Potato pancake

Potato pancakesareshallow-friedpancakesof grated or groundpotato,matzo mealorflourand a binding ingredient such aseggorapplesauce,often flavored with gratedgarlicoronionandseasonings.They may be topped with a variety ofcondiments,ranging from the savory (such assour creamorcottage cheese), to the sweet (such asapple sauceorsugar), or they may be served plain. The dish is sometimes made frommashed potatoesto make pancake-shapedcroquettes.Some variations are made withsweet potatoes.

Potato pancake

Potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream
Type	Pancake
Region or state	Central,Eastern,andNorthern Europe
Main ingredients	Potatoes,flour,egg,cooking oil
Cookbook: Potato pancake Media: Potato pancake

In different cultures

Belarusiandranikiin a traditionalcrockerydish

Potato pancakes are associated with variousEuropean cuisines,includingIrish(asboxty),GermanandAustrian(asKartoffelpuffer,Reibekuchen,Reiberdatschi,ErdäpfelpufferandErdäpfellaibchen),Dutch(asaardappelpannenkoek,reifkoeken,reifjes),Belarusian(asдранікіdraniki),Bulgarian(aspatatnik),Czech(asbramborák,cmundaorvošouch),Hungarian(astócsni,lapcsánkaand other names),Jewish(aslatka,Yiddish:לאַטקע,Hebrew:לביבהlevivah,pluralלביבותlevivot),Latvian(askartupeļu pankūkas),Lithuanian(asbulviniai blynai),Luxembourg(Gromperekichelcher),Polish(asplacki ziemniaczane),Romanian(astociniortocinei),Russian(asдраникиdraniki),Slovak(aszemiakové placky),Ukrainian(asдеруниderuny),Italian(Frittelle di patate) and any cuisine that has adopted similar dishes. In Spain they are calledtortillitas de patatas;in Mexico in some areas they are calledtortitas de papaorcamaron,and are only prepared in some regions for Lent or meatless Fridays.

It is the national dish ofBelarus,Ukraine,RussiaandSlovakia.InGermany,potato pancakes are eaten either salty (as a side dish) or sweet with apple sauce,or blueberries, sugar and cinnamon; they are a very common menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons. InSwiss cuisine,röstiis a variation that never contains egg or flour. Americanhash brownsare also without eggs and flour. Potato pancake is a traditional favorite in the southern parts ofIndianaduring holiday festivities.InTaranto,Italypotato pancakes are calledfrittelle di patate alla tarantinaand are made with potatoes, salt andCanestrato Pugliese.

Potato pancakes fromAustria

Swedishraggmunkar,potatisplättar,rårakorandpotatisbullar

Raggmunk with pork and lingonberries

There are four Swedish versions of potato pancakes.

• Raggmunkarare prepared with a pancake batter of wheat flour, milk and egg, into which shredded raw potatoes are added. They are fried in butter and look likecrêpes(i.e. thin pancakes).
• Potatisplättarare also made of pancake batter and shredded potatoes, but the potatoes are cooked before they are shredded.
• Rårakorare a variant more akin tohash brownsandrösti,i.e. shredded raw potatoes formed as thin pancakes, but without any batter, which are fried in butter.
• Potatisbullarare rather thick pancake-like patties of mashed potatoes and eggs, which are turned in breadcrumbs and then fried in butter. Can be bought ready-made in Sweden.

All four variants are traditionally served with friedbaconandlingonberryjam.

British potato cakes

Potato cakes are common in theUnited Kingdom.In theNorth-East of England(particularly County Durham), there is a dish known as "tattie fish" because the pancake resembles a deep-fried piece of fish. The pancake consists of flour, eggs, shredded potatoes and onions. Some people addtomatoorcheeseto the mix.

The British also brought potato pancakes to former colonies such as Zimbabwe, where they are an affordable dish still eaten today.

Irishboxty

Main article:Boxty

Further information:Irish Cuisine

A form of potato pancake known asboxty(Irish:bacstaí) is a popular traditional dish in most ofIreland,particularly northConnachtand southernUlster.It is made similarly to the British type, with more starch and often withbuttermilkandbaking soda.It has a smooth, grained consistency.

Jewishlatke

Main article:Latke

Further information:Hanukkah § Foods

Latka frying in oil

Latkes (לאַטקע,sometimes spelledlatka) are potato pancakes thatAshkenazi Jewshave prepared as part of theHanukkahfestivalsince the mid-1800s,when a series of crop failures in Poland and Ukraine led to mass planting of potatoes, which were easy and cheap to grow. The potato dish is based on an older variant made with cheese instead of potatoes that goes back to at least the Middle Ages.

Latkes need not necessarily be made from potatoes. Prior to the introduction of the potato to the Old World, latkes were and in some places still are made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches, depending on the available local ingredients and foods of the various places where Jews lived.Numerous modern recipes call for the addition of ingredients such as onions and carrots.Daily variations on a simple potatolatkamight includezucchini,sweet onionandgruyere(forFrench onionflavor) and some variations made with sweet potatoes.

The wordlatkeitself is derived (via Yiddish) from theEast Slavicwordladka,oladka,a diminutive fromoladya(оладья), "small pancake". The wordlevivah(לביבה), the Hebrew name for latke, refers in theBook of Samuelto a dumpling made from kneaded dough, as part of the story ofAmnonandTamar. Some interpreters have noted that the homonymlevav(לבב) means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v occurs in theSong of Songsas well. In the lexicon of Ashkenazi Jews fromUdmurtiaandTatarstanthere are recorded versions of the kosher-style appellation of latkes (draniki,dranki,krezliki,kremzliki,kakorki,etc.) during the eight-dayHanukkahholiday.

Koreangamja-jeon

Gamja-jeon

Gamja-jeon(감자전;lit."potato pancake" ) is aKorean pancakemade by pan-frying in oil the mixture of grated potato and potato starch. It can be made without additional ingredients, but is sometimes mixed with onion, chilli and perilla leaf. Generally, it is seasoned with a small amount of salt and served with soy sauce.

Polishplacki ziemniaczane

A potato placek with spicy goulash (Placek ziemniaczany z gulaszem na ostro) served withBundz(sheep's milkcheese) and sour cream (perhaps mixed withyogurt) in a restaurant inZakopane,Poland

Potato pancakes, literally translated inPolishasplacki ziemniaczane,are often served in Poland topped with meat sauce, pork crisps orgoulash,as well assour cream,apple sauce,mushroom sauce,and cottage or sheep'scheeseor even fruit syrup.Placki ziemniaczanewas a food staple at the 17th-century Polish monasteries according to written recipe from Stoczek Warmiński with one onion, two eggs and a spoonful of wheat flour per each kilogram of potatoes, served only with salt and pepper.In the 19th century,especially in times of economic difficulty during theforeign partitions,potato pancakes often replaced missing bread among the peasants. The lower-quality crops given to field laborers were sometimes turned by them quickly into pancakes to improve taste and prolong freshness.Also, their popularity is closely associated with the historic presence of one of the largest Jewish communities in the world flourishing in Poland.

The largest potato pancake (possibly in the world), measuring 2 meters and 2 centimeters, was made during the annual two-day celebrations ofŚwit Plinzy(Plinza Dawn festival) inRzechta,Poland (see photo). The tongue-in-cheek games in Rzechta include the throwing of bad potato pancake, with the record of 29 meters.

Brigand's pancake

A derived dish consists of thick goulash laid on a potato pancake. It has origins in or nearTatra mountains,on either Polish or Slovak side. The dish bears a variety of names:

• placek zbójnicki(brigand's) — most common
• placek cygański(gypsy's)
• placek węgierski(Hungarian) — despite being unknown in Hungary; but goulash (the topping) itself comes from Hungary
• jadło drwali(lumberjacks' food)
• placek góralski(mountainmen's)

Czechbramborák

Bramborák

A Czech potato pancake is calledbramborák(frombrambor,potato) and it is made of grated potatoes with egg, breadcrumbs or flour and seasoning (salt, pepper, most importantly garlic andmarjoram;sometimes ground, cracked or wholecarawayseeds) and is served as it is (see recipe). Some regional versions blend in dough,sauerkrautor sliced smoked meat. The same potato dough is used also as coating of fried pork chop calledkaplický řízek.It is sometimesdeep fried.

Iraniankuku sib zamini

Further information:Kuku (food) § Kuku sib zamini

InIranian cuisine,kuku sib-zamini(Gilaki:کوکو سیب زمینی,'potatokuku') is made with shredded potatoes, eggs, onion, saffron, sometimes garlic chives and sometimes cinnamon. Frequently, potato kuku is cooked as smaller patties, but it is also cooked in a larger pancake-style or baked.This dish has been comparedto thelatke,röstiandtortilla Española(Spanish omelette).

See also

• Hash browns– Potato food commonly eaten for breakfast in the United States
• Korosten– City in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, a town in Ukraine that hosts an annual potato pancake festival
• Latke–Hamantash Debate– Annual debate at the University of Chicago
• Potato waffle– Mashed potato in grill shape
• Mücver– Turkish fritter or pancake, made from grated zucchini

External links

• Media related toPotato pancakesat Wikimedia Commons