Latke
Jewish potato pancake dish
title: "Latke" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ashkenazi-jewish-cuisine", "hanukkah-foods", "potato-pancakes", "yiddish-words-and-phrases"] description: "Jewish potato pancake dish" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latke" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Jewish potato pancake dish ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Latke |
| image | LatkeFry.JPG |
| image_size | 250px |
| caption | A latke frying |
| alternate_name | Levivot, latka, potato pancake |
| region | Central and Eastern Europe |
| type | Fritter |
| served | Hot, traditionally with sour cream or applesauce |
| main_ingredient | Potatoes, onion, egg, matzo meal, kosher salt, cooking oil |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the potato pancake ::
| name = Latke | image = LatkeFry.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = A latke frying | alternate_name = Levivot, latka, potato pancake | region = Central and Eastern Europe | creator = | course = | type = Fritter | served = Hot, traditionally with sour cream or applesauce | main_ingredient = Potatoes, onion, egg, matzo meal, kosher salt, cooking oil | variations = | calories = | other = A latke (; sometimes romanized latka) is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah.
It is commonly eaten by the Jewish diaspora where it is known as ״לביבות״ (romanized levivot, lit. "little hearts") and has many variations.
Etymology
The word comes from the Yiddish latke, itself from the East Slavic oladka, a diminutive of oladya 'small fried pancake', which in turn is from Hellenistic Greek ἐλάδιον eládion, '(olive) oil', diminutive of Ancient Greek ἔλαιον élaion, 'oil'.{{cite book | last = Vasmer | first = Maksimilian Romanovich | author-link = Max Vasmer | title = Etimologichesky slovar russkogo yazyka | work = Словари и энциклопедии на Академике | 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 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Latkas.jpg" caption="Latkes served with applesauce and sour cream"] ::
Its Modern Hebrew name, 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. Some interpreters have noted that the homonym he (לֵבָב leváv) means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v (ל־ב־ב{{lrm}} l-b-b) occurs in the Song of Songs as well.
History
Although the fritter was not 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
The latke carries religious symbolism within Judaism, and is traditionally prepared during the Hanukkah holiday to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem lasting eight days.
Variations
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Latkesskillet.jpg" caption="Potato latkes frying in a skillet" alt="Potato latkes frying in a skillet"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Tray_of_latkes.jpg" caption="Tray of cooked latkes" alt="Tray of cooked latkes"] ::
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.
Grated potato version
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.
Puréed potato version
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".
Other variations
Before the potato, latkes were and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches. Modern recipes often call for the addition of onions and carrots. Other versions include zucchini, sweet onion, gruyere (for french onion flavor), and sweet potatoes. Sephardi Jews make latkes with zucchini and garlic (mücver), omitting dairy-based toppings (yogurt) when served as a side for roasts or meat. Latkes are often served with either sour cream or applesauce.
References
References
- (2015-03-17). "Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen". Chronicle Books.
- ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', 3rd edition, December 2019, [''s.v.'' https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/106171]
- DLC. (2006-12-18). "Analysis of the word "latke"". Balashon.
- https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-real-history-of-potato-latkes-will-surprise-you/
- (2019-12-22). "Behind the Hanukkah tradition of latkes - CBS News".
- (12 March 2018). "Healthier Potato Kugel Recipe (Recipe for potato kugel, but she talks about this kind of latke later in the video)".
- (11 December 2015). "Everything You Know About Latkes Is Wrong". [[The Atlantic]].
- "What Are Latkes? Plus: A Simple Potato Latke Recipe".
- 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], 20 December 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, 11 Oct. 1998, 1:00 AM.
- (1 February 2019). "The only latke recipe video you'll ever need". JTA.
- Levy, Faye. (26 September 2009). "Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook". Grand Central Publishing.
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