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Rich foods reflect Hanukkah story

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Also by Jason Engelhart:

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Fatty food for thought (February 6, 2008)

by Jason Engelhart

Thursday, December 6, 2007

At sundown on Tuesday, Hanukkah officially began, bringing with it a number of delicious Jewish culinary traditions. From latkes drenched in sour cream and applesauce to rich, honey-soaked pastries called sufganiyot to chocolate coins known as gelt, Hanukkah carries with it an array of festive foods. Hanukkah foods are so delicious it is hard to imagine even Pat Robertson turning down a nice latke.

In order to understand Hanukkah's traditional menu, it is important to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of its history. In the second century B.C., a secular king in Judea named Antiochus seized control of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Antiochus forced all his subjects to bow down to a statue of himself he had erected in the temple. Because this violated the Jewish law prohibiting idol worship, a small group of Jews called the Maccabees, rebelled against his authority. Their rebellion ended in 165 B.C. when they recaptured the temple.

Unfortunately, when the Maccabees regained their temple, the group had only enough oil to light the sacred menorah for one day. And yet, the short supply miraculously burned for eight days and nights, enough time for the Maccabees to replenish their provisions and retain the temple.

Because oil is so central to the Hanukkah story, it is unsurprising the foods of the holiday are rich in the ingredient. Perhaps the most celebrated item on the Hanukkah table is the latke, a deep-fried pancake almost universally made with potatoes and dressed with sour cream and/or applesauce. Latkes combine a crispy exterior with a soft, warm center. Regardless of one's religious denomination, there is nothing to get a person into the holiday spirit like gobbling down a few hot latkes.

However, these delicacies have not always had the carbohydrate-rich form they carry today. Modern potato latkes are so iconic of Hanukkah that it is easy to forget the originals were made of cheese. This may surprise some modern readers, but it makes sense when seen in the light of one particular story in the Hebrew Bible.

This story deals with the heroic actions of Judith, who, being a Jew of the Hasmonean dynasty, was a descendent of the Maccabees. During the second century B.C., a year after regaining control of the temple, Judith and her people were under the rule of the Assyrian emperor Nebuchadnezzar. In an effort to incite revolt, Judith went to the camp of Holofernes, Nebuchadnezzar's top general. She fed him a meal that prominently featured salty cheeses, making the general very thirsty. Holofernes slaked his thirst with too much wine and soon fell asleep, subsequently getting his head chopped off by Judith. This act brought about a successful revolt against Nebuchadnezzar and his empire.

Thus, in memory of Judith and the struggles of the Hasmoneans, the original latkes were made of cheese. Still, the modern palate has crowned potatoes king of the Hanukkah table.

Latkes are also the culinary tradition of Ashkenazi Jews, a group of Eastern European descent that is but one of the two ethnic branches of Judaism. The main Hanukkah food of Sephardim — Jews descending from those exiled from Spain in 1492 — is sufganiyot. These desserts, particularly popular in Israel, are yeasted doughnuts rolled in sugar, soaked in honey or filled with jelly. In the interest of balance and the unity of all people, it is probably a good idea to eat lots of both latkes and sufganiyot on Hanukkah.

One traditional Hanukkah food all Jews have in common is gelt, or chocolate coins. The tradition of giving gelt to children has its roots in 142 B.C., when Antiochus gave the Maccabees permission to mint their own coins. In memory of this part of Jewish history and in an effort to teach children their heritage, modern Jews give Hanukkah gelt to their children. Fortunately for the dental health of little ones, almost all gelt given out today is made of foil-wrapped chocolate rather than metal.

From the history of the Maccabees to the account of Judith and Holofernes to the story of Antiochus and his coins, Hanukkah is steeped in diverse, complex and interrelated traditions. This shows how one oppressed group gained a period of self-determination through a combination of human resistance and divine intervention. Thus, it is fitting that the many foods on the Hanukkah table reflect the diversity and depth of the holiday's tradition.

Jason Engelhart (jengelhart@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in history and economics.

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