ian '''' in a traditional
crockery dish Potato pancakes are associated with various
European cuisines, including
Irish (as
boxty),
German and
Austrian (as
Kartoffelpuffer, '
, ', '
and '),
Dutch (as '
, ', '
), Belarusian (as '),
Bulgarian (as ''
), Czech (as ,
or vošouch''),
Hungarian (as '
, and other names), Jewish (as ', , '
, plural '),
Latvian (as '
), Lithuanian (as '),
Luxembourg ('
), Polish (as '),
Romanian (as
tocini or
tocinei),
Russian (as '
), Slovak (as '),
Ukrainian (as ''
), Italian (frittelle di patate) and any cuisine that has adopted similar dishes. In Spain they are called tortillitas de patatas;
in Mexico in some areas they are called tortitas de papa
or camaron'', and are only prepared in some regions for Lent or meatless Fridays. It is the national dish of
Belarus,
Ukraine,
Russia and
Slovakia. In
Germany, 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 at outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons. In
Swiss cuisine, is a variation that never contains egg or flour. American
hash browns are also without eggs and flour. Potato pancakes are a traditional favorite in southern
Indiana during holiday festivities. In
Taranto,
Italy, potato pancakes are called
frittelle di patate alla tarantina and are made with potatoes, salt and
Canestrato Pugliese.
Swedish ', ', ' and ' There are four Swedish versions of potato pancakes. • '''' are 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 like
crêpes (i.e. thin pancakes). • '''' are also made of pancake batter and shredded potatoes, but the potatoes are cooked before they are shredded. • ''
are a variant more akin to hash browns and rösti'', i.e. shredded raw potatoes formed as thin pancakes, but without any batter, which are fried in butter. They can be served as a fancy starter with sour creme, red onion and
Kalix Löjrom. • '''' are 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 fried
bacon and
lingonberry jam.
Slavic draniki Draniki are found in many Slavic countries, particularly Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Slovakia. Draniki are the national dish of said countries. They are popular in Belarus specifically. The humble potato pancake is a favorite due to its simplicity and taste. Draniki are traditionally eaten with sour cream.
British potato cakes Potato cakes are common in the
United Kingdom. In the
North-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 add
tomato or
cheese to the mix. The British also brought potato pancakes to former colonies such as Zimbabwe, where they are an affordable dish still eaten today.
Irish boxty A form of potato pancake known as
boxty () is a popular traditional dish in most of
Ireland, particularly north
Connacht and southern
Ulster. It is made similarly to the British type, with more starch and often with
buttermilk and
baking soda. It has a smooth, grained consistency.
Jewish latke Latkes (, sometimes spelled
latka) are potato pancakes that
Ashkenazi Jews have prepared as part of the
Hanukkah festival since 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 potato
latka might include
zucchini,
sweet onion and
gruyere (for
French onion flavor) and some variations made with sweet potatoes. The word itself is derived (via Yiddish) from the
East Slavic word , , a diminutive from (), "small pancake". The word (), the Hebrew name for latke, refers in the
Book of Samuel to a dumpling made from kneaded dough, as part of the story of
Amnon and
Tamar. Some interpreters have noted that the homonym () means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v occurs in the
Song of Songs as well. In the lexicon of Ashkenazi Jews from
Udmurtia and
Tatarstan there are recorded versions of the kosher-style appellation of latkes (
draniki,
dranki,
krezliki,
kremzliki,
kakorki, etc.) during the eight-day
Hanukkah holiday.
Korean gamja-jeon ''
Gamja-jeon () is a
Korean pancake made 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.
Moroccan maaquda A popular street food in Morocco is the maaquda, prepared very similar to latkes. It probably originated in the colonial era, when potatoes were introduced to Morocco.
Polish '''' (
sheep's milk cheese) and sour cream (perhaps mixed with
yogurt) in a restaurant in
Zakopane,
Poland Potato pancakes, literally translated in
Polish as '''', are often served in Poland topped with meat sauce, pork crisps or
goulash, as well as
sour cream,
apple sauce, mushroom sauce, and cottage or sheep's
cheese or even fruit syrup.
Placki ziemniaczane was a staple food in 17th-century Polish monasteries according to a 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 the
foreign 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.
Brigand's pancake A derived dish consists of thick goulash laid on a potato pancake. It has origins in or near the
Tatra mountains, on either the Polish or the 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 (Highlander's)
Czech '''' A Czech potato pancake is called '
(from ', potato) and it is made of grated potatoes with egg, breadcrumbs or flour and seasoning (salt, pepper, most importantly garlic and
marjoram; sometimes ground, cracked or whole
caraway seeds) and is served as it is. Some regional versions blend in dough,
sauerkraut or sliced smoked meat. The same potato dough is used also as the coating of fried pork chops called ''''. It is sometimes
deep-fried.
Iranian In
Iranian cuisine, (, 'potato ') 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 compared to the , and (
Spanish omelette).
Ukrainian deruny Deruny (
Ukrainian: деруни), also called
tertiukhy,
kremzlyky, or
rysylovanyky in different regions, are traditional Ukrainian potato pancakes made from grated raw potatoes, onion, flour, and egg, typically shallow-fried in oil. The name
deruny derives from the Ukrainian verb
derty (Ukrainian: дерти
) ("to grate"), reflecting the preparation method. ==See also==