23 Celebratory Hanukkah Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 traditional Hanukkah foods? ›

The eight days of Hanukkah are observed with the lighting of a menorah after sundown and meals featuring foods challah bread, kugel, potato latkes, jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot, and festive drinks. Fried foods recall the miracle at the Temple of Jerusalem, when a day's worth of oil lasted eight nights.

Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.

"Among other rules, eating certain animals, primarily pigs and shellfish, is forbidden; meat must be ritually and humanely slaughtered; and dairy and meat aren't to be eaten at the same meal." Fish and plant foods are "neutral" (parve) and can be eaten with either meat or dairy.

There are two foods you're almost certain to encounter at a Hanukkah dinner: fried shredded potato pancakes known as latkes, and sufganiyot, which are jelly or custard-filled donuts. Other items you might see on the table include various fried pastries, fried fish, and even fried chicken.

Your host might appreciate gifts of chocolate, gourmet applesauce, candles, books or board games.

What to wear to any Hanukkah celebration. Go for classic blue, white, and gold when trying to style a Hanukkah dress. Not sure where to find a cute and stylish Hanukkah dress? Opt for a simple blue style like this gorgeous pleated midi dress from Prettygarden.

Other related laws and customs

It is customary for women not to work for at least the first half-hour of the candles' burning, and some have the custom not to work for the entire time of burning. It is also forbidden to fast or to eulogize during Hanukkah.

One version of the story specifies that the cheese was cooked into a pancake. "By the 14th century, there's quite a strong tradition that people eat cheese on Hanukkah and it's associated with Judith giving cheese to the enemy to make him drunk," Weingarten says.

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.

Can you eat eggs on Hanukkah? ›

Latkes, one of the best known of all Hanukkah foods, can be made in many different ways. The basic recipe for this delicious side dish includes just grated potatoes, eggs, and salt. The ingredients are mixed together, formed into circular patties, and fried in oil.

Avoid Green and Red – These are the colors associated with Christmas. Opt for white and blue instead. Don't Gift Non-Kosher Food – While not all Jewish families eat only Kosher food, it's best to either ask or stick with Kosher.

Animals that live in water can only be eaten if they have fins and scales. This means that shrimps, prawns and squid are not fish in the true sense, and so they are just as non-kosher as the eel which has lost its fins through evolution.

Fried food

By eating food cooked in oil, Jewish people remember the miracle of the oil in the Holy Temple. A type of fried potato pancake known as a latke is particularly popular, as are deep-fried doughnuts filled with fruit jelly (sufganiyot).

Your host might appreciate gifts of chocolate, gourmet applesauce, candles, books or board games.

"By the 14th century, there's quite a strong tradition that people eat cheese on Hanukkah and it's associated with Judith giving cheese to the enemy to make him drunk," Weingarten says.

The most traditional gift for Hanukkah is gelt, which is Yiddish for “money” — given either in the form of real money or wrapped chocolate coins. These can be used to play the popular Hanukkah game, dreidel.