For Jewish people everywhere, late November through December brings the time of year for Hanukkah. Unlike holidays like Shabbat and Passover where a specific sit-down meal is traditional, Hanukkah doesn’t necessarily have a large family feast. Still, many families choose to throw a party and serve a meal of traditional Hanukkah foods.
The holiday, often called the Festival of Lights, commemorates Jews in the second century B.C.E. who were forced to accept Greek culture and religion and drop their Jewish observance. The Jews, led by Judah the Maccabbee, drove the Greeks away and reclaimed their temple and religion. When the Jews returned to their temple, they found only enough olive oil to light the candelabra (known as the menorah we’re familiar with today) for one night, but the supply miraculously lasted for eight days.
Today, Jews remember the plight of the Maccabees by lighting a menorah for eight nights, and of course, enjoying some traditional Hanukkah foods in celebration. And even though you may see some favorite Jewish foods like brisket, roasted chicken, bagels, smoked salmon, or kugel served at a Hanukkah meal, none of these foods have a specific tie to the holiday itself.
Most Hanukkah spreads are rich in carbs and oils, which can feel indulgent if you’re following a specific diet. But it’s crucial to enjoy the holiday season and give yourself freedom to eat the foods you love without harsh restrictions. “The thing is, there is so much guilt and good and bad words used for holiday dishes and foods. But they should not have a moral value. Especially when it’s something that’s a family value,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, M.S., R.D.N., author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club.
Unless you have an allergy or medical issue that prevents you from digging in, don’t feel guilty about your choices, savor the foods you’ve been looking forward to, and have fun. However, if you’re particularly concerned about derailing your diet, Harris-Pincus suggests simple swaps in classic foods, like adding veggies for some variety and extra nutrients in traditional potato latkes or baking doughnuts instead of frying. It’s ultimately a personal decision.
Ready to enjoy our favorite traditional Hanukkah foods? From classic dishes to new favorites, the picks below are worth adding to your holiday table.
1 Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Perhaps the most common traditional Hanukkah food found on the tables of Jewish families are potato pancakes, sometimes called latkes or levivot. Jews fill their holiday spreads with oil-fried foods during the holiday to commemorate the oil that lasted for eight days.
But why potato pancakes specifically? The custom of eating potatoes in these pancakes is normally associated with Ashkenazi Jews, who came from Eastern Europe and had easier access to foods like onions and potatoes during the frigid winter months. The most important question for most latke-lovers is: Are you topping yours with sour cream or applesauce?
2 Doughnuts
Fried foods take center stage during the Festival of Lights with doughnuts. Most American Jews are familiar with the popular jelly doughnut, but Sephardic Jews (Jews who were exiled from Spain and Portugal and later settled in some parts of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa) eat a few varieties of deep-fried donuts. Some popular oil-fried doughnuts and fritters include sufganiyot, donut hole-like bunuelos, delicate sfenj, and funnel-cake like jelebi.
3 Cheesy Foods
Many Jews incorporate dairy into their Hanukkah menus to commemorate a different story during the Maccabees’ fight for their freedom. In the Book of Judith, a Syrian-Greek warrior named Holofernes attacked the town of Bethulia. To save the town, Judith befriended the warrior and tricked him into eating bread, cheese, and wine to make him drunk. Once he was intoxicated, she killed him and saved the people of Bethulia. In honor of Judith, many Jews will dine on cheesy foods, like cheese pancakes, blintzes, or cheese danishes during Hanukkah.
4 Chocolate Gelt
These foil-wrapped chocolate coins are customary to be enjoyed on Hanukkah. The word gelt is the Yiddish word for money, and children were often given coins to donate during the holiday with the intention of teaching them about charity and giving. In modern day, it’s common for children to enjoy the chocolate coins as a traditional Hanukkah food and gift bags of them to friends and family.
5 Cookies
Though there’s no specific traditional link between cookies and Hanukkah, many families choose to decorate Hanukkah sugar cookies shaped like Jewish stars and dreidels (a spinning top used in a traditional Hanukkah game) or serve rugelach (a rolled cream cheese-based cookie filled with chocolate or jam) as a dessert after the meal.
6 Kibbet Yatkeen
Similar to a traditional potato latke, these fried patties are made from pureed pumpkin. You’ll often find them on the tables of Syrian Jews during Hanukkah, but also during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Sukkot (the harvest festival).
7 Cassola
Many say cheese pancakes were the original latke, but over the years access to dairy changed for Jews around the world and the classic potato latke was born. This Italian cheesy pancake (sometimes a cheesecake) is still served in many Italian Jewish homes, and is made from a decadent ricotta mixture.
8 Seffa
This sweet couscous from Morocco is often served as a traditional Hanukkah food and features a sweet blend of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Toppings vary, but for Hanukkah it’s most common to top with a variety of dried fruits and nuts.
9 Pollo Frito Por Hanukkah
For Italian Jewish families, fried chicken often makes an appearance on a Hanukkah table. The dish is flavored with cinnamon for a sweeter bite, and skips the usual buttermilk to accommodate for dietary rules that prevent mixing milk with meat or poultry.
10 Keftes De Prasa
Leeks were long associated with Jews hailing from Spain, and the onion traveled with them throughout the Ottoman Empire. One of the most popular recipes is leek patties fried in oil, which quickly became a popular traditional Hanukkah food for many Sephardic Jews.
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