And so, Hanukkah is approaching! It’s the second-favourite holiday for some members of our editorial team. So, we’ve prepared thoroughly.

And so, Hanukkah is approaching! It’s the second-favourite holiday for some members of our editorial team. So, we’ve prepared thoroughly.

What is Hanukkah? The Festival of Lights warms us no matter where we are. And since we’re always focused on food, we’d like to point out that this is the cosiest, warmest, and most indulgent holiday, filled with fried and oil-rich dishes. When else can you treat yourself to such delights if not in winter, when even in Israel, it can get damp and chilly?

So, let’s forget about diets and healthy lifestyles for a week and enjoy every bite.

We’ve prepared both classics and some avant-garde options. You can stick to tried-and-tested recipes or embrace experimentation. Plus, we’ve explored other cuisines and found plenty of delicious, unmistakably Hanukkah-worthy dishes.

At the very end, there’s a special section for those of you who, like us, are a little obsessed and ready to make sufganiyot from scratch.

Let’s get started!

Hanukkah

Latkes

Let’s start with a beloved classic! Latkes—a familiar, cherished, and always delicious dish. However, the debates about how to prepare them properly are just as heated as the ones about whether to add an apple to an Olivier salad or which gefilte fish recipe is the best.

sauces

Sauces for latkes

Five sauces for every taste! From classic sour cream, like in childhood, to unexpected fruit-based sauces.

By the way, fruit sauces are perfect for a vegan meal!

pastry

Filo dough cheese pie

This is a very simple recipe, but thanks to the combination of cheeses, it has an elegant, rich flavour. Crushed nuts or breadcrumbs add an interesting texture.

kosher

Hanukkah

Roasted lamb or turkey leg

Let’s take a break from the appetisers and move on to the mains! Roasted meat is a Hanukkah classic, and for the main festive dish, we’re putting a lamb shoulder in the oven!

If you’ve read this far, it’s time for some experimentation! Let’s say you’re planning a buffet table or hosting a large gathering that calls for plenty of appetisers. Take a look at what we have!

potato

Roots chips (or fries)

Everyone knows classic chips (or fries) are made from potatoes. But in reality, you can prepare almost anything this way! We’ve tested it on various root vegetables, and here are our absolute favourites.

Hanukkah

Fritule

Think we forgot about dessert? Never!
We spent a long time deciding between churros and fritule, and the latter won (you’ve probably had churros before, but fritule—not so likely).

Fritules are plump, round, sweet doughnuts from the Balkans. They have little “tails,” which is why they’re sometimes called “mice.”

Finally, for those who simply can’t stop

Hanukkah

Sufganiyot

Bonus track! If you’re a true culinary enthusiast, here’s our favourite recipe for sufganiyot dough and filling! Yes, we know you can buy sufganiyot on every corner, but we just couldn’t resist.