There are two dishes most widely associated with Hanukkah: latkes and sufganiyot. Whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah, learning about this holiday and food culture is a great way to bond with family and friends, embrace other customs and expand your culinary expertise! Below we will explore the significance of this holiday and its relevant foods, with links to freely available digital recipes for both dishes.
Below is an excerpt from the Hanukkah chapter Food, Feasts, and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions, available digitally in our Gale Virtual Reference Library here.
Hanukkah is an eight-day winter festival held between the 25th day of Kislev and the 2nd day of Tevet in the Hebrew calendar. It falls in late November or early December in the Gregorian calendar. The name “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” It is also known as the Feast of Lights.
As is the case for many Jewish festivals, Hanukkah commemorates an event in the history of the Jewish peoples. In this case it celebrates the recapture of the second temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE by the Maccabees (a band of Jewish fighters). They rebelled against the Syrian Greek ruler Antiochus, who had forced them to adopt non-Jewish practices, including eating pork.
Jewish tradition recounts that the victors found only one jar of ritual oil, still sealed by the high priest, with which to light the menorah (candelabrum) that was supposed to burn in the temple each night. Although there was only enough oil to burn for one day, the menorah stayed alight for eight days until a fresh supply of oil had been prepared. To commemorate this miracle, an eight-day festival was inaugurated to celebrate the survival of the Jewish faith.
The following excerpts are from the Hanukkah article in Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Holidays, Vol. 3, also available in our Gale Virtual Reference Library here.
Hanukkah (pronounced HAH-nuhkuh) is not considered a major Jewish holy day, but it has long been one of the most popular holidays in the Jewish year, especially among children. It is celebrated for an eight-day period in December, during which families participate in special candle-lighting ceremonies, eat traditional foods, and in more recent times, exchange gifts. The word "Hanukkah" means "rededication"; the holiday is often called the Feast of Dedication.
Latkes, or pancakes, are a favorite food during Hanukkah. Some people say that because they are fried in oil, latkes are a reminder of the single container of oil that burned for eight days in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Cheese pancakes are also associated with the story of Judith, who plotted to save her people by giving the Syrian general Holofernes cheese and wine. It was a custom for many years to eat dairy foods during Hanukkah.
When potatoes became plentiful during the Hanukkah season, people began making pancakes from shredded potatoes. Latkes can also be made from shredded carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, sweet potatoes, or apples.
Jelly doughnuts, or sufganiyot (from the Greek word sufgan, meaning "puffed and fried"), are another popular Hanukkah treat.
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AtoZ World Food
Our AtoZ World Food database has a recipe for sufganiyot and potato latkes. Read a little more about each food, then find it in the database by logging in with your last name and TCCL card number here.
Sufganiyot are small jelly doughnuts made for Hanukkah celebrations in Israel and in some Jewish communities around the world. In Israeli cities, sufganiyot are sold by street vendors. They are usually filled with strawberry or raspberry preserves or custard, and are topped with powdered sugar.
Latkes – potato pancakes – are traditionally served for Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, which celebrates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Fried foods are customary to celebrate this winter holiday because oil played an important role in the victory that led to the re-dedication. For crispy latkes, use starchy, baking potatoes (russets and Idaho) and serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.
