As those of you who read my recent article for BlogHer.com know, I celebrated my first Hanukkah eight years ago. This was back before I converted to Judaism when I was really and truly a shiksa (aka a non-Jewish woman). I had studied Judaism in college, but I didn’t have any practical experience when it came to Jewish food or holiday traditions. Meanwhile, my fiancé is as Jewish as they come. He was born and raised in Israel, the birthplace of Judaism, by two Jewish parents and a rabbi grandfather. He grew up spinning dreidels and eating sufganiyot (Hanukkah jelly doughnuts). I grew up singing Christmas carols and hanging stockings by the chimney with care. As the article describes, my first attempt at cooking latkes was a minor disaster. Luckily, I’ve learned a thing or two since then. 
If you’re looking for a really amazing latke recipe, check out my Potato Latke recipe here.
Here are a few facts about latkes, along with some foolproof tips that will make your latkes successful… no matter which recipe you choose to make!
LATKE FACTS
- Latkes are traditionally cooked on Hanukkah, along with other fried foods, to commemorate the miracle of the menorah oil in the Jewish Temple (see my Hanukkah blog for more details).
- Latkes are made from shredded potatoes, eggs, onions and salt. Often matzo meal is added to help bind the ingredients together. Spices and herbs like parsley and chives can be added to give a more unique flavor.
- Latkes can be served with applesauce or sour cream, or both. The flavor is greatly enhanced by these condiments. Some folks top their latkes with smoked salmon or caviar. Often non-dairy sour cream is used to avoid mixing dairy and meat at a meat meal. Try serving latkes with Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative– but if you’re keeping kosher, make sure your latke recipe is parve (no animal-based oil or schmaltz)!
- Sephardic Jews traditionally fry their latkes in olive oil because Hanukkah occurs at the end of the olive-pressing season. Olive oil was also treasured in Biblical times, so using it to fry latkes gives the dish a deeper significance. Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe and immigrants to America typically fried their latkes in schmaltz, or rendered poultry fat, until more healthy oil alternatives were introduced.
- Chremslach (singular: chremsel) is the Yiddish word for a fried pancake. Potato chremslach are often mistaken for latkes. They are similar to latkes, with one major difference. Instead of shredding the potatoes, as we do with latkes, the potatoes are mashed and made into a thick batter before frying. Chremslach often appear on deli menus as “potato pancakes,” and can easily be mistaken for latkes. While latkes are thinner and crisper due to the shredded texture of the potatoes, chremslach are thicker and fluffier.
- Latkes are traditionally made from potatoes because they were plentiful and easy to obtain for Eastern European Jewish cooks. However, there is no law that says latkes have to be made from potatoes. They can also be made using shredded vegetables like zucchini and carrots, sweet potatoes or yams, or even cheese!
LATKE COOKING TIPS
- Shred your potatoes with either a hand grater or a food processor with a grating attachment. Some Jewish cooks swear by the hand grater, saying it makes a big difference in taste. Others revel in the convenience of the food processor. Neither method is “correct,” it’s simply a matter of preference. Using a food processor will cut your prep time dramatically, and will also be easier on your arms and shoulders. For a super easy (non-kosher) alternative, you can use Simply Potatoes hash brown shreds found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Unfortunately last time I checked the product does not have a kosher hechsher, so if you’re keeping things kosher you’ll need to shred the potatoes yourself.
- Some cooks prefer using large shreds of potatoes, while some prefer a finer shred. I personally prefer the fine shreds, but you can choose whatever texture works best for you!
- After shredding your potatoes, immerse them in cold water to keep them from discoloring. If you’re using a hand grater, you can shred them directly into the bowl of water.
- When you’re ready to prepare your latke mix, drain the potatoes and get rid of as much moisture as possible by squeezing them in a colander or wringing them out in cheesecloth. The less moisture the potatoes have in them, the better result you’ll get.
- When you’re ready to fry, place the bowl of potato mixture next to the frying pan, then place another empty bowl beside that. The empty bowl is used for wringing out excess moisture from the latkes just before you put them in the hot oil. You can squeeze out the moisture from each patty using a slotted spoon, or simply squeeze the potato mixture in your hand to wring it out before forming the patty.
- Fry the latkes in small batches. 4-5 at a time in a large skillet works best. Trying to cook too many at one time crowds the pan and makes the temperature of the oil drop, which can result in soggy latkes.
- While olive oil and schmaltz historically authentic oils used to cook latkes, they are not necessarily the best choice for modern cooks. Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point, which means the oil will burn and discolor when kept at a high frying temperature for a long period of time. Schmaltz is delicious, but it’s full of fat and cholesterol. I prefer to cook my latkes in peanut or grapeseed oil, both of which have higher smoke points. Grapeseed is a healthier oil with no cholesterol, while peanut oil is great for frying and adds flavor to the latkes. No matter which oil I use, I like to add a little schmaltz to the mix for that distinctly Jewish flavor. You can purchase schmaltz or make your own – click here for the recipe.
- The ideal temperature to fry a latke is between 360 and 375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer. If you don’t have one of those, here are two simple methods to test the oil’s temperature:
Drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil temperature is perfect for frying.
Place a kernel of unpopped popcorn into the oil. When the kernel pops, the oil is hot enough to begin frying.
- After frying, place latkes on a rack to dry, or place them on a single layer on top of paper towels and allow to drain. Do not stack layers of latkes on top of each other or they’ll end up soggy.
- Always serve latkes hot and fresh. The longer they sit, the less crisp they’ll be.
Okay, ready to make latkes? Click here for my latke recipe!
Always interesting reading but I never heard of squeezing the mixture after the eggs were added.
Lovely recipe and beautiful pix! Happy Channuah! xo
I also do that final squeeze, it makes them less soggy. I use a spoon with holes in it and push the extra water out. Never tried it with shmaltz, I may have to give that a go. Thanx for the recipe! =)
this is a great site and one that i know, my oh so not soooo much step daughter will appreciate and use!! thanks for putting it out there and happy chanukah to you and yours!
OMG these look amaaaaaaazing. I am hungry now. Happy hanukkah!
Chag sameach miss shiksa, those are some good lookin’ latkes.
I’ve been making latkes for 50 years. Will be making some soon and will try the peanut oil. Love your recipes!
They loook so Yummakkah.
I take about a tablespoon of mixture and place it in the hot oil, then I take the spoon and flatten the latke out. It give it great crispy crusty edges!
I will definitely need to try the schmaltz in the pancakes! I love your blog. So many of the recipes remind me of my grandparents. Thank you and Happy Hanukkah! One of these days I must get bold and try the sufganiyot with the kids.
I make my latkes much the same way..I’m so glad that I found you !! Love your recipes. Happy Holidays
Hi Tori, these look so beautiful! I’m addicted to potato anything lol. Question, can I make these without egg? I thought of using an egg-replacer, what do you think? Thanks!
Hi Tori, Thank you for the awesome instructions! Question: can you buy the schmaltz in a regular grocery store?
Happiest of Hanukkahs to you and yours!
Your Shiksa friend, Carol
The schmaltz is a nice touch. The only item I differ on is the oil. My family has always used corn oil (NOT CANOLA OIL) for frying. This oil has a very distinctive taste. Everytime I make latkes, I think about my grandmother’s kitchen and how she always let me hand shred the potatoes.
i’d give the world for a salt beef on rye, lockshon soup, and 2 lutkas
I love the idea of shredding veggies and frying them. I think I will try sweet potato and carrots tonight. What a great idea…
Thea, yes you can use the equivalent amount of Egg Beaters or egg whites (the package should tell you how much you need to replace an egg in a recipe). The latkes won’t taste quite as rich, but they’ll be lower in cholesterol.
Carol, your local grocery market may carry it depending on where you live. Ask the manager because it can be hard to find (it will be in a small tub in the freezer section). If they don’t have it, they may stock it for you on request. Give it a try!
If you can’t find it, you can make your own, my blog walks you through the process. Here’s the link: link to theshiksa.com
My family ALWAYS puts sugar on our latkes. White table sugar. Try it, the contrast with the salty/onion-y latkes is GREAT.
Also, I’ve found that shredding the potatoes with the disc in the food processor THEN grinding about half the shredded potatoes in the main bowl of the processor makes a perfectly-textured latke.
Tradition!!!!! My Mother made latkes, her Mother made latkes, and now I make latkes every year. Its not easy though. I usually have to make around fifty of them because my lovely wife and I have our family over along with friends. We take turns at the friar. That way we can all say we made latkes for the holiday. Love your recipe. Mine is the same, onions, matzo meal, eggs, white onion and oil. Will use peanut oil this time to see if they can be any better. Thanks for being there!!
Interesting Eastern European cultural tidbit, when I was working with the Jewish community of Romania 9 years ago, no one had ever heard of potato latkes! They had only heard of matzah meal “latkes” to be eaten on Pesach, so clearly, back in the days latkes were not nearly as universal among Eastern European Jews as we would like to think.
Also, FYI Simply Potatoes has a big fat OU on it, so yes, it’s hechshered and kosher.
I used them to make latkes “from scratch” with my religious school classes this year and it was a terrific time saver!
Shoshanna that’s so interesting about the Romanians. The history of Jewish food is so rich and diverse, I learn something new everyday! And that’s great about the OU hechsher on Simply Potatoes, I read it had been revoked by the OU but I’m glad they’ve reinstated it. It really is a time saver!
I know in the past there wasn’t a hechsher.
I literally just bought them (and used them) last week and it was definitely there!
p.s Waiting for you to tackle chulent! (dafina) I consider myself to be somewhat of a chulent expert and so I would love to see what you do with it!
I think cholent might be my first dish in the New Year. Stay tuned!
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i just finished making latkes and will freeze them until hanukkah. they are crispy and delicious. i use streit’s or manischewitz mix but adding to the directions: one grated carrot, one shredded potato. one bunch scallions really hot peanut oil for frying. yum
And what if I cannot find matzo meal in my area? Can I just use flour? Not worried about sticking Kosker on this, it’s my first time with making latkes myself.