Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, Jewish families like mine celebrate by eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts). Notice a theme? Often, traditional Hanukkah food is fried as a reminder of the oil in the story of the miracle of Hanukkah.

We eat these symbolic foods not just on the first night of Hanukkah, but throughout all eight nights to celebrate the oil lasting for that long. Here are our favorite crispy bites and other Hanukkah favorites, as well as their significance for the holiday.

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the ancient Jewish peoples’ reclamation of their temple in Jerusalem after occupation by the Syrian-Greek empire.

As the story goes, the Jewish Maccabees reentered the temple and found only a tiny bit of oil—barely enough to burn their lamps for one day. Instead, the oil burned for eight days—a Hanukkah miracle.

Since Hanukkah typically falls in December, it’s often considered the Jewish version of Christmas. But Hanukkah is a minor Jewish festival—far less significant than the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Still, Hanukkah is a fun winter celebration—and it doesn’t hurt that it comes with lots of good food.

Traditional Hanukkah Foods

There are dozens of Hanukkah recipes to make during the eight-day celebration, but here are some of the most traditional and beloved Hanukkah foods.

Latkes

Latkes are traditional fried potato pancakes that are eaten on Hanukkah to remember the miracle of the oil in the Hanukkah story. They’re probably the most well-known Hanukkah food, and for good reason. No matter how they’re made—from thinly or thickly shredded potatoes to almost mashed—they’re bound to be delicious. There are many latke variations, including sweet potato, zucchini and cheese and red pepper.

Editor’s Tip: Homemade latkes are a time-consuming process, but they’re always worth it! Plus they freeze well, so you can make them ahead of time or make a big batch and freeze half of them.

Applesauce and Sour Cream

Applesauce and sour cream are the most popular latke toppings. They can be playfully divisive—ask any Jewish person in your life which they prefer, and they’ll likely have strong opinions. (So if you’re hosting a Hanukkah latke party, make sure you have both!)

Whether you personally opt for applesauce or sour cream (or, like me, both!), these cool, smooth toppings provide the perfect contrast to piping hot, crispy latkes.

Editor’s Tip: Store-bought sour cream and applesauce work just fine, but you can take your latkes up a notch with homemade applesauce.

Sufganiyot

Fried jelly doughnuts are another reminder of the Hanukkah oil miracle. In Israel and many Jewish communities in the U.S., they’re called sufganiot, which is the Hebrew word for donuts. They’re related to sfinge, which are Moroccan doughnuts that are also associated with Hanukkah. Serve your sufganiyot on their own or in a spread of your favorite Hanukkah desserts!

Gelt

No Hanukkah food traditions are complete without gelt, the gold wrapped chocolate coins that are used to barter with during the traditional game of dreidel. A dreidel is a top with four sides, each with a different letter representing a word in a Hebrew saying that means “a great miracle happened there” (referring to Israel, where the Hanukkah story took place).

To play dreidel, players each start with several pieces of gelt and take turns spinning the top. Depending on which letter the dreidel lands on, players have to give or take gelt from the center “pot.” The game ends when one player wins all of the gelt.

Most people use store-bought gelt—it’s readily available at many retailers in December or online any time of year. You can also use pennies, M&M’s or make homemade gelt.

Hanukkah Cookies

Hanukkah cookies may not be as traditional as latkes or sufganiyot, but they’re a popular way to celebrate the holiday. Common cookie shapes for Hanukkah include dreidels, menorahs (the nine-pronged Hanukkah candle holder) and stars of David.

To mix up your sweets spread, include some other sweets like chocolate-stuffed dreidel cookies, rugelach, mandelbrot or slices of chocolate babka.

Brisket

Braised Hanukkah Brisket with a knife next to the trayTASTE OF HOME

Some common Hanukkah foods like brisket are also popular at other Jewish holidays, like Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Different from Texas-style barbecue brisket, Jewish brisket is braised with liquid like red wine or even Coca Cola, as well as vegetables like carrots, onions and potatoes.

Editor’s Tip: When you’re buying brisket meat, look for a piece with lots of marbling—it’ll make for a more flavorful dish.

Kugel

Kugel is an easy-to-make and easy-to-personalize casserole dish that can be served sweet or savory. Sweet versions use an egg noodle base and usually include cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Savory versions use a shredded potato base—which makes it great for Passover—and may include garlic, onions and other vegetables.

Rugelach

Rugelach is a popular Jewish dessert that’s enjoyed at different holidays and celebrations, including Hanukkah. These little rolled cookies are made using a cream cheese dough, which cooks up as a light, flaky pastry. There are endless fillings for rugelach recipes—from fruity raspberry and apricot to sweet chocolate—and they often include chopped nuts, like walnuts.

Mandelbrot

Mandel bread, technically known as Mandelbrot, is a favorite Jewish cookie that is similar to biscotti. Translating to “almond bread,” these long and crispy double-baked cookies are perfect for dipping in coffee or tea, but they can be enjoyed on their own as well. Serve it as a Hanukkah dessert studded with chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit.

Challah

Baked ChallahSarah Tramonte For Taste of Home

Challah is a braided, egg-based bread that’s served on Shabbat and at nearly every Jewish holiday meal. Usually, you’ll find it topped with sesame seeds or poppy seeds or just a nice egg wash, except for on Rosh Hashanah when it will be filled with raisins and rolled into a circle. Challah is easy to make with the whole family, and kids love rolling out the strands and braiding it.

Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken is a beloved dish for Jewish holidays, and Hanukkah is no exception. Make one of our whole roast chicken recipes during any night of Hanukkah, then be sure to save all the bones for homemade chicken stock.

Editor’s Tip: To get the skin extra crispy, salt your chicken up to 24 hours ahead of time, stored uncovered in the fridge so the skin dries out.

Matzo Ball Soup

It’s not a Jewish holiday without matzo ball soup, aka everyone’s favorite Jewish penicillin. You can make homemade matzo balls or save time and use the box mix, which is still delicious. I like to add chopped herbs like dill, parsley and cilantro to my matzo balls.

Editor’s Tip: For fluffy matzo balls, make sure not to overmix the batter so the balls stay light and float to the top of the soup.

Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots are a staple on Jewish holidays, but they’re especially nice on Hanukkah to balance out all the fried foods. They’re often drizzled in something sweet like pomegranate molasses, honey or maple syrup, which helps them caramelize while they’re roasting. Serve roasted carrots alongside your brisket or roasted chicken.

Olive Oil Cake

The main ingredient in olive oil cake is—you guessed it—olive oil. This is the perfect food to eat on Hanukkah to celebrate the miracle of the oil, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s so delicious. Olive oil cake is moist and fluffy, and can easily be personalized to your taste with different flavors or glazes. Lemon olive oil cake and chocolate olive oil cake are just two examples!

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Even though they’re not fried, pan-seared Brussels sprouts can get nice and crispy. They’re also a great way to get some greens on your Hanukkah plate. Try one of our favorite Brussels sprouts recipes, and make sure to use fresh sprouts versus frozen for the best flavor.