukkah.

Why fried? Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.

It is customary for women not to work for at least the first half-hour of the candles' burning, and some have the custom not to work for the entire time of burning. It is also forbidden to fast or to eulogize during Hanukkah.

Do you eat on Hanukkah? ›

It's celebrated every night with traditions like prayers, menorah lightings, and special Hanukkah dishes. One of the most important Hanukkah traditions is eating fried foods, to symbolize the miracle of the oil lighting the menorah in the Temple and burning for eight days and nights.

These deep-fried delicacies have become popular in Israel as a way to symbolize the miracle of the oil lamps that burned one day's supply of oil for eight days in the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

As the story goes, one day's worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. That's why the Hanukkah menorah has nine candles: one for each of the eight days, and one to light the rest. The Hanukkah menorah is more accurately called a hanukkiyah.

Choosing the right oil makes all the difference between latkes that are golden and savory and ones that end up oily and rancid. Using schmaltz, aka rendered chicken fat, is the traditional way to fry latkes, imparting a rich flavor to the potato pancakes.

Speaking of oil, eating food fried during Hanukkah is considered a symbol of the oil used to light the menorah. Hence, jelly donuts. Known in Hebrew as sufganiyot (the singular is sufganiyah), Hanukkah donuts were the brainchild of the Israeli labor group Histradut in the '20s, in what was then British-run Palestine.