German Potato Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

Where did German potato pancakes originate? ›

They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges.

Kartoffelpuffer are made from russet potatoes that are peeled and grated raw. The shredded potatoes are mixed with egg, finely grated onion, flour, and salt and pepper to taste and then fried to light golden brown. The end result is a crispy exterior and soft interior.

Although the thought of a Dutch baby pancake might have come from the German Pfannkuchen, the present form originated in the United States in the early 1990s.

Answer and Explanation: The German translation of "pancake" is Pfannkuchen, which is pronounced /fahn-KOO-hehn/, and it is a masculine noun.

Eat – latkes, of course! Crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes with decadent (that's a euphemism for fattening) toppings. Why latkes? The simple answer is that they're meant to remind Jews of the miracle of the oil associated with Hanukkah.

Potato pancakes are associated with almost every European cuisine and are referred to as a variety of names including latkes (Jewish culture), kartoffelpuffer (Germany), bramborak (Slovakia and Czech Republic), draniki (Austria), tattifish (England) and rosti (Switzerland) (“Potato Pancake Background”, n.d).

Potatoes, after all, are Andean tubers. They arrived in Europe in the 16th century, but weren't widely cultivated in Eastern Europe for another 200 years. By the early 19th century, though, they were a staple crop in the lands with large Jewish populations, most often consumed boiled or mashed.

In German supermarkets, bags of mehlig kochende potatoes often have a blue label. The best-known varieties in Germany include: Adretta, Aula, Freya, Gunda (pictured top), Karat, Libana, Lipsi, Melina and Naturella.

Why do Jews eat applesauce with latkes? ›

In addition to apples' lengthy Jewish history, applesauce enjoys another key advantage: It's not dairy, so it can be served with latkes cooked in chicken schmaltz, a commonplace in the old country.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When you see the oil shimmer, test if it's hot enough by putting a small strand of potato in. If it immediately starts to sizzle it's ready to fry your latkes. Put about ⅓ cup of potato mix into the oil and lightly press into a small pancake shape about ½ inch thick.

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together. I do not recommend substituting with red or yellow potatoes.

No, hash browns and latkes are not the same thing. Although they contain similar ingredients like shredded potatoes and they are cooked in a frying pan, they are not the same. Hash browns are shredded potatoes and onions that are scattered in a pan and pan fried.

The potato pancake is much simpler, with nothing but raw grated potatoes, egg, and all-purpose flour. The latke, on the other hand, adds baking powder, matzo meal, and even a splash of milk, according to Cooktoria. Surprisingly, the potato pancake has a longer preparation time due to the simplicity of its batter.

The stateside style recipe results in a relatively flat confection with an even surface and crisp exterior. The German pancake, on the other hand, is pillowy, like a custardy cloud with caramelized edges and is usually considerably larger than the more familiar flapjack.

Following the introduction of the potato to Europe, the German “kartoffel klöße,” or potato dumpling, emerged in northern Germany¹³.

Native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, the potato first arrived in Germany in 1630. According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes.

Most German pancake recipes call for pouring the batter into a preheated skillet and/or using a preheated oven. This means that the batter at the edges heats and puffs up very quickly, drawing some of the batter from the middle of the skillet with it and resulting in a pancake that's superthin at the center.