If you are Jewish or know someone who is, chances are you have had your fair share of latkes and donuts. But what about the other traditional Hanukkah foods? This list will give you some insight on the deliciousness that is available during this holiday season!
The foods you eat during Hanukkah are important because they have both religious significance as well as cultural history from various parts of the world, including Europe and Asia Minor. For instance, latkes are fried potato pancakes, which is a common food eaten in countries all around the world, with each one preparing them slightly differently. You’ll also notice that many of the foods are traditionally fried, as oil has a historical and religious significance to the holiday.
Latkes
Perhaps the most widely known of traditional Hanukkah foods are latkes, which are fried potato pancakes traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. They are also sometimes made with cheese and zucchini, though that is far less common. You can add different ingredients to the latke batter, such as onion, garlic, parsley or other seasonings. The most common toppings for latkes include applesauce and sour cream. This holiday tradition is so popular that it has become one of the most important dishes on Hanukkah menus across America!
Challah
Challah is a braided egg bread. While it is not specific to Hanukkah, it is likely that you will find it on the table during the holiday. The word challah comes from the Hebrew word for “to separate,” because traditionally portions of dough were separated before baking to symbolize manna in the wilderness when food was scarce. Nowadays, Jews generally don’t follow this tradition but rather bake one large loaf instead of dividing into smaller pieces beforehand (shalosh). When made with whole wheat flour or an assortment of flours, challahs are hearty enough to be served as dinner rolls; they’re often accompanied by butter and honey for breakfast or brunch fare.
Sufganiyot (Donuts)
A Sufganiyot is part cookie and part jelly donut-like pastry filled with fruit jam or jelly filling. To make them, they are fried in oil then soaked in sugar syrup to form a crusty exterior. One legend about their creation states that they were invented by an 18th-century Turkish Jew who found some dough left over from making buns for Passover and decided to fry them up for his own children. Over time, other Jews adopted this new treat as well because it reminded them of two symbols important in Judaism – the menorah used when lighting candles on Hanukkah and the round shape reminiscent of coins which can be given out as gifts during the holiday.
Ruggalach
Ruggalach, which has many different spellings, is a bite-size cookie made with dough (cream-cheese base) which is wrapped around a filling. The filling varies but is often a combination of nuts, paste made from poppy seed, jam (typically apricot), or chocolate. They are usually triangle shaped and a common Hanukkah pastry!
Hanukkah is about more than just lighting the menorah. It’s also a time to eat some delicious food! Kosherline.com can help you with that, offering kosher gift baskets for both kids and adults alike containing all the traditional foods on this Jewish celebration. If you’re looking to celebrate in style, it doesn’t get much better than these Hanukkah gift baskets from Kosherline.com!
