As much as I am a committed Chanukah latke fryer, if I’m honest with myself, in recent years, as Chanukah approaches, a little voice inside me also says: That’s it, it’s my last year frying latkes! Or, That’s it, I’m not frying latkes anymore this year!
Of course, once the actual holiday arrives, my frying pans come out. The sacks of potatoes are purchased. The grater makes its appearance. Salt, for sprinkling on freshly fried latkes, is ready to be sprinkled.
It’s a patchke. But after all, latke frying is just part of Chanukah tradition, and there is no walking away from it.
There is nothing quite like that bite of a crispy hot latke patchka straight from the pan — of a lacy potato latke!
Of course the frying process takes time. And effort. You have to stand over a hot stove for quite a while.
Then there is always the issue of the apartment reeking from that frying smell to contend with — and to get rid of.
Actually, that one I solved years ago-with mulled wine! For a while I’d gone with scented candles method, but once the scent of simmering pots of mulled wine permeated the kitchen, for many years now, it’s my tradition to have mulled wine alongside latkes at Chanukah gatherings. It’s served only second to dousing the latkes in home simmered applesauce or fresh cold sour cream with some fresh chopped dill.
Basically, when you are done with the whole latke patchka, simmer some citrus in wine and cinnamon sticks . . . and voila! The scent of your home will transform into cinnamon-y citrus cozy heaven.
Plus, you’ll have a warm glass of winter spiced mulled wine to relax with after spending an evening on your feet over the hot stove.
But back to the latkes. Having arrived at the stage in life where I begin debating the merits and value of making the effort to fry homemade latkes or not, I have been trying to come up with ways that make the process less stressful.
Some of the tips I’ve sometimes incorporated or come across include the following:
Latkes of all kind are delicious and Chanukah-esque, including the farmers cheese variety my Hungarian grandmother prepared.
If swapping potato latkes for something a little simpler to prepare (no peeling or grating gobs of potatoes) is a latke of choice for you this Chanukah, let me be the one to tell you — a latke is a latke, even if its batter is a variety of ingredients that come together in mere minutes by mixing farmers cheese, eggs, a dash of cinnamon or vanilla and a little flour to bind it all. Yum! Cheese latkes are delicious!
And for me personally, another layer of taste of nostalgia too.
But if tradition is paramount and potatoes it will be, if you are using gold potatoes, here’s a thought: no peeling of potatoes necessary! It sounds strange, but it’s worth a try.
There are a lot of “secret” latke lists out there to preparing the “perfect latke,” as well as latke hacks too.
There’s the one with using frozen hash browns, instead of slaving over the grater scraping golden potatoes that churn out strands. I haven’t personally tried this one yet, but every year I am tempted to, and perhaps this year will be the year I do.
Then there are those who swear that baking latkes at a high heat in oil filled cookie sheet pans tastes no different from home frying and that there is no going back once this trick is mastered. I have wondered about this shortcut, too.
There’s also the school of thought about frying latkes in advance — and freezing them, leaving Chanukah itself a latke-frying free zone, instead to be enjoyed and savored with loved ones, versus spending evenings standing at the stovetop. Another practical and, dare I say, tempting idea.
While over the years for various occasions, there was a time or two when I fried potato latkes in advance and froze them, to successful re-warming results, somehow on Chanukah, frying and munching potato latkes fresh from the pan in the glow of the candles seems to be part of the holiday atmosphere.
Although I will say, if you freeze latkes in a storage pan vertically, versus flat, and heat them straight from the freezer, they crisp up perfectly and indeed taste delicious!
Or, alternatively, if the latkes are frozen one layer at a time, with wax paper in-between the layers, they do freeze really well.
There’s also potential in reducing a step in latke prep by eliminating, or at least reducing, how many grated onions are added in. For me, onion-y latkes is the way to go. But some people prefer onion-less latkes, or at least a reduced onion flavored profile for their latkes (the onions might just be mixed into part of the potato batter, or not at all). There you have it, one less step to prep.
Here’s a good alternative if you have already discharged your “obligation” in frying up one batch of potato latkes this Chanukah, but, say, you are still craving that homemade Chanukah potato latke vibe served alongside a hot bowl of soup, for another night or two throughout the eight-day holiday.
Or, in the event you have a gazillion latkes to fry, and need to find a way to offer this Chanukah culinary treat without as much hassle.
Here’s the method without all the patchka.
Just fry one large latke — also known as a stove-top potato kugel — and simply slice it into triangles! It’s the Chanukah culinary vibe, without all the work.
Look, it might be a pain to fry a gazillion latkes, but at least the word itself is a simple two syllable word: lat-ke. In Luxembourg, however, little fried potato pancakes are called Gromperekichelcher! So at least there’s that! (Although I admit it sounds like an awfully fun word to say).
But can you imagine if you had to fry up pans of Gromperekichelcher? That sounds like it would be way more work than latkes!
I wish you and yours a very Happy Chanukah this year, filled with delicious latkes. And more importantly, a Chanukah illuminated by abundant light and joy.
© IJN 2025
