# A non-Jew making latkes: Offensive? Appropriation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807 "2003-12-24T07:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/1 "2003-12-24T07:07:42Z")
I had latkes once when a Jewish friend made some for our class as kind of a “cultural awareness” thing during our goofing-off-between-midterms-and-winter-break period in middle school. Since most of us in class were Christian, and there had been a lot of talk of Christmas even by the teachers, she and her mom came in and made us latkes and told us about Hannukah. Those were some GOOD latkes. I’ve been kind of wanting to try to make some myself, because they were yummy. Even though it’s been like six years since I had them in the first place. But I know this unrelated third party who got very defensive about a non-Jewish person making and eating some kind of jelly donut on a Jewish holiday when the making and eating of jelly donuts are traditionally practiced. I wouldn’t want anybody getting offended over my goy latkes… Would you, personally, consider such a thing to be an appropriation of the Jewish holiday/celebration? Would it be otherwise offensive? What if it were a different food, or a non-edible custom? ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/2 "2003-12-24T07:17:13Z")
Your “friend” needs to relax, and you need to ignore him or her. As I sit here and eat danish cheese, on rye crackers, with mexican dip, after cooking a swedish pastry and having a pastrami on rye . . . Cook what you like. I’m a Scandhovian and I make great Mexican. And remember why G-d chose the Jews to discover bagels. Because the goyim annoy him. Whistlepig ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/3 "2003-12-24T07:24:06Z")
What makes you think _Latkes_ were invented by a Jew, anyway? Someone, somewhere along the way, appropriated Yet Another Fried Food (which are the traditional Hannukah foods, because of the Miracle of the Oil which is its central theme). Oh, and Jelly Donuts are for Hannukah, too… but only if you’re Ashkenazi! Sephardim have different Fried Goodies for Hannukah. And they’re all yummy and all **WAAAAAY** too fattening ☹ Dani ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/4 "2003-12-24T13:38:38Z")
Call 'em potato pancakes and ignore the guy who objects. Sheesh. Personally, I’m all for crossing culture. I think we all ought to learn more about the practices of other cultures and religions and make an effort to understand them, even to celebrate them. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/5 "2003-12-24T13:39:41Z")
There’s no problem. They’re not a religious food, after all, just a cultural one. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/6 "2003-12-24T14:07:09Z")
Food = love. Fry up some latkes and ignore the spoilsport. I’m a bit curious, though – I see that the OP is in the Texas Republic, so I’m wondering about local variants of the typical latkes recipie. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/7 "2003-12-24T14:21:50Z")
Agree. Not offended. Enjoy the _latkes_. 🙂 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/8 "2003-12-24T14:24:18Z")
Make sure you have some applesauce and/or sour cream on the side. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/9 "2003-12-24T15:47:34Z")
Considering that freakin’ IHOP makes 'em, go right ahead. All’s you need to do is grate some potato and onion, throw in an egg and some salt and pepper and matzo meal, make into patties and fry till golden brown and crispy. Serve, as KVS said, with applesauce and sour cream. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/10 "2003-12-24T15:49:08Z")
Definitely not offensive. But it is a lot of work. I suggest inviting a few friends over to share the labor and the feast! Anyone who gets all up in arms about goyishe\* sufganiyot (those special Jelly Doughnuts) seriously needs to relax. \*That’s supposed to be the adjectival form of goy. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/11 "2003-12-24T15:53:33Z")
Can’t imagine anyone being offended. There’s certainly no Jewish monopoly on potato pancakes, no matter what you call them. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/12 "2003-12-24T16:04:35Z")
If you can buy a mix in the supermarket, they’re open to everyone IMHO. Hey I like beignets and I’m not French or from New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/13 "2003-12-24T16:39:41Z")
What makes it really funny is that I’m an atheist, so my celebration of Christmas is an appropriation too. 😉 **Scuba\_Ben** , I lived in New York until after I graduated from high school, so I haven’t had any Texas latkes. I start to ponder now if maybe there’d be chili powder involved… There’s an IHOP up the road! I can go there and avoid having to grate potatoes all day! ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/14 "2003-12-24T16:49:36Z")
Latkes are eaten by many eastern european nations - my hungarian (not Jewish) grandma makes latkes. We also have recipes for blintzes (sometimes served with with non-kosher meat) - and we often eat wasa bread crackers with shell fish on them. In eastern europe just about any kosher recipe has a non-kosher counterpart. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/15 "2003-12-24T17:00:06Z")
Well, if you’re not a purist and don’t want to spend all day grating potatoes and onions, the food processor is your friend. Prepared mixes are evil! However, I always enjoy the cooking process; it’s one of those girlie-bonding things in our family. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/16 "2003-12-24T17:03:39Z")
How on Earth could making a food be offensive? Make your latkes and enjoy them. Haj ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/17 "2003-12-24T17:09:52Z")
I think a holiday that’s themed on fried foods is amazing. Who wouldn’t want in on that? Anyone have a good recipe? My potato pancakes always turn out mushy. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/18 "2003-12-24T17:27:53Z")
I’m not Jewish but grew up eating potato pancakes. My Jewish wife made latkes last night. I love em and can make a meal outta them. Can’t deal with applesauce on them though. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/19 "2003-12-24T17:28:45Z")
Are you straining out the starch? After the potatoes are grated and are sitting in a rapidly oxidizing heap, take the mush and squeeze it through a piece of cheesecloth or an old, clean t-shirt. Discard liquid. Continue as usual with a little egg, salt, pepper. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807/20 "2003-12-24T17:32:38Z")
We grate some raw potatoes very fine. Then squeeze out all the juice you can. I use cheesecloth for this. Then mix in enough egg and flour (and a little salt and pepper) til you get a nice sticky consistency. Throw into a pan with about 1/2 inch oil in there and cook til golden brown. Eat with sour cream and applesauce. Beautiful. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-non-jew-making-latkes-offensive-appropriation/220807.md?page=2)