Early latkes emerged as a tribute to Yehudit, a heroine of the Hanukkah story who used salty cheese to outmaneuver an Assyrian general.
Ever wonder how potato latkes became the star of Hanukkah?
The story might surprise you, as these Hannukah treats we all know and love weren’t always made from potatoes at all.
Back in the day (we’re talking 12th century here), Jews were actually frying up cheese pancakes for Hanukkah.
These early latkes emerged as a tribute to Yehudit, a heroine of the Hanukkah story who used salty cheese to outmaneuver an Assyrian general.
Italian Jews ran with the inspiration, whipping up ricotta pancakes that became such a hit, they spread all across Europe, according to author Elizabeth Karpen of JewishUnpacked.
When Jews moved east into places like Poland and Russia, olive oil and butter were hard to come by. Instead, everyone was cooking with rendered chicken or goose fat also known as “schmaltz.”
This created quite the dilemma for Jewish cooks since mixing dairy with animal fat wasn’t kosher. So they ditched the cheese and started experimenting with vegetables instead.
However, when potatoes first showed up in Europe from the Americas in the 1600s, people literally thought they were just good for feeding animals.
It took a couple of nasty famines in 1839 and 1840 for folks to change their minds. Once they realized potatoes were cheap, filling, and could grow just about anywhere, everything changed.
As Jewish families started coming to America, they brought their potato latkes with them.
These crispy treats found their way onto deli menus, and the rest is history.
While plenty of people still swear by the classic potato version, you’ll find everything from sweet potato to zucchini latkes on Hanukkah tables these days, proving that some traditions never stop evolving.