latke

The word comes from the Yiddish {{lang|yi-Latn|latke}}, itself from the East Slavic {{lang|ru-Latn|oladka}}, a diminutive of {{lang|ru-Latn|oladya}} 'small fried pancake', which in turn is from Hellenistic Greek ἐλάδιον eládion, '(olive) oil', diminutive of Ancient Greek ἔλαιον élaion, 'oil'.Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, December 2019, [s.v. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/106171]{{cite book

| last = Vasmer

| first = Maksimilian Romanovich

| author-link = Max Vasmer

| title = Etimologichesky slovar russkogo yazyka

| trans-title = Russian Etymological Dictionary

| script-title = ru:(Этимологический словарь русского языка)

| location = Moskva

| publisher = Progress

| url = http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/vasmer/44369/оладья

| language=ru

| year = 1973

| orig-year = 1958

}}

File:Latkas.jpg

Its Modern Hebrew name, {{transliteration|he|levivah}} ({{lang|he|לְבִיבָה}} levivá), plural levivot, is a revival of a word used in the Book of Samuel to describe a dumpling made from kneaded dough, part of the story of Amnon and Tamar.{{cite web|author=DLC |url=http://www.balashon.com/2006/12/leviva.html |title=Analysis of the word "latke" |publisher=Balashon |date=2006-12-18 |access-date=2011-12-25}} Some interpreters have noted that the homonym {{transliteration|he|levav}} ({{lang|he|לֵבָב}} leváv) means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v ({{lang|he|ל־ב־ב{{lrm}}}} l-b-b) occurs in the Song of Songs as well.

Although the fritter wasn't made in the Land of Israel during biblical times, the story behind the levivot is usually regarded as biblical, and appears in the story of Amnon and Tamar. Amnon, who lusted after his half-sister Tamar, pretended to be ill and asked their father David: “Let Tamar my sister come and prepare two levivot before my eyes, so I may eat from her hand” (2 Samuel 13:6). And it is written about Tamar: “She took the dough, kneaded it, and prepared the levivot before his eyes, and cooked them. Then she took the pan and served them to him…” (verses 8–9).

Some version of latkes goes back to at least the Middle Ages.{{cite encyclopedia

|last=Marks

|first=Gil

|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food

|title=Latke

|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0544186316

|page=707

|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&q=latke

|access-date=22 December 2015

|date=2010-11-17}} They were likely made of cheese (probably either ricotta or curd cheese), fried in poppyseed oil or butter, and served with fruit preserves. These cheese latkes were the most common kind of latke in Ashkenazi communities until the 19th century when the potato arrived in eastern Europe.{{cite web

|last = Goodman

|first = Matthew

|url = http://www.forward.com/issues/2001/01.11.23/fast2.html

|title = On Chanukah, Cheese Was the Norm, But Then Came the Potato

|publisher = Forward

|date = 2001-11-23

|access-date = 2017-05-30

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050907170618/http://www.forward.com/issues/2001/01.11.23/fast2.html

|archive-date = 2005-09-07

}}{{cite book |last1=Wex |first1=Michael |title=Rhapsody in Schmaltz: Yiddish Food and Why We Can't Stop Eating It |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=9781250071514 |date=2016-04-12 }} At the time, the cheapest and most readily available cooking fat was schmaltz, rendered poultry fat (usually from a goose or chicken), and due to Jewish dietary laws, which prohibit the mixing of meat and dairy products, alternatives to the cheese latke were introduced. These included buckwheat, rye flour, or root vegetables endemic to the region, such as turnips. As the potato became popular in eastern Europe, it was quickly adopted to the point that today, latke is almost synonymous with potatoes.

The latke is traditionally prepared during the Hanukkah holiday to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem lasting eight days.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-22 |title=Behind the Hanukkah tradition of latkes - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/behind-the-hanukkah-tradition-of-latkes/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}

File:Latkesskillet.jpg

File:Tray of latkes.jpg

Latkes today are most commonly made with potatoes, although other vegetables are also sometimes used. There are two main varieties: those made with grated potato and those made with puréed or mashed potato. The textures of these two varieties are different.

Latkes made of grated potatoes are popular. They are prepared by grating potatoes and onions with a box grater or food processor; then, excess moisture is squeezed out. The grated potatoes are then mixed with eggs and flour or matzo meal; a vegan version uses chickpea flour and potato starch instead of eggs. The latkes are fried in batches in an oiled pan. The thickness is a matter of personal preference.

The dough for puréed potato latkes is puréed in a food processor. This form of latke is easier to shape and has a "pudding-like consistency".{{cite web |last1=Geller |first1=Jamie |title=Healthier Potato Kugel Recipe (Recipe for potato kugel, but she talks about this kind of latke later in the video) |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EiSzm-xtWiE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/EiSzm-xtWiE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|website=Youtube |access-date=8 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}

Before the potato, latkes were and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches.{{cite news |last1=Appelbaum |first1=Yoni |title=Everything You Know About Latkes Is Wrong |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/the-great-latke-lie/420018/ |access-date=22 December 2015 |work=The Atlantic |date=11 December 2015 }}{{cite web |title=What Are Latkes? Plus: A Simple Potato Latke Recipe |website=Chabad.org |url=https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/103032/jewish/What-Are-Latkes-Plus-A-Simple-Potato-Latke-Recipe.htm}} Modern recipes often call for the addition of onions and carrots.Rachael Ray, [http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/quick-potato-and-carrot-latkes-recipe/index.html Quick Potato and Carrot Latkes], [http://www.foodnetwork.com The Food Network], December 20, 2008.Philip and Karen Selwyn, [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cuisine.jewish/msg/517874a7f50f71a1 Potato-carrot-onion Latkes], rec.food.cuisine.jewish archives, Oct. 11, 1998, 1:00 AM. Other versions include zucchini, sweet onion, gruyere (for french onion flavor), and sweet potatoes.{{cite news |title=The only latke recipe video you'll ever need |url=https://www.jta.org/2015/12/04/culture/the-only-latke-recipe-video-youll-ever-need |access-date=1 February 2019 |publisher=JTA |date=1 February 2019}} Sephardi Jews make latkes with zucchini and garlic (mücver), omitting dairy-based toppings (yogurt) when served as a side for roasts or meat.{{cite book |last=Levy |first=Faye |title=Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook |date=26 September 2009 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=9780446567251 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IECHs3fxuz4C&pg=PT123}} Latkes are often served with either sour cream or applesauce.

• {{annotated link|Ijjeh}} (sometimes cooked like latkes)
• {{annotated link|Fritas de prasa}}
• {{annotated link|Hush puppy}}
• {{annotated link|Latke–Hamantash Debate}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{Hanukkah Footer|state=collapsed}}

{{Jewish baked goods}}

{{Pancakes}}

{{Potato dishes}}

Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine

Category:Hanukkah foods

Category:Potato pancakes

Category:Yiddish words and phrases