Lotsa Latkes
Fan-favorite dessert latke. Photo Credit: Stella Fried
As we all know, latkes are one of the most important aspects of Hanukkah. We’ve all eaten these delicious potato pancakes and argued about whether applesauce or sour cream is the superior topping (it’s obviously applesauce). But what about other flavors of latkes? Is it the classic potato? Paneer latkes? What about caprese latkes or dessert latkes? The options are infinite, and that’s what I learned at Nefesh’s Latke Potluck.
Nefesh is Adath Israel’s Jewish Young Professionals group and is a great way for young Jews to make new friends and connect to their Judaism. There is usually one Nefesh event a month, often coinciding with Jewish holidays. For Hanukkah this year, we were all asked to bring latkes and vote on which was the best. The winner was to be given an “exclusive, limited edition, never been used, vintage flexible beverage vessel.”
The voting system was very serious, with 4 different rating categories, visuals, texture, flavor and uniqueness. With 12 different latkes to try, this was a fun and filling event. We all debated the merits of the different flavors and textures, whether the tikka masala latke was too spicy (it wasn’t), and whether or not there was Sprite in the Maccababy mocktail (there was).
It was quickly clear what the fan favorite latkes were: paneer, caprese and dessert. These were 3 unique flavors that I’d seen or tasted, and each one could easily have been the winner.
After much calculating, it was determined that the winner of the “flexible beverage vessel” with an average score of 4.68/5 stars were the dessert latkes with fruit, melted marshmallow and dash of brown sugar to hold the toppings to the latke. This was a worthy winner; incredible flavor and entirely unique. I had no idea it was possible for a dessert latke to exist, much less taste so delectable.
The Nefesh Latke Potluck was the perfect way to spend an evening, surrounded by delicious food and wonderful people. This event gets a 5/5 stars in all categories and makes me all the more excited for the next Nefesh event. Happy Hanukkah!
