The Hanukkah latke story

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, which continues to December 15. Fried foods feature prominently in Hanukkah celebrations, and potato latkes are popular expressions of the tradition. They are one of the foods that represent the Hanukkah miracle where a one-day supply of oil to light the menorah miraculously lasted eight days.

While there are all manner of latkes made these days, potato latkes rule supreme. But did you know that the first latkes were made with cheese? According to Tori Avey, food blogger and culinary anthropologist, “latkes descends from Italian pancakes that were made with ricotta cheese. The first connection between Hanukkah and pancakes was made by a rabbi in Italy named Rabbi Kalonymus ben Kalonymus.” While potato latkes are now a Hanukkah tradition, the tradition of eating dairy during the holiday is actually older.

This practice traces back to the Jewish heroine Judith, who saved her village from the invading Assyrian army. Judith plied the general of the army with salty cheese. When he got thirsty she gave him plenty of wine, getting him so drunk that he fell asleep. Judith then beheaded the general with his own sword, and the Israelites were able to defeat the leaderless army after launching a surprise attack. In Judith’s honor, dairy foods are eaten during Hanukkah.

Potato latkes arrived much later, in 18th or 19th century. The tradition can be traced back to Northern Europe, where the slaughter of geese which produced a lot of cooking fat. Even the poorest person could “find a potato in the field, an onion in the cellar, and some of the precious, newly-rendered goose fat to create the Hanukkah culinary story of Neis gadol hayah sham―A great miracle happened there.” The fact that they are delicious as well as symbolic cemented their association with the holiday.