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{{Short description|Jewish potato pancake dish}}
{{Redirect|Latka|other uses|Latka (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the potato pancake|the Indian politician|Ramesh Latke|the children's book character|Latke, the Lucky Dog}}
{{use dmy dates |date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox food
| 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  = [[Potato]]es, [[onion]], [[egg]], [[matzo meal]], [[kosher salt]], [[cooking oil]]
| variations       =
| calories         =
| other            =
}}
A '''latke''' ({{langx|yi|לאַטקע|latke|pancake}}; sometimes romanized ''latka'') is a type of [[potato pancake]] or [[fritter]] in [[Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine]] that is traditionally prepared to celebrate [[Hanukkah]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Koenig|first1=Leah|title=Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=9781452132327|page=119|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Amg_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA119|access-date=22 December 2015|date=2015-03-17}}</ref> 

It is commonly eaten by the [[Jewish diaspora]] where it is known as {{lang|he| ״לביבות״}} (romanized ''levivot'', lit. "little hearts") and has many variations.

==Etymology==
The word comes from the Yiddish ''{{lang|yi-Latn|latke}}'', itself from the [[East Slavic language|East Slavic]] ''{{lang|ru-Latn|oladka}}'', a diminutive of ''{{lang|ru-Latn|[[Oladyi|oladya]]}}'' 'small fried pancake', which in turn is from [[Hellenistic Greek]] ἐλάδιον ''eládion'', '(olive) oil', diminutive of [[Ancient Greek]] ἔλαιον ''élaion'', 'oil'.<ref name="oed">''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', 3rd edition, December 2019, [''s.v.'' https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/106171]</ref><ref name="Vasmer">{{cite book
| last          = Vasmer
| first         = Maksimilian Romanovich
| author-link    = Max Vasmer
| title         = Etimologichesky slovar russkogo yazyka
| 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
}}</ref>
[[File:Latkas.jpg|thumb|Latkes served with applesauce and sour cream]]
Its [[Modern Hebrew]] name, ''{{transliteration|he|levivah}}'' ({{lang|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 (daughter of David)|Tamar]].<ref name=amnon>{{cite web|author=DLC |url=http://www.balashon.com/2006/12/leviva.html |title=Analysis of the word "latke" |publisher=Balashon |date=2006-12-18 |access-date=2011-12-25}}</ref> Some interpreters have noted that the homonym ''{{transliteration|he|levav}}'' ({{lang|he|לֵבָב}} ''leváv'') means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v ({{lang|he|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 [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|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).<ref name=amnon/>

Some version of latkes goes back to at least the Middle Ages.<ref name="Marks">{{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}}</ref> They were likely made of cheese (probably either [[ricotta]] or [[Quark (dairy product)|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.<ref name="Marks" /><ref name="Goodman">{{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
}}</ref><ref name="St. Martin's Press">{{cite book |last1=Wex |first1=Michael |title=Rhapsody in Schmaltz: Yiddish Food and Why We Can't Stop Eating It |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=9781250071514 |date=2016-04-12 }}</ref> At the time, the cheapest and most readily available cooking fat was [[schmaltz]], rendered poultry fat (usually from a goose or chicken), and due to [[kashrut|Jewish dietary laws]], which prohibit the [[Milk and meat in Jewish law|mixing of meat and dairy]] products, alternatives to the cheese latke were introduced. These included [[buckwheat]], [[rye flour]], or root vegetables endemic to the region, such as [[turnip]]s.<ref name="St. Martin's Press"/> As the potato became popular in Eastern Europe, it was quickly adopted to the point that today, ''latke'' is almost synonymous with potatoes.<ref name="Marks" />

The latke is traditionally prepared during the Hanukkah holiday to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem lasting eight days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-22 |title=Behind the Hanukkah tradition of latkes - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/behind-the-hanukkah-tradition-of-latkes/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Variations==
[[File:Latkesskillet.jpg|alt=Potato latkes frying in a skillet|thumb|Potato latkes frying in a skillet]]
[[File:Tray of latkes.jpg|alt=Tray of cooked latkes|thumb|295x295px|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 [[Gram flour|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".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Geller |first1=Jamie |title=Healthier Potato Kugel Recipe (Recipe for potato kugel, but she talks about this kind of latke later in the video) |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EiSzm-xtWiE  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/EiSzm-xtWiE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |access-date=8 October 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Other variations===
Before the potato, latkes were and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches.<ref name="Appelbaum">{{cite news |last1=Appelbaum |first1=Yoni |title=Everything You Know About Latkes Is Wrong |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/the-great-latke-lie/420018/ |access-date=22 December 2015 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=11 December 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What Are Latkes? Plus: A Simple Potato Latke Recipe |website=Chabad.org |url=https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/103032/jewish/What-Are-Latkes-Plus-A-Simple-Potato-Latke-Recipe.htm}}</ref> Modern recipes often call for the addition of onions and carrots.<ref>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.</ref><ref>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.</ref> Other versions include [[zucchini]], [[sweet onion]], [[gruyere]] (for [[french onion soup|french onion]] flavor), and sweet potatoes.<ref>{{cite news |title=The only latke recipe video you'll ever need |url=https://www.jta.org/2015/12/04/culture/the-only-latke-recipe-video-youll-ever-need |access-date=1 February 2019 |publisher=JTA |date=1 February 2019}}</ref> [[Sephardic Jewish cuisine|Sephardi Jews]] make latkes with zucchini and garlic (''[[mücver]]''), omitting dairy-based toppings (yogurt) when served as a side for roasts or meat.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levy |first=Faye |title=Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook |date=26 September 2009 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=9780446567251 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IECHs3fxuz4C&pg=PT123}}</ref> Latkes are often served with either sour cream or applesauce.{{fact|date=July 2025}}

== See also ==

* {{annotated link|Ijjeh}} (sometimes cooked like latkes)
* {{annotated link|Fritas de prasa}}
* {{annotated link|Hush puppy}}
* {{annotated link|Latke–Hamantash Debate}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{Hanukkah Footer|state=collapsed}}
{{Jewish baked goods}}
{{Pancakes}}
{{Potato dishes}}

[[Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine]]
[[Category:Hanukkah foods]]
[[Category:Potato pancakes]]
[[Category:Yiddish words and phrases]]