Potato Latkes (Hanukkah — Full Method)

Ashkenazi Jewish tradition; potato latkes as a Hanukkah food became the standard preparation after potatoes arrived in Eastern Europe c. 17th century; earlier Hanukkah fried preparations used cheese or other ingredients.

Potato latkes — the crispy fried potato pancakes of Hanukkah — are the most universally recognised symbol of the Festival of Lights, eaten because the miracle of Hanukkah involved oil (the oil that burned for eight nights), and frying in oil connects the food to the celebration's meaning. The preparation is simple in principle — grated potato, grated onion, egg, and matzo meal or flour, formed into pancakes and fried in hot oil — but achieving the perfect latke (crispy on the outside, tender and slightly yielding on the inside, with no grey or soggy patches) requires specific technique. The grating method, the squeezing of moisture, the oil temperature, and the thickness are all critical variables. A properly made latke is one of the most satisfying fried preparations in any culinary tradition.