Written by Trip Peterson
Many different people and cultures are celebrated during the holiday season, and food is a big part of celebrations. These foods carry importance because they often convey deep meaning and communicate cultural values and beliefs.
One main dish of the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, is latkes. Latkes are fried potato pancakes and one of the most well-known foods associated with the holiday. This food, which dates back to the Middle Ages, was common in Ashkenazi communities and later became popular in eastern countries. Latkes are commonly made by shredding potatoes and wringing excess moisture with a cheesecloth, mixing two cups of the potatoes with the flour, salt, egg, and diced onion, frying spoonfuls of the potato mixture in hot oil, pressing down to form patties, and finally, cooking them until golden brown on both sides.
A staple of Christmas is Gingerbread, whether in the form of Gingerbread people, houses, or cake. Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 AD by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis. Throughout the 13th century, it was spread through Europe and eventually brought to America as it was traded during colonization. An ‘Old-Fashioned” gingerbread recipe consists of butter, sugar, egg, molasses, flour, baking soda, spices, and water. These ingredients are added together and baked in a pan.
The African-American and Pan-African holiday, Kwanzaa, is associated with many foods. However, one of the main dishes of Karamu—the feast typically taking place on December 31—is one pot stew. These types of stews can come in different forms and from different traditions. Some examples range from Ghanaian groundnut stew and Red red (African stewed black-eyed peas) to Cajun jambalaya and Creole gumbo.