Latke Appetizers: A Turn of Tradition

The humble potato and onion, when grated, combined with a few other ingredients and fried in a pan, make a potato pancake—a favorite dish of many cultures. Called kartoffelpuffer in German, draniki in Belarusian, gamja-jeon in Korean and boxty by the people of Ireland, latkes (Yiddish) are a beloved traditional food served during Hanukkah. Whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah, this winter comfort food brings joy to any table.

According to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the first mention of a Hanukkah pancake was in the late 13th or early 14th century. That pancake was made in Italy from soft cheese fried in oil. No potatoes. As Hanukkah pancakes moved to northeastern Europe, olive oil and cheese became hard to acquire and expensive. Animal fat was more readily available but inappropriate for mixing with cheese in a kosher meal. So the holiday pancake recipe was adapted to substitute flour for cheese. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Spanish Conquistadors introduced the potato to Europe and not until three centuries later that the potato was embraced by Northern and Eastern European cultures (due to a scarcity of other foods). That’s when the potato finally became the main ingredient in the Hanukkah pancake. The name “latke” came to America with the Eastern European immigrants and their potato pancake recipes.

TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

Traditional latkes are served with applesauce and/or sour cream as a topping, but you needn’t top with anything. Simply adding some fresh rosemary to the recipe can take the basic latke in a whole different direction. Or, serve with ketchup (like hash browns) or aioli sauce (like a Spanish potato tart) or sour cream and chives (like a baked potato).

Potato: Choose a high starch potato like russet, Idaho and red. All-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold can also work well and although new potatoes are waxier and less starchy, I’ve used them, too, often adding just a bit more flour. And, lLeave the skins of the potatoes on! Keep the vitamins. Save the labor.

Onion: Some latke recipes are super simple and don’t even include the onion. I love onions, so they are a must-have ingredient in any potato pancake in our house. You can use a white or yellow onion or something like shallots, green onions, scallions or even leeks. Or, use a combination.

Flour: Even though the recipe calls for just a small amount it is important to help the pancakes hold together. Some recipes use wheat flour, thers use matzo meal or potato starch. I like chickpea flour because it is fairly sticky and also gluten free.

Eggs: You can substitute ground flaxseed and water for the eggs (1 tablespoon freshly ground flaxseed with 2½ tablespoons water for each egg).