My family's heritage is full Russian, and though not at all religious, we are Jewish. During the holidays, my mom, my aunts, anyone in the family who has the time and dedication to put in, cooks - among other things - latkes. Latkes are like pancakes made out of potatoes and fried in oil. They are a traditional Jewish dish. The word "latke" is of Yiddish origin ("לאַטקעס"). The oil used in making latkes is used to symbolize the oil mentioned in the legend of Hanukkah. Tradition speaks of the oil, which appearing to be only enough to last through the night, lasted eight nights. These eight days are now celebrated each year to commemorate this miracle oil. There are many ancient recipes for latkes dating hundreds of years back, using cheese, not potatos. Nowadays, to make them first you grate the potatoes. Then you add eggs, salt, and an optional bit of green onion. Next, you refridgerate and then form the batter into pancakes. Fry them in oil until they are a delicious golden-brown on both sides. Latkes are served with sour cream or applesause. However, people who did not grow up eating them sometimes prefer them with ketchup instead. Jewish or not, these are a tasty treat everyone should have the pleasure of trying someday. Every bite is oily and savory and delicious. I anxiously anticipate eating them every year and can not wait. Although we do not celebrate Hanukkah - like we did when my sister and I were children - for one day out of the eight, we get together with aunts, uncles, cousins, and enjoy these latkes. In a way, they help bring us together; who knows how many of them would have previous engagements to attend to on this holiday if they did not have these scrumptious latkes to look forward to when they arrived?
